Teachers' Perceptions of Students' Social Learning Skills through Digital Technology

Increased access to communication technology created a global culture that influenced education. A challenge for educators was crafting a responsive learning environment that addressed an increase in transworld contact where people may legally, culturally and psychologically engage. The ability to successfully manage and partake within diverse learning groups that collaborate through communication technology was a primary concern. The problem addressed concerned students' lack of necessary skills to successfully utilize digital communication tools, digital collaboration tools and digital tools for social learning. The demand to prepare students with digital social learning skills, such as communication and collaboration via digital tools, was accepted among the fields of education, research, policymaking and employers alike. The purpose of this qualitative, single case study was to evaluate the private school's teacher's perceptions of student's skills, grades 6-12, in using digital communication tools, digital collaboration tools and digital tools for social learning. The sample population were 12 private school teachers ranging from grades 6-12 who were versed in using technology within their curriculum. The researcher conducted individual, face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with teacher's perceptions as a means of data to evaluate the private school's students, grade 6-12 skills in using digital tools for communication, collaboration and to social learning. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed to be used in analysis. The results of this qualitative, single case study produced three categories of information comprising 14 themes. The first category produced five themes emanating from teachers' perceptions of students' skill levels in communicating via digital tools. The second category produced four themes emanating from teachers' perceptions of students' skill levels in collaborating via digital tools. The third category found five themes emanating from teachers' perceptions of students' skill levels of social learning via digital tools. The study concluded that teacher's believed that students at their school were being prepared to successfully communicate and collaborate via digital tools, but lacked the maturity to successfully learn socially via digital tools.