A comparative analysis of teachers' and principals' perceptions of the implementation of the instructional technology proficiencies in a large, urban school district

Statement of the problem. Societal changes have initiated efforts to reform the nature of teaching and learning to include technology-rich learning environments with sound educational goals. Current technology initiatives that address that reform require changes for educators that require training, time, and support.; The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of teachers, principals, and instructional technology specialists of current levels of technology implementation in elementary schools in a large, urban school system. Additionally, the relationship of five leadership factors to teacher's level of technology implementation was examined. The leadership factors included (a) support, (b) involvement of the principal in technology use, (c) encouragement and evaluation of teachers' technology use, (d) presence and use of a plan, and (e) the implementation of curriculum-integrated technology professional development.; Method. This descriptive study utilized quantitative methods to answer five research questions. The teachers' and principals' questionnaires were the two major instruments. These questionnaires were derived from the outcomes of the school system's technology proficiencies. In addition, the teachers' questionnaire included questions adapted from the Profiler version of the SEIR-TEC Technology Integration Gauge (2000 ) that addressed leadership factors that affect teachers use of technology.; Results. The responses of principals and teachers in this study indicated that the majority of schools were performing at the novice level. Approximately half of the principals and teachers were in agreement on the levels of implementation in the schools, but there was only 19% agreement of all three stakeholders on current implementation levels. System-level instructional technology specialists' rated teachers' implementation much higher than either principals or teachers. The analysis of data gathered on the factors related to the principal's leadership showed that there was a significant difference between the ratings of novice level teachers and innovator level teachers for all leadership factors.; Conclusions. The low level of agreement of implementation points to a misalignment of goals of these stakeholders. The plan for implementation needs to be clearly articulated. Increasing principals and teachers knowledge of using technology to enhance learning should help to increase technology implementation in the schools. Regular profiles of computer use in schools would be helpful in improving technology plans and promoting progress.