EFFECTS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY by Karen Brunner A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF EDUCATION IN CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY Ogden, Utah May 21, 2021 Approved ___________________________________ Ryan Cain, Ph.D. ___________________________________ Caitlin Byrne, Ph.D. __________________________________ Katarina Pantic, Ph.D.EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 1 Acknowledgments This journey, which started five years ago, is complete. I started down this path with acceptance into the MED program, only expecting to get my teaching license. That journey was bumpier than I thought, and I was glad when I had my license in my hand. I thought I was done being a student and could now focus on being a teacher, but this was not to be. Though not knowing why, I felt the need to return and finish the program. The focus of my project came easy since I had fears about how to balance technology integration into my classroom with my first class - MED 6229 -Instructional Technology for Pre-Service Teachers. When the Covid-19 Pandemic consumed the world, I realized this was the perfect time to complete my research, as in-person learning was replaced with digital classrooms. Learning and integrating technology was the primary focus for all educators. It became my focus as a teacher and a student. I am grateful for finding the MED program at Weber, while attending a college fair with my daughter six years ago. I had been thinking about getting my license, but this program gave me the means. I have enjoyed my time as a student and learning from so many Master Teachers at Weber State University. Thanks to Dr. Ryan Cain for helping me to the finish line. I appreciate my family for supporting me in this journey. Balancing their needs and my desire to complete the MED program, came at a cost. In these five years, my family has grown from six children (Jenny, Brittany, Marissa, Brandon, Katie, Mia) to now include four “in-laws” (Devin, Ben, David, Hannah) and five grandchildren (Leah, Calvin, Jason, Jaycie, Jack). I learned how precious time is and to prioritize my energy. Their support and encouragement kept me going. I appreciate my husband, Bryce, taking up the slack. It has been a journey we have taken together. EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 2 Table of Contents Acknowledgments ……………………………………………………………………………… 1 Table of Contents ………………………………………………………………………………. 2 List of Tables ……………………………………………………………………………………. 3 List of Figures …………………………………………………………………………………… 4 ABSTRACT ……………………………………………………………………………………... 5 NATURE OF THE PROBLEM ………………………………………………………………… 6 LITERATURE REVIEW ………………………………………………………………………... 7 Technology in Education Developed Rapidly and is Ever Changing ………………….. 8 Variety of Factors Impacting Teacher’s Time in Technology …………………………… 9 Covid-19 Pandemic Forced Technology Involvement on Education …………………. 12 PURPOSE ……………………………………………………………………………………... 13 METHODS ……………………………………………………………………………………...14 Research Protocol ………………………………………………………………………….. 15 Context of Research Data …………………………………………………………………. 16 Analysis Process …………………………………………………………………………… 19 RESEARCH FINDINGS ……………………………………………………………………… 20 Positive Changes to an Educator’s TPACK …………………………………………….. 22 Technology integration decisions need to include the age of the students ………….. 24 Consuming rather than producing digital content to support technology integration .. 27 Teacher Training and Support ……………………………………………………………. 31 CONCLUSION ………………………………………………………………………………… 35 REFERENCES …………………………………………………………………………………38 Appendix A - Candidate email ……………………………………………………………….. 42 Appendix B - Introduction Email……………………………………………………………… 43 Appendix C- Informed Consent ……………………………………………………………... 44 Appendix D – Questionnaire …………………………………………………………………. 47 Appendix E - Interview Questions …………………………………………………………… 49 EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 3 List of Tables Table 1. Participant Demographics …………………………………………………………………. 16 Table 2. District Information Relating to Technology………………………………………………. 17 Table 3. Steps in Research Analysis …………………………………………………………….…. 20 Table 4. Repeated Words within the Data …………………………………………………………. 21 EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 4 List of Figures Figure 1. Framework for TPACK and its Knowledge Components ………………………….…… 9 Figure 2. Comfort Level of Participants Using Technology …………………………………….... 22 Figure 3. Point Total for Preferred Method of Learning Technology ……………………………. 