The barriers to implementing elementary school technology education as perceived by elementary school teachers in the Eau Claire Area School District

Abstract

The concepts of literacy and effective citizenship are constantly evolving in order to keep pace with the rapidly changing world in which we live and school districts are saddled with the challenge of ensuring that these dynamic societal needs are reflected in their curricula. Although state and national K-12 technology education standards exist and are gaining widespread acceptance among educators and the general public, relatively few school districts are actively implementing elementary school technology education (ESTE) programs when compared to similar programs implemented at the secondary school level. This research identified the primary barriers to integrating technology education into elementary school curricula, as perceived by elementary school teachers in the Eau Claire Area School District (ECASD). Results of the data, collected via a self-reporting questionnaire distributed to all ECASD elementary teachers, indicated that: • Elementary school teachers share a common perception that their pre-service training did not place sufficient emphasis on technology education and, although many attempt to teach ESTE, they feel they lack sufficient expertise to do so. • Although elementary school teachers seem to agree that their administrators understand and support technology education, additional financial resources and facilities are required in order to more effectively teach ESTE. • Elementary school teachers share a general uncertainty with respect to the role that technology education should play in the elementary curriculum. Based on this research, school decision-makers were encouraged to: • Establish a district-wide strategy for ensuring that students achieve the K-12 standards for technological literacy. • Implement formal, ongoing teacher training programs that reflect an integrated approach to technology education, exploiting its emphasis on hands-on, minds-on problem solving to enhance the teaching of all traditional subject areas. • Measure the effectiveness of their technology education integration strategy through the formal assessment of student technological literacy competencies. Inferential statistical analysis identified the following potential trends requiring further study in order to determine their significance: • Whether or not there is a difference between male and female elementary school teachers regarding the importance of ESTE. • Whether or not the level of educational degree attained has an impact on the way elementary school teachers view ESTE.