The InTech Project was judged to be successful in many areas. The study findings from the hypotheses and other related findings suggest the following conclusions: 1. All three training approaches (S/I, I/S, S&I) proved to be equally effective in their impact on all 13 dependent variables under investigation. 2. Individuals responsible for administering technology professional development programs could implement any of the three training approaches (S/I, I/S, S&I) and teachers should experience a significant improvement over time in their technology implementation; in their hardware, software, and integration skill levels; and in their self-efficacy beliefs. 3. Teachers dedicated more class time to the overall use of computers and related technologies. At pretest levels, many teachers were scheduling students to use the computer in a rotating fashion which often lead to student game playing due to the lack of connection between the classroom objectives and the use of the computer. At posttest levels, teachers were assigning authentic projects for students to complete on the computer, and they often complained of the need for more time and more computers in their classroom in order for their students to complete the assignments in a timely fashion. However, as the year progressed teachers became experienced at grouping and scheduling students to use the computer resources available in their classrooms. Many realized that adhering to a strict, inflexible schedule in which students rotated to the computer for 15 minutes a day was not always the most appropriate approach for scheduling the use of computer time. 4. Teachers increased the number of instructional purposes for which computers and related technologies are used in the classroom. At the pretest level, many of the teachers were using computers primarily for remediation through the use of skill-based software. At the posttest level, teachers had begun using computers for a number of instructional purposes in their regular instruction including: enrichment, presentation of new material, and research. 5. Teachers increased the number of different types of software programs used in their classroom. At the pretest level, teachers were having their students use the computer primarily for completing writing assignments with a word processor. At the posttest level, teachers had their students using a variety of software including: spreadsheet programs, draw/paint programs, simulation programs, desktop publishing programs, slide show programs, and multimedia programs. 6. Teachers progressed through several levels of technology implementation based on their self-reported placement on the LoTi framework (Moersch, 1995). At pretest levels, many teachers reported their technology implementation at a Level 1. At this level, the use of technology has little or no relevance to the instructional curriculum. Technology-based tools are used outside of the classroom in either the computer lab or the media center. At posttest levels, many teachers reported their technology implementation at Level 4. At this level, technology-based tools (word processing, spreadsheets, multimedia, and telecommunications) are easily integrated into the instructional curriculum and perceived as a tool to identify and solve authentic problems relating to an overall theme. 7. Teachers increased the amount of time they spent planning and preparing for the use of technology in the classroom. At pretest levels, many teachers reported never planning and preparing for the use of technology in their classrooms. At posttest levels, teachers reported spending time each week planning technology activities to integrate into their curriculum. Many teachers reported collaborating with other teachers in their efforts to effectively implement technology into their classrooms. 8. Teachers increased the amount of time they spent using computing technology for professional purposes. At pretest levels, many teachers reported never using computers for professional purposes. At posttest levels, teachers reported spending time using computing technology each week for professional purposes such as preparing worksheets, handouts, tests, bulletin boards, and grades. 9. Teachers experienced an improvement in their overall hardware, software, and integration skill levels. At pretest levels, many teachers reported very low hardware, software, and integration skill levels. At posttest levels, these skill areas had improved dramatically evidenced both by the increase in the teachers' self-reported skill level and by the quality of work submitted in the portfolios of most teachers. The integration activities that many of the teachers were including in their portfolios, provided evidence of their increasing ability to utilize the hardware and software more effectively, as well as their ability to integrate technology effectively into the curriculum. 10. Teachers experienced an increase in their self- efficacy beliefs concerning the use of computers in their classrooms. An individual's belief in their capability of using the computer for effective instruction is a concept known as an individual's level of computer self-efficacy (Oliver & Shapiro, 1993). At pretest levels, many teachers had very low self-efficacy beliefs. At posttest levels, teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs had improved significantly. This improvement was easily recognizable by InTech Project personnel who listened to participating teachers during journal sharing express proudly and confidently how technology was being implemented in their classrooms. 11. Teachers experienced varying degrees of shifts in the overall teaching and learning process as they implemented technology into their curriculum. As time progresses and teachers continue to utilize technology in their classrooms, the researcher believes the shifts will become even more pronounced. 12. The nine major components of the InTech Project were considered vital to the success of the program. Teachers considered these components to be extremely useful in helping them integrate technology into their curriculum. 13. Teachers considered the InTech Project to be one of the most valuable professional development programs they have ever experienced. Limitations/Delimitations: The generalizability of the findings of this study is limited for the following reasons:
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