The condition, which requires change, is the necessity to utilize innovative technology in a teacher’s practice. Both school principal and district authorities established the identified policy. The specifics of it imply that teachers have to use emerging technology in their lessons; however, no ongoing personnel training that would guide them is introduced. A large number of teachers at the chosen school express their fear by stating that they do not understand how to apply new approaches while they are pressured to do so by the principal and district authorities.
Teachers struggle with the need to apply the approach in practice, which impairs their ability to perform their jobs correctly. This paper aims to analyze the context of the requirement by examining the empirical data and identifying whether the absence of training and adequate support affects the implementation of emergent technologies by teachers.
Analysis
The primary point of the problem is that teachers do not know how to use technological advancements. The staff members feel uncomfortable and cannot carry out the administration’s requirements properly. The evidence was collected through observation and discussion of the aspect with its stakeholders. In addition, research papers from peer-reviewed journals, which focus on investigating the application of technology in educational facilities, were examined and presented in the paper.
The stress experienced by a large number of teachers is indicative of the severity of the issue. Petko, Prasse, and Cantieni (2018) state that in cases where teachers are not ready to introduce emerging technology in their classes, the learning outcomes are worse when compared to those where teachers receive training and support from their school. One factor that led to the emerged issue is a need to have additional training for staff members.
Thus, a substantial number of teachers does not feel comfortable using emerging technology in classrooms. Lim, Zhao, Tondeur, Chai, and Tsai (2013) point out a different aspect of the problem by stating that establishments that do not implement educational programs for personnel have presented lower efficiency of program implementation. It is because the technology that was purchased is not used appropriately, which affects learning outcomes.
Several societal consequences will be in place in case the condition would remain unchanged. While implementation of the policy is crucial to keep up with the technology advancements, lack of appraisal for the new approaches can have adverse outcomes (Kirkwood & Price, 2013). Without such practice in place, educational facilities and their staff members will be pressured to use approaches that are not researched adequately.
Both teachers and their students are affected by the problem. The number of people depends on the skills that a teacher possessed initially, before the policy implementation, as some may have had the required knowledge. The impact on the teachers is presented in their inability to adhere to the policy and fulfill the school’s requirements. Apart from pressure, presented by lack of knowledge in regards to application, Kay and Laurciella (2018) state that lessons in which emergent technology is applied require more time for preparation.
As for the students, they are affected because they are deprived of the opportunity to gain knowledge through new approaches. Kay and Laurciella (2018) state that emergent technology can be beneficial for learning because it increases engagement. Lack of proper implementation may present an opposite effect on the students.
From the perspective of a broader society, the problem affects society morally. It is because teachers are pressured to apply techniques that are unfamiliar to them. The impact is significant because the policy did not introduce a proper infrastructure and lack of adequate implementation affects both teachers and students (Kay & Laurciella, 2018). To carry out the policy, the school principal and the authorities would have to create an educational program and hire a technology specialist who would provide assistance to staff members.
Identifying a scope of a problem includes distinguishing stakeholders and their impact. According to the National Education Association (n.d.) teachers, teacher unions, education support professionals, district and school leaders, students, families, policymakers, businesses, and community leaders are affected by the issue. This is supported by research from Kay and Laurciella (2018) and Petko et al. (2013), who point out possible adverse learning outcomes that are a result of improper implementation. The stakeholders can influence the choice of action by voicing their concern and proposing an approach that would effectively resolve the issue. When structuring the problem statement, teachers should be prioritized because they carry out the policy requirements on a daily basis.
The inability to carry out the policy impairs teachers’ efforts to explain concepts to their students. Teacher unions and support professionals may understand the issue and try to communicate it to the policymakers to ensure that they are aware. Students and families are affected as they do not receive information in the ways, which are more effective when compared to standard teaching techniques. Businesses engaged in educational services and product development are unable to present a new technology for the school. Community leaders may be affected as they are responsible for having a “local economy that provides employment, affordable housing, human and social services” (National Education Association, n.d.). These services include providing proper education for people in the area.
Conclusion
Overall, the problem was stated clearly, and the authorities responsible for the implementation offered no solutions. The end goal of the policy change proposal is to ensure that teachers are comfortable with applying emerging technology in their practice. The number of stakeholders involved is significant; however, teachers are the primary group that has to be considered with this issue. Additionally, the problem affects society as a whole; therefore, proper changes should be made.
References
Kay, R., & Lauricella, S. (2018). Investigating elementary school teachers’ attitudes toward and use of STEM-based apps. In T. Bastiaens, J. van Braak, M. Brown, L. Cantoni, M. Castro, R. Christensen, … O. Zawacki-Richter (Eds.), Proceedings of EdMedia: World Conference on Educational Media and Technology (pp. 2057-2061). Amsterdam, Netherlands: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).
Kirkwood, A., & Price, L. (2013). Examining some assumptions and limitations of research on the effects of emerging technologies for teaching and learning in higher education. British Journal of Educational Technology, 44(4) pp. 536–543. Web.
Lim, C. P., Zhao, Y., Tondeur, J., Chai, C. S., & Tsai, C. C. (2013). Bridging the gap: Technology trends and use of technology in schools. Educational Technology & Society, 16 (2), 59–68.
National Education Association. (n.d.). Identifying stakeholders’ responsibilities for closing achievement gaps: Stakeholder actions. Web.
Petko, D., Prasse, D., & Cantieni, A. (2018). The interplay of school readiness and teacher readiness for educational technology integration: A structural equation model. Journal of Education for Teaching 44(3), 252-257.