Date of Award
12-2023
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
Education Systems Improvement Science
Committee Chair/Advisor
Dr. Noelle A. Paufler
Committee Member
Dr. Sherry Hoyle
Committee Member
Dr. Hans Klar
Committee Member
Dr. Barbara Nesbitt
Abstract
School and district leaders lack awareness of the depth and complexity of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Standards for Education Leaders and how the implementation of the leader standards provides for students and teachers to learn relevant skills and strategies. Continuing the work of Schoenbart’s 2019 dissertation, the Education Leaders Technology Survey (ELTS) provides a self-assessment for education leaders to reflect on their leadership of technology integration and provides baseline data for this study. Professional learning around the ISTE Standards for Education Leaders provided through a Canvas course provides education leaders with a theory of action to interact with the standards as students so the leaders can support teachers while providing vision and structures for the leadership of technology integration in school buildings and districts. One-on-one interviews provide context for how the course can evolve and support leaders, while the post-survey of the ELTS demonstrates that the professional learning course provides the intended impact. Professional learning around the ISTE’s Standards for Education Leaders impacts school and district education leaders’ ability to lead effective technology integration in three ways. First, school and district education leaders develop and increase their awareness of the ISTE Standards for Education Leaders, as evidenced by the qualitative feedback through interviews citing that the course helped them to either become aware of the standards for the first time or increase their understanding of the standards. Leaders also cited that some of the video vignettes provided in the course offered examples of what students and teachers can create with access to technology resources in their schools and classrooms. Second, leaders increased their self-reported abilities around visionary leadership as evidenced by the quantitative increase in the ELTS Survey (increase from 2.60 to 3.90 from PreSurvey to PostSurvey). Visionary leadership increased through tools in the course that they could immediately use in their day-to-day roles as leaders in their schools and districts. Third, leaders' ability to lead effective technology integration is impacted by facilitating leaders’ reflection practices around learning through the lens of students, teachers, and leaders. This impact is evidenced by activities provided in the course, which asked leaders to reflect on each standard through the lens of a school or district leader. Leaders provided feedback on ways to improve the course, thinking of practical application of leader standards and how their skills and abilities as a leader would benefit from the content in the course. Implications of this research should drive future learning, funding, and attention around the need for professional learning for education leaders to support the leadership of technology integration.
Recommended Citation
Woodward, Tennille, "Leveraging Professional Learning to Impact Leadership of Technology Integration" (2023). All Dissertations. 3524.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_dissertations/3524