A review of students' perceptions of technology usage and its relationship to student achievement in the high school language arts program in selected schools in Georgia

Research revealed that literacy remains an astronomical problem in the educational arena. Students leave high school ill prepared to face the challenges of an ever-advancing technologically-based society. Schools have not developed viable solutions to this plaguing problem. This study was designed to provide some possible solutions to improving student literacy through the use of technology in the Language Arts program.;The purpose of this study was to investigate the students' perceptions of technology usage and student achievement in their high school Language Arts classes. A survey consisting of fifteen questions was administered to a sample group of 302 students who were divided into two categories, those who were enrolled in a Language Arts class that integrated technology and those who were not enrolled in such a setting. Student achievement was investigated using the students' test scores on the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test and the End-of-Course Test in Language Arts.;A review of the literature confirmed that a gap exists concerning the students' perceptions of technology usage in the Language Arts classroom. In other words, the students' thoughts about the role of technology in their lives are often neglected. However, research suggested that their opinion is essential, since most students are already "tech savvy." Students overwhelming agreed that technology usage in the Language Arts classroom simply enhanced the skills they already possessed, and it provided them with the opportunity to become actively engaged in the learning process and to excel academically.;The results of this study revealed that students who used technology in their Language Arts classes had higher mean achievement scores on the End-of-Course test. These test results were influenced by race and gender. The survey results reported that students perceive technology use in their Language Arts as beneficial. These overall results were similar to the findings of Villano (2007), Prensky (2008), and Delisio (2007). These results might reflect the need for school districts to evaluate and implement technology usage in the Language Arts curriculum if they are dedicated to equipping their students to be lifelong-learners and productive citizens.;INDEX WORDS. Technology Use, High School, Student Achievement.