A Case Study of High School Teachers' Technology Use Through Social Studies Data Teams

Many schools placed under Program Improvement because they have not met the AYP requirements of the NCLB mandate are required to build in time during the school day for teachers' professional collaboration to improve their performance in the classrooms. A lack of research exists to explore how professional collaboration improves teaching and learning. This qualitative case study is an examination of teachers' perceptions of the value of professional collaborative time and the effectiveness of working together to integrate technology into their daily practice as part of a reform effort. The conceptual framework was Vygotsky's zone of proximal development, Gardner's multiple intelligences theory, and Senge's systems theory. Participants in the study were 6 high school teachers who had participated in data teams for 7 years. Data sources included 2 in-depth interviews with each participant and minutes for data team meetings. A combination of a priori and open coding was used to develop rich themes and patterns. Findings suggested that participants valued the professional collaboration they found in the data teams and were willing to follow a technology leader who mentored them as they adapted to new technologies. The teachers became dependent in using technology for lesson delivery and analyzing student data, but barriers prevented them from further technology integration or transitioning to student use of technology. Positive social change may occur as school leaders and district policy makers promote consistent time for teacher collaboration during the school day.