Teacher Mo'olelo (Stories and Perspectives) on an iPad Rollout: A Narrative Inquiry Within a Hawaiian School Setting

Abstract

This qualitative, narrative inquiry study explored technology integration in a Hawaiian culture-based learning environment through teacher mo’olelo (stories) of their seven-year post-implementation reflections of a 1:1 student iPad rollout program participation. Since the adoption of the iPads took place in 2014 at Duke Elementary School, the problem of practice was the opportunity to improve an understanding of how integrating technology supports 21st century skills and knowledge for all students within a Hawaiian culture-based learning environment. Therefore, the research questions for this study were: 1) From a teacher's perspective, what did they consider success regarding the iPad rollout? 2) What approaches did teachers propose to continue building capacity for ICT integration into the curriculum and elevate faculty ICT self-efficacy? 3) What lessons did teachers learn five years after the iPad rollout? The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to understand how teacher participants defined Information Communication Technology (ICT) self-efficacy within a Hawaiian culture-based learning environment, and (2) to understand how teacher participants made sense of the intersection of their teaching practices and ICT self-efficacy to support the development of a Hawaiian culture-based learning environment. Participants were elementary school teachers who were part of the program before the student iPads were distributed. Data was collected through individual and focus group teacher interviews. School documents were also reviewed. Three emerging themes were the use of effective teaching strategies, teacher experience, teacher performance, and persistence through the challenge. Four significant implications were considered. First were how critical reflections by teachers triggered the recollection and a transformative learning process. Second was that Professional Learning Communities (PLC) were organically formed during the iPad rollout and offered a safe space for teacher development, a professional sense of belonging, and individual accountability in the shift towards a technological campus. Third was the intersection of ICT and self-efficacy within a Hawaiian Culture-Based Educational setting, which illuminated how instrumental teacher development with technology tools is to support their growth as culturally responsive digital teachers. And, last was that not all participants valued the importance of the iPad integration but looked at it as a supplemental tool for young learners.