Date of Award
Spring 5-2009
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
Education
First Advisor
Dr. Lynda Leavitt
Second Advisor
Dr. Cindy Vitale
Third Advisor
Dr. John Oldani
Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative research project was to investigate and understand elementary and secondary Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) school teachers' awareness of and attitudes toward the use of electronic curricula in the classroom. The research question was: Why is there a lack of mainstream LCMS grade schools and high schools asking for or using electronically-delivered curricula? Interpretive inquiry was chosen as the methodology for this research and due to the nature of this researcher's focus on technology in the classroom, an electronic survey was used for gathering data which was effective in terms of cost and time efficiency. The results summarized over 1000 LCMS teacher responses for each of fifteen primary survey questions. Twelve themes emerged from this study regarding electronic curricula that indicated LCMS teachers are concerned about (a) digital age requirements, (b) administrative encouragement and support, (c) affordability of technology, (d) accessibility of technology, (e) technical support of technology, (f) time for teachers, (g) training for teachers, (h) pedagogy impact on students, (i) safety of students, G) copyrights and permissions, (k) descriptors of electronic curricula, and (1) learning from dissenters. In general, teachers are familiar with the Internet and how to use it but have not used formalized electronic curricula. Funding is needed to secure basic infrastructure for schools, and administration support is necessary to identify and pursue the appropriate levels of training and technical support for teachers. Various media, hardware and software are being used by greater than 1,000 teachers who responded to the survey, but no organizing structure was found to coordinate electronic curricula within many individual Lutheran schools or across LCMS grade schools and high schools. To fill the void and provide an organizing structure for the LCMS, a four-phased process called the Advancing Student Performance with Electronic Curricula Tools (ASPECTs) program is proposed. The ASPECTs process recommends a systematic plan for the design ofleamer-centered electronic curricula by publishers such as Concordia Publishing House, makmg use of LCMS teacher input and feedback throughout the process. This research may also be beneficial to school systems outside the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod.
Recommended Citation
Kintz, Bruce Gerard, "Teacher Perceptions of Electronic Curricula Implementation within an Elementary and Secondary Lutheran Setting" (2009). Dissertations. 640.
https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/dissertations/640
Rights
Copyright 2009