Innovative Teacher’s Perceptions of Their Development When Creating Learner-Centered Classrooms with Ubiquitous Computing

Though many USA schools embrace ubiquitous computing, few teachers reach a pedagogical developmental stage that makes the most effective use of technology for learning. In order to better understand the advanced stage of pedagogical development, this research gathers the perceptions of seven innovative – advanced teachers, from four different schools in order to report on their change processes. All participants once taught in traditional classrooms and now create learner-centered classrooms with ubiquitous computing. The results are based on interviews in a comparative case study framework. Despite teaching in various contexts, results revealed that teachers had common experiences. Qualitative themes were based on combining three common developmental change theories. The “entry” stage was heavily influenced by dissatisfaction of societal needs and past ineffective teachers. In later stages, teachers developed strong beliefs coupled with student observations and project creation techniques, and they overcame obstacles of fear through collegial collaboration, furthering their continuous growth. As innovators, teachers’ current concerns focused on how to deepen student learning with meaningful experiences so that technology was worth the cost of time and effort. Teachers’ experiences suggest concepts for further exploration in research and professional development.