Abigail Magaro May 22, 2013 EDET 780 Critique 1 Miranda, H., & Russell, M. (2011).

Predictors of teacher-directed student use of technology in elementary classrooms: A multilevel sem approach using data from the useit study. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 43(4), 301-323. Retrieved from: http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERIC ExtSearch_SearchValue_0=EJ930313&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=EJ9 30313 Introduction Predictors of teacher-directed student use of technology in elementary classrooms: A multilevel SEM approach using data from the USEIT study is written by Helena Miranda of Florida Gulf Coast University and Michael Russell of Boston College. The study focuses on predictors of teacher-directed students use of technology. Not only are factors from the classroom taken into account, factors from a school standpoint and a district standpoint are also taken into account. The purpose of the study was to determine the factors that determine how much technology is used inside a classroom. The amount of resources and funding are usually the go to reasons why technology is not as widely used as it could be in todays schools. With 97% of all public schools having access to high speed internet it seems that the connectivity is there. So what is happening to the technology? This study used statistics from the USEIT study conducted in Boston. The USEIT study sent surveys to district administrators, principals, and teachers to interested districts throughout Massachusetts. The survey included questions related to the individuals beliefs about technology and its benefits in the classroom, experience in technology, the pressure one feels in using technology in the classroom, and if the individual has any integration obstacles. The study found that not only are there factors resulting in positive and negative effects in teacher-directed student use of technology, but these factors range from inside the actual classroom all the way to the district levels. District level factors include principals discretion and the availability of the technology standards. One school level factor is present and it is the principals use of technology. Classroom level factors include the teachers beliefs of integrating technology, their experience with technology, the pressures of using and not using technology in the classroom, and the obstacles facing teachers when it comes to integrating technology into their lesson plans.

According to the researchers the limitations surrounding this study are that the lack of available districts resulted in inflated effects at the district level. The study also only focuses on teacher-directed student use of technology. The study fails to include student directed use of technology and independent student use of technology. From the results from this study, the biggest factors that contribute to technology not being used in the classroom reflect on the teachers beliefs that technology will improve the students learning and the amount of experience teachers have in using technology in the classroom. The more experience teachers and principals have in using technology in the classroom the more likely they are to use it. If I were to conduct another study I would start by using the same teachers used in this study, but I would lead seminars and workshops about using technology in the classroom to enhance student learning. After I felt that the teachers and principals had an in depth understanding, I would give them a few months to use the technology they learned about. I would then send another survey and conduct observations to see if the workshops and seminars changed opinions about technology in the classroom and if it is easier for teachers to integrate the technology into their lessons. Critique The authors were very clear about their objectives about this study. Four pages into the paper the questions regarding what they hoped the study would reveal are located. The questions ask about factors regarding teacher directed student use of technology at the classroom level, school wide level, and district level. The literature review is organized and in logical order. The authors ask questions that encourage the reader to use critical thinking and form their own opinions about the study. Throughout the paper there are many references to other articles and facts about the USEIT study. The writing throughout the paper is well organized and free of grammatical errors. While some parts of the paper and accessible to a wide variety of people, the actual data used is something specifically for a target audience. I will admit that I had a hard time following the data charts, specifically table 6. In the paper there is really no explanation as to how this data was found, what the acronyms mean, and how the numbers relate to the study. For this class I wanted my research studies to focus on using technology in the elementary classroom. This study allowed me to see factors that play contributing roles in whether technology is used or not. I did not know that principals use of technology can have an impact on whether it is used frequently in the classroom. When I first started learning about the factors that can influence the amount of technology used in a classroom I always felt that resources and funding were at the

top of the list. It wasnt until reading this study that I learned not only of the other factors included, but that those factors play a much larger role. At the end of the report there is a discussion section that takes the results found in the study and puts them all together. Since I found that data charts to be a little confusing, this section taught me the most. The factors found in the study were documented here and included to what extent the factors played a contributing role. For example, a teachers belief in technology in the classroom is not going to affect the amount of technology used at the district level. That is something that can only be felt at the classroom or school wide level. There is no explicit theory being tested in this study. If the researchers wanted to in their next study, they can observe the teachers used the in the original study and examine the amount of technology used in each classroom versus the amount of experience each teacher has with technology. This would provide the researchers an opportunity to theorize and link together experience with implementation. Conclusion From my perspective, the study conducted was well written and well executed. My only concerns were the lack of variation between the districts used. There was an over representation of white students and most of the districts used were on the wealthier side of the spectrum. I feel that the researchers used districts that do not have any issues when it comes to getting the proper funding and resources for their schools. A study that includes poorer districts would have been better because then the funding and resources factors might have played a larger role in the use of technology in the classroom. This study was very useful to me because as I stated earlier, my main focus of my research critiques is the use of technology in the elementary school classroom. Knowing the factors that attribute to that usage can help me as I continue my education. In my experience as a student teacher, substitute, and student in the educational technology program, I know that there are many factors that determine the amount of technology used inside a classroom. During my observations I can see that a teachers experience with technology plays major role in whether or not that teacher will use technology. I am however discussing teacher-directed student use of technology. I would still like to view the gaps in funding between the districts of Massachusetts, and whether those gaps attribute to technology use as much as teacher beliefs and experience.