32 EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 5 ABSTRACT The Covid-19 Pandemic caused major disruptions in the US education system. These disruptions forced schools to close and education to move to a digital platform. Educators were faced with the challenge of teaching using technology, in a digital classroom, on a global scale. The purpose of this study is to contribute to the understanding of the effects on education during the Covid-19 Pandemic. It explores the perceptions and opinions of teachers on the topic of technology in their classroom based on their experience before and during the Covid-19 Pandemic. It is a qualitative research study of four participants, using a semi-structured interview approach. The participants were current educators. Connections within the research found: there were positive changes to an educator’s TPACK; technology usage decisions need to include the age of the students; consuming rather than producing digital content is best for supporting technology integration; technology training and support preferences need consideration. Though limited in scope, the findings point to the need for more research on many of the ideas. Keywords: technology, Covid-19, Covid-19 Pandemic, education, elementary EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 6 NATURE OF THE PROBLEM Technology in a typical US classroom has long gone from chalkboards to Smart Boards, and slates to iPads with the invention of computer technology. Computer technology was introduced into public education in the 1980s, with the World Wide Web (WWW) following ten years later. Such an explosion of the availability of information increased teachers’ workloads as they scrambled to keep up with the ever-changing equipment, platforms, and programs (Khan et al., 2014; Means & Olson,1994). In addition, it demanded that teachers develop a technological pedagogy, which is a process of entry, adopting/adapting, and then integration of the technology into the classroom (Dwyer et al., 1991). What is more, this process starts over each time technology changes (Means & Olson, 1994). Innovations in the last 40 years have changed often, based on simple evidence that the number of transistors on a circuit has doubled every two years since 1959, consistent with Moore’s Law (Roser & Ritchie, 2013). Consequently, teachers are fighting an uphill technology battle, while balancing other demands of teaching. There are a variety of factors that impact teachers’ use of, and success with technology. According to the framework called Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK), good technology integration depends on a well-developed relationship between three bodies of knowledge: content, pedagogy, and technology (Koehler & Mishra, 2009). Teacher beliefs are also a critical factor in technology use and pedagogy (Tondeur et al., 2016). For teachers to develop positive beliefs about technology, they need time to understand and then integrate technology into the classroom (Liu, 2011). Factors such as age of students, access to equipment, and professional development have also been found to influence teachers' technology belief systems (Gorder, 2008). Productivity factors such as grades, communication, and instruction delivery, are a norm in education and have the potential to increase teacher’s technological knowledge (Gorder, 2008; Koehler & Mishra, 2009; Tondeur et al., 2016). However, developing solid technological pedagogy is a transformation that takes time and effort EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 7 (Sheppard & Brown, 2014). Inadequate professional development, dated resources, and multiple demands on teachers’ time limit teachers’ pedagogy relating to technology (Sheppard & Brown, 2014; Tondeur et al., 2016). It is time and experience with technology that could serve as enabling factors when embracing technology (Tondeur et al., 2016). Best practices would allow teachers time to explore and test out new technologies, while receiving training and support in their use, but there are times when such practices are not feasible (Dwyer et al., 1991; Koehler & Mishra, 2009). The Covid-19 Pandemic is one of these times. The 2020 pandemic disrupted traditional face-to-face teaching and forced rapid adoption of technology-based teaching practices (Utah State Board of Education, 2020; WHO, 2020). Large-scale distance learning for K-12 students was unprecedented. As the pandemic worsened and the threat of school closure loomed, school districts scrambled to gather information and create guidelines, while teachers scrambled to create and implement digital learning (Davis School District Memo, 2020; Weber School District Memo, 2020). In this way, teachers were forced to complete the process of entry to integration in a matter of days (Bushwell, 2020; Dwyer et al., 1991; Utah State Board of Education, 2020). While creating digital learning for students, teachers became immersed in technology. Consequently, this experience of rapidly shifting to technology-based teaching impacted their pedagogy since time and experience are a key factor in technological knowledge (Bushwell, 2020; Dwyer et al., 1991; Liu, 2011; Sheppard & Brown, 2014; Tondeur et al., 2016). In this study, I show how educators were affected by the events of the Covid-19 Pandemic in relation to their use of technology. LITERATURE REVIEW This literature review will first discuss the rapid growth of technology in education. Next, it will explore the problems faced by teachers in developing technological pedagogy. Last, it will present the novel condition of the Covid-19 Pandemic as it relates to education and technology. EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 8 Technology in Education Developed Rapidly and is Ever Changing With the introduction of computers in the education system, new possibilities emerged for teaching. Computers came with a complex system that was “protean (usable in many different ways); unstable (rapidly changing); and opaque (the inner workings are hidden from the user)” (Koehler & Mishra, 2009). In addition, the World Wide Web (WWW) was introduced in the 1990s, during what is now known as the Information Age (Zimmerman, 2017). Suddenly, information was as close as putting one’s fingers on a keyboard. In the next 10 years, with the evolution of the smartphone, information could be carried and accessed from one’s pocket. The structure of education was changing. Beliefs and pedagogy of educators was challenged, and they had to be open to new innovations (Dwyer et al., 1991). Technology innovations usually come in a “new box” that needs to be opened, with a set of instructions to learn. Once a teacher develops an understanding of the new technology that is presented to them, they then must adapt their existing pedagogy and develop uses for the technology as an innovation (Dockstander, 1999; Dwyer et al., 1991; Eristi et al., 2012; Montrieux et al., 2015). Various explicit reasons for the difficulties in this process will be discussed later in this text, but it is important to emphasize at this point that such innovations are not an instantaneous process. A commitment of time is always involved (Dwyer et al., 1991; Means & Olson, 1994). Additionally, this process of entry, adapting, and innovation is not finite either. It begins again with every “new box”, but it can also restart with just an updated version. Computer technology changes rapidly. As an example, the first portable computer (laptop) introduced in 1981, weighed 24 pounds. Just 8 years later, in 1989, laptops were down to 5 lbs. (Laptop computer history, 2019). This trend continues as many new technology products will supersede current equipment within 6 years (Ceruzzi, 2005). Teachers are left with the unending task of opening “new boxes” that need to be assimilated into their pedagogy (Eristi et al., 2012). EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 9 Variety of Factors Impacting Teacher’s Time in Technology A model that provides a good framework for understanding the process of technology integration is called Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) (Koehler & Mishra, 2009). According to this framework, successful technology integration lies at the intersection of three areas: technological knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and content knowledge. Gaining mastery in each area allows a teacher to effectively merge and use all three areas of knowledge in their teaching practice (Koehler & Mishra, 2009). Pedagogy refers to the understanding, process, practice, and methods of teaching (Tondeur, 2017). It is the art and science of teaching. Developing pedagogical knowledge is an individual process that every teacher goes through when incorporating beliefs into their practice (Levin, 2006). There are a variety of factors impacting those beliefs which will be discussed later. Figure 1 is an adaptation of Koehler and Mishra’s (2009) presentation of technological pedagogical and content knowledge. It gives a simple visual representation of the different types of knowledge and how they overlap with each other. Figure 1 Framework for TPACK and its Knowledge Components (Koehler & Mishra, 2009) EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 10 As a matter of fact, how a teacher gains mastery in any of the three areas is personalized. During a teacher’s career there will be opportunities and experiences that will continuously influence their TPACK (An & Reigeluth, 2011; Gorder, 2008). It is up to the educators to balance those occasions of varying degrees of importance and feasibility, in their schedule. Technological knowledge itself, though, is changing at a much quicker pace than other areas of TPACK (EdTech, 2016; Sheppard & Brown, 2014). This volatility means that increased and varying times must be given to technology for it to form into a belief (Tondeur et al., 2016). There are many demands on a teacher’s time, both in and out of the classroom. How a teacher allocates their time is based on their pedagogical beliefs along with dependent factors of their teaching position (Dwyer et al., 1991; Koehler & Mishra, 2009). Introduction of a new technology requires a teacher to invest time and confront previous core beliefs (Dwyer et al., 1991; Mean, 1994). The allocation of time has consequences. One such consequence relates to student achievement. Teachers that have strong content knowledge, but limited technological understanding are uncertain if the academic content may be hindered by the new practice of incorporating technology. That is the reason that some educators opt to use existing non-technology processes (Liu, 2011). Other studies found that teachers must learn to balance getting through the academic content and using unpracticed technology (An & Reigeluth, 2011). A teacher’s position and available technologies also have a direct influence on their technological knowledge. Some studies found that elementary grades use technology less, while upper grades are more vested in technology integration (Gorder, 2008; Wexler, 2019). Some authors (An & Reigeluth, 2011; Eristi et al., 2012) found that technology equipment provided by the school also represented a barrier to technology knowledge. Some identified issues relating to equipment included: building substructure and physical conditions, lack of EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 11 technical support at the exact time of need, and outdated equipment that is slow and inefficient (Eristi et al., 2012). Most of these situations are out of a teacher's control but have a direct impact on their technology use (Tondeur et al., 2016). Time spent in an activity will also impact teachers’ understanding. Productivity technology is mandatory for a teacher to be successful in their career. Technology based productivity involves grades, communication with parents and school personnel, and instruction delivery such as smart boards, or other computer projected images (Ersti, 2012; Gorder, 2008). Efforts in productivity are compulsory. Therefore, time must be allocated to its understanding. This time increases teachers’ technological knowledge (Koehler & Mishra, 2009). Another factor that is dependent on a teacher’s situation is the professional development provided by a school. School-provided classes and courses are designed to help teachers focus and gain the needed technical, pedagogical, and content knowledge needed to be an efficient teacher, yet they also have weaknesses. For example, a school district that covers grades K-12, professional development can be too broad when trying to cover topics for all grades (An & Reigeluth, 2011). Courses that break into specific groupings are harmed by other constraints such as covering too much information in a short amount of time and focusing on topics that are relevant to new teachers but are prior knowledge to veteran teachers (An & Reigeluth, 2011). Professional development can place restrictions on teachers’ overall budget of time, without a guarantee of benefit. Interestingly, factors such as age of the teacher and number of years teaching, are not a major factor in technological beliefs, according to Gorder (2008). This data supports the idea that teachers' beliefs are developed individually, and not strictly through their time in the teaching profession or age. Consequently, the time teachers spend with technology outside the classroom will increase their technological knowledge, just as students benefit from reading outside a classroom (Eristi et al., 2012). EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 12 Time is a precious resource, with a fixed supply. When technology was introduced into education, teachers quickly learned that it was not going to make life easier, despite opening many new opportunities (Mean, 1994; Dwyer et al., 1991). Teaching, on its own, is a stressful profession (Khan et al., 2014). Part of this stress is related to the new technological resources and understanding that teachers are trying to balance, with all the other demands on their time (Khan et al., 2014). Covid-19 Pandemic Forced Technology Involvement on Education The amount of time a student spends in a school is dictated by law. There have been times when the law is superseded by natural disasters such as earthquakes and windstorms, or man-made problems such as war. When classrooms are open again, the focus is first on social emotional learning (SEL) and support, as students transition back into the classroom (Anderson & Hira, 2020). The Covid-19 Pandemic has been a major disruption to students. They were removed from a traditional classroom and required to move to a digital environment. The transition back to in-person learning has also not been easy. The spread of the virus, which was first documented in December of 2019, was rapid as it crossed borders into other countries. It was classified as a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” by January of 2020, and within a month it was declared a “World Pandemic” (World Health Organization, 2020). With the safety of the students being foremost, in March, Utah’s governor announced that all public schools in Utah would move to dismissal as a “soft closure” which is defined as “in-school instruction is suspended, but educational services continue remotely” (Utah State Board of Education, 2020). Similar arrangements occurred throughout the United States and most other countries in the world (Education Week, 2020). All brick-and-mortar classrooms would be replaced with remote instruction for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. With EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 13 this announcement, teachers were given just a few days to set up a digital classroom for their students. They were asked to “open the box” and be innovative quickly. Being immersed in technology meant teachers would now be spending most of their time developing technological knowledge. At the elementary level, there is minimal research regarding online learning, leaving teachers with little support (Justis et al., 2020). Districts scrambled to set up guidelines and give directions to teachers (Davis School District, 2020). Teachers rose to the challenge, learning new platforms and adapting lessons for digital delivery (Anderson & Hira, 2020). While this is not an optimal method to increase technological knowledge, an informal survey by Edweek Magazine in June of 2020, at the end of the soft closure, found that 87 percent of teachers said their technology skills improved during the soft closure and 58 percent reported having a more positive view of technology (Bushweller, 2020). The school year