JOURNAL ARTICLE REVIEW TEMPLATE

North American University

Education Department
M.Ed. in Educational Leadership / M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction
EDUC 5324 Integrating Technology into Education

Name:_____Laxmi Kaza______________ Date: ______07/11/2018______

Cite the reviewed article in APA format:

Waxman, H. C., Boriack, A. W., Lee, Y., & MacNeil, A. (2013). Principals’
Perceptions of the Importance of Technology in Schools. CONTEMPORARY
EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY,4(3), 187-196.

INTRODUCTION

Research Questions (if research questions are not specifically

mentioned, what is the theoretical background or overarching theme):
The following questions are being addressed in this article:
1. How has technology influenced the role of a principal?
2. What is the relationship between the principals’ technological leadership and
their schools’ use of instructional technology?
3. Do principals with varying number of years of experience as a principal differ
with regard to their perceptions of technology’s influence?
4. Will the principal's perceptions of technology vary dependent on their gender?

Purpose of the research:

The purpose of this research focused on understanding principal’s perceptions of how
technology influences their daily roles as school leaders.

METHODOLOGY

What is the methodology for the research or approach used to understand the
issue? Provide information regarding the following:

Participants: Public school principals from a large metropolitan area in the

southwest region of the U. S. participated in this questionnaire.

Procedures: A sample of 310 principals consisting of 126 males and 184 females
responded to a questionnaire administered by graduate students in the Educational
Leadership program, that asked principals about their perceptions regarding the
importance of technology for their schools. The survey included both qualitative and
quantitative questions. Their years of experience were divided as follows:
104 participants - 0-3 years of experience,
82 participants - 4-7 years of experience
55 participants - 8-11 years of experience,
32 participants - 12-15 years of experience,
31 participants > 15 years of experience.

Data Collection Methods/Data Source: Interview questionnaire was used in the

research to collect data. The questionnaire included both qualitative and quantitative
questions.

Data Analysis: Analysis of the interview data began with a process of data
reduction. The participants’ responses were read several times to become familiar with
the data. The data was then coded into meaningful categories. Once the categories were
established, another researcher independently coded a 10% sample of responses to
determine the consistency of the coding.

RESULTS

Findings or Results (or main points of the article):

The principals’ responses for the major functions of technology were grouped into the
following six categories:

Communication (34.5 %), Instruction (27.7%), Data sharing and management (13.6%),
Resource (14.5%), Administrative tasks (10.0%) and Student learning (9.7%).

The results suggest that principals view technology as important for carrying out
communication and instruction.

These categories were further grouped based on gender and by years of experience and
then studied further.

When examining the major functions of technology by gender, the highest percentage of males
and females discussed using technology for communication (33% and 36%, respectively).

When examining the major functions of technology by years of experience, the two major
functions of technology with the highest percentage were communication and instruction. The
highest percentage for principals with 0-3, 4-7, and 8-11 years of experience was in
communication (39%, 33%, and 31%, respectively) followed by instruction (24%, 30%, and
24%, respectively). Principals with 12-15 and more than 15 years of experience had the highest
percentage in instruction (31% and 39%, respectively) followed by communication (28% and
36%, respectively).

Conclusions/Implications (for your profession):

The present study indicates that the view of principals towards technology vary based
on by their years of experience and gender. This study was limited to the Public-
school principals from a large metropolitan area in the southwest region of the U. S. To
further validate this research, additional data gathering and analysis, across the state or
the nation, using the Technology Façade would be helpful to more fully support the
conclusions of this study.
One indication of this research potential can be found by principals in this study who
consistently stated that those who use technology both personally and professionally
are more apt at leading technology. When principles act as technology leaders, the
teachers and students integrate and use technology more successfully. Yet many school
principals are novice technology users and have little experience or training in the
knowledge and skills required to be effective technology leaders. To help teachers
integrate technology, the school leaders need to keep up with the latest technology.
Without this knowledge, principles find it difficult to help teachers understand the use
of technology in the classroom.
REFLECTIONS

Student’s Reflections (changes to your understanding; implications for your

school/work):
The conventional wisdom in education is that any school reform--be it curriculum,
instruction, assessment, or teacher professionalism--is most likely to take hold in
schools that have strong leadership. The same holds true for technology. Any educator
will tell you the most successful implementation of technology programs takes place in
schools where the principal sees him or herself as a technology leader. To effectively
support their teachers, school leaders often need to feel knowledgeable about
technology, which includes a thorough understanding of when and how technology can
be effectively used to enhance student learning in their schools.