Master of Information Technology Leadership

CORRELATION BETWEEN ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL

TEACHERS’ TEACHING STYLES AND

FREQUENCY AND VARIETY OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY USE

A Thesis

Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies of the University of Lethbridge

in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree

MASTER OF EDUCATION

FACULTY OF EDUCATION

LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA

November, 2014

ANDREAS BERKO

Bachelor of Secondary Music, University of Calgary, 1999

Bachelor of Education, University of Calgary, 2001

Master of Education, University of Lethbridge, 2015

Abstract

Kindergarten to grade nine teachers (n=61) in a large urban school district in Alberta were surveyed on their teaching styles and variety and frequency of technology use. Teacher responses to a Teaching Styles Inventory were used to assign teaching styles and were compared to responses from a Technology Inventory that measured the approximate frequency and variety of technology use of each teacher. Using bivariate analysis, significant positive Pearson’s correlation coefficients were found between the Facilitator and Delegator teaching styles (p < .01), Technology use was negatively associated with the Expert teaching style (p < .10) and Formal Authority teaching style (p < .05). No significant correlation was found between the Personal Model teaching style and technology use. Technology use may be influenced by a teacher’s teaching style in that teachers with a more traditional or teacher-directed style may use technology less frequently while teachers with a more student-directed approach may choose technology as an instructional tool with more frequency and variety.

Full Text

BERKO_ANDREAS_MED_2014.pdf