ended, with the hope that the detour into digital learning was over and traditional school would resume in the fall. As the pandemic continued, the fall school year was also disrupted but this time the decisions were not state mandated. Each school district, with input from health organizations, would decide how their classrooms would look (Salt Lake School District, 2020). A variety of approaches were created for the return to the classroom. The options included traditional in-person classrooms with added safety protocol, 100% digital learning, and a hybrid model balancing traditional and digital classrooms with smaller groups of students (Weber School District, 2020). All models involved teachers continued increase and use of technology, though to varying degrees. Teachers were again being required to increase their technological knowledge and pedagogy. PURPOSE Currently, the Covid-19 Pandemic is an ongoing event. It is a novel event, with no past situation in recent history and on such a global scale that compares in its impact on education. EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 14 With mandatory digital classrooms, teachers turned to technology to increase their own effectiveness in the classroom. Research a short time into Covid-19 Pandemic has shown that by spending time in professional development (PD), independent investigation, and working with teammates, teachers increased their technological knowledge and abilities (Anderson & Hira, 2020). However, there is a need for more research on how the Covid-19 Pandemic has affected educators. Teachers were thrust into producing with technology, when prior, they were mainly consumers. The purpose of this study is to contribute to the understanding of the effects on education during the Covid-19 Pandemic, while at the same time exploring the perceptions and opinions of teachers on the topic of technology in their classroom, based on their experience before and with the Covid-19 Pandemic. To that end, in this study, I pose four research questions: RQ1: Was there a change in feelings or attitudes about technology from this experience? RQ2: What can be learned from the experiences of educators during the Covid-19 Pandemic? RQ3: How has integration of technology changed in the classroom from this experience? RQ4: What was the best method for learning technology during the Covid-19 Pandemic? METHODS Qualitative research, by design, is suited to examine an individual's understanding and beliefs (Merriam & Grenier, 2019). By conducting qualitative research each participant expresses their own understanding and ideas. Using a semi-structured interview approach, the research allows each participant the flexibility to express personal opinions and experiences (Merriam & Grenier, 2019). EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 15 All teachers had the same experience of being initially forced into a digital classroom, but the return to a traditional classroom was decided by individual school districts. Some teachers came back to regular classrooms, while others stayed in the digital environment. Others had a hybrid experience, of balancing digital and traditional classrooms at the same time. This varied experience is included in the study, through the choice of participants and their respective school district. Research Protocol The research protocol included a questionnaire and an interview. Participants were chosen as a convenience sample (Merriam & Grenier) based on previous employment of the researcher . A minimum of three years of teaching was required for participation in the project, allowing the educator to have established a basic TPACK outside a pandemic year. Age and gender of the participating educator was not a consideration. The participants were familiar with the researcher, with an established rapport of trust and comfort. Initial contact with the participants was by email (see Appendix A for a sample email). Once a participant consented, the date, time and location for the interview was determined with a phone call. A follow-up email was sent (see Appendix B) which included a brief introduction to the project, research process and time of interview. All participants were also presented with a consent form at this time (see Appendix C). Participants were sent the research questionnaire approximately one week prior to their interview, as a Google form. The questionnaire had three sections (see Appendix D). The first and second sections focus on opinions and feelings about technology, before Covid-19 Pandemic and then current. The last section gathered general personal information. The questionnaire acted as an introduction to the research topics to be discussed in the interview, as well as a point of data for analysis. EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 16 Context of Research Data The interviews were performed approximately one year after the soft closure of all schools in the United States, which was three fourths of the way into the 2020-2021 school year. Interview questions are listed in Appendix E. The meetings lasted from 40 to 55 minutes. The interview was conducted over Zoom. Each interview was recorded, and a transcription of the interview was extracted. Notes taken were then added for clarification. Generating the transcription utilized