Suburban High School Teachers' Teaching Styles, Teaching Experiences, and Acceptance of Edmodo

• Main Author: Mukenge, Tshimpo C.
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: ScholarWorks 2019
• Subjects: Edmodo; Learning Management Systems (LMS); Policy Recommendation; Principles of Adult Learning Scale (PALS); student-centered learning; technology acceptance model (TAM); Instructional Media Design
• Online Access: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/7411; https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=8687&context=dissertations

Southern U.S. teachers at suburban high schools can use Edmodo; however, teachers prefer traditional teacher-centered teaching methods. This quantitative correlative study explored teachers' technology acceptance in relation to teaching styles and experiences. Framing acceptance by Davis's technology acceptance model (TAM), research questions addressed the direct and moderating relationships between teaching style and the TAM variables related to using Edmodo and the direct and moderating relationships between teaching experiences and TAM variables. From 240 teachers at the high school, 45 completed an online survey (response rate of 18.75%). Descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and regression analyzed data. TAM could be verified for the entire sample; however, no significant direct relationship between teaching style and the TAM variables was found. Teaching style moderated the relationships within the TAM; these were stronger for teachers with a teacher-centered teaching style. No significant direct relationship existed between teaching experiences and TAM variables; a moderating effect on the relationships existed within the TAM. Among experienced teachers, ease of use was the strongest acceptance predictor, whereas perceived use was the strongest predictor among less experienced teachers. Results indicated teachers might develop a more student-centered teaching style, thus concentrating on technology's ease of use, rather than its potential utility. A policy recommendation could ensure teachers efficiently used technology to support student-centered learning. The application of the recommended policies might lead to teachers' more effective use of instructional technology, which might affect student learning and motivation.