Teacher preparation programs are ever evolving based on research and student needs. The use of technology, such as virtual reality (VR), is at the forefront of education to help provide opportunities for teacher candidates to practice teaching in a semi-authentic classroom environment of students with and without exceptionalities. VR is a way for…

Creativity is an important part of education. Teachers need to be able to understand and develop creativity to be able to successfully model it for their students. They can achieve this through pre-service training. Past research has provided implications in pre-service training that helped pre-service teachers develop creativity, albeit from a…

This qualitative case study investigated teacher educators at a Midwest Division II university to gain insight to the obstacles faced when integrating technology and the decision-making process in relation to technology integration. Combining the constructivist theory with the TPaCK framework, the study aimed to make a connection as to the…

This dissertation explored the systemic factors influencing learners' technology outcomes in a teacher preparation program, specifically addressing technology fluency and the ability to integrate technology into instruction. Using a combination of grounded theory and qualitative program evaluation, this study identified the scope, contexts, and…

As technology advances, the educational landscape continually evolves to integrate innovative technologies into teaching and learning strategies. Augmented Reality (AR) is a technology with potential for inclusion in educational systems. This dissertation delves into the role of AR in education, structured around three connected studies, each…

The purpose of this convergent mixed methods study was to explore how an undergraduate educational technology course impacts preservice teachers' TPACK knowledge and how it affects the development of their technology integration repertoire. A total of 14 preservice teachers enrolled in a face-to-face section of an educational technology course in…

The purpose of this study was to determine how preservice teachers are being taught to use digital technologies to create multimodal ensembles in teacher preparation programs. A hermeneutic content analysis with a partially mixed sequential equal status designed study was used during this research. The three data sources explored and examined for…

Maria Montessori established her first school almost 120 years ago. She prepared teachers herself through lectures as well as practice with Montessori manipulatives, and observation of classrooms. That method of preparing teachers had not changed significantly until recent years. Adult learners needed to attend class full-time in person, making it…

Teacher education programs recognize the impact of technology's rise on the process of learning to teach. Prior studies have examined both the effectiveness of specific digital tools and contextual factors in shaping preservice teachers' technology use in classrooms (focusing largely on teacher educators' technology selections, the locations and…

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of design thinking instruction on the creativity of preservice teachers. Preservice teachers took part in a two-week unit on 3D printing as a part of their regular instruction in an educational technology course. The experimental group was introduced to design thinking instruction as a framework…

Demands of the workplace and society have made 21st-century knowledge and skills critical elements for success. As a result, the role of teachers in adequately preparing students to meet these demands continues to grow. National and state standards also call for increased attention to multimodal reading and writing. Today's teachers must have the…

Density is a difficult concept for students to understand because it cannot be directly observed. If students are to gain a deeper understanding of the concept of density, they need to learn about density at both the microscopic and macroscopic levels. Virtual reality provides an opportunity for learners to experience phenomena at microscopic…

Teacher education programs have a responsibility to prepare preservice teachers for the demands of teaching, including how to integrate educational technology into lessons. The purpose of this explanatory sequential mixed methods approach study is to understand the relationship between preservice teachers' self-efficacy for technology integration…

As more and more students seek out online educational opportunities, emerging technology and platforms must provide the most effective experience for learners to expand their knowledge and skill sets. The research study aimed to investigate social presence, collaboration, and design opportunities in head-mounted, virtual reality as compared to the…

This study explored the potential connections between secondary in-service (ISTs) and preservice (PSTs) mathematics teachers' anticipations and their noticing of student thinking in technology-mediated learning environments, a topic with limited prior research. Specifically, the study examined how teachers (ISTs and PSTs) anticipate student…