current available software and was authenticated by the research. The recordings and transcriptions were saved to a personal laptop for security with any identifiable data being removed for privacy purposes. Table 1 gives basic demographics of the participants. I assigned pseudonyms to participants to protect their identities. The study included four elementary school educators, from three different school districts. The author was included as a study participant. As an educator during this period, I have a relevant understanding of how education was affected. Table 1 Participant Demographics Name Grade Spring 2020 Grade Fall 2020 School District Years as an educator Karen(author) 5th 3rd A 4 Jean 3rd 3rd B 27 Hannah 5th 6th C 10 Lily 4th 4th A 24 The districts were chosen based on my previous employment and the different styles of returning to the classroom. All school districts in Utah went into a soft closure in the Spring of 2020. School buildings were closed. All classroom activities were to be handled remotely using technology in a digital classroom. The 2019-2020 school year ended in soft closure mode. As EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 17 the summer progressed, the Covid-19 Pandemic still had the world in its grip, though the effects were not evenly spread throughout the state of Utah. Due to this fact, each school district could handle the reopening of school for the 2020-2021 school year at their discretion. The diverse types of reopening controlled the focus and the amount of time in technology. The interviews were used to define each district's policies, in relation to technology. Table 2 is a compilation of information that was gathered during the interview process as each participant described their corresponding district and relating technology resources. Districts have been given simple letter designation to protect identification. Table 2 District Information Relating to Technology District A District B District C Participant Karen(author), Lilly Jean Hannah Student devices prior to Covid-19 One-to-one iPad One-to-one iPad Shared Chrome book cart by grade Student devices 2020-2021 One-to-one iPad One-to-one chrome books One-to-one chrome books Instruction style start of 2020-2021 Digital Classroom Hybrid Traditional Instruction style progression After 5 months switched to 4 days in-person, 1 day digital After 1 month switched to 4 days in person, 1 day digital Stayed the same Digital Platform Canvas Canvas Canvas Digital resource for 2020-2021 Produced by teachers Provided by district Provided by district Students requiring digital classroom Live-stream into in-person classroom Asynchronous lessons provided by district Asynchronous lessons provided by district EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 18 District A chose to continue to use digital classrooms to begin the 2020-2021. The digital classrooms used Zoom meetings for students to interact with teachers daily, for synchronous learning. The district chose Canvas as the learning management system to provide classwork and asynchronous lessons to students. Teachers were able to have a 20 minute, in-person meeting with each student before school started. The meeting allowed the teacher to distribute technology devices, administer initial assessments, and teach basic technology skills. Digital classrooms were utilized for the first five months of the school year. In February of 2021, students returned to in-person instruction, 4 days a week, with 1 day of asynchronous learning. Students could opt to stay in the digital environment, with teachers using “live streaming” synchronous technology to include them in the classroom. Each teacher produced their own digital content for Canvas classwork and asynchronous learning. The school had participated in an Apple Grant 3 years prior, which gave the school one-to-one technology devices of iPads, which students were able to use for their digital classroom. District B chose a hybrid style of learning to begin the school year. The students were split into groups, for in-person learning and asynchronous learning on alternate days. Each group received two days a week in-person and three days of asynchronous learning using Canvas. Students could choose to remain fully online and were serviced in a separate school system using asynchronous lessons. Teachers managed students that required a temporary digital classroom, using asynchronous lessons. The district provided the asynchronous lessons for the digital classroom students. These lessons could also be used by the teacher for temporary digital students or utilized for the in-person students. The hybrid style lasted for one month for elementary students. The district then merged the in-person groups, so that students attended 4 days in-person with 1-day of asynchronous lessons. This school had one-to-one iPads in the Spring of 2020 and changed to one-to-one Chrome books as the 2020-2021 school year began. EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 19 District C started the school year with traditional 5 days a week, in-person learning. Students could choose to remain in a digital classroom using asynchronous lessons and were serviced in a separate school system. Teachers managed students that required a temporary digital classroom, using asynchