| In order for educational leaders to facilitate effectively the integration of technology, an understanding of the process rural teachers experience with technology integration is critical. The goal of the qualitative study was to discover and understand rural teachers' process for accepting technology innovation in order to improve the facilitation of technology integration from a leadership perspective. The technology acceptance model (TAM3) framework was used to apply the model to the education setting. The study was designed to increase the understanding of the needs of rural teachers to increase the movement from technology adoption to technology acceptance. There was one main research question, which examined the process of accepting technology and four subquestions, which examined the decision-making process, second order barriers, factors that help to overcome second order barriers, and the factors necessary for a systemic approach to technology acceptance. The study utilized convenience and purposeful methods to acquire a sampling size of 11 participants from two rural school districts with recent technology implementations. Findings revealed that first and second order barriers to technology acceptance continue to prevail, suggesting that systematic approaches to technology implementation can be beneficial. The findings also emphasized the importance of personalization for rural educators, whether in pedagogical approach or personal and professional decision-making, and especially for professional development. Additional findings concur with the prevailing research in technology acceptance supporting ease of use, achievement of purpose, and increased efficiency as determining factors in the decision-making process of technology implementation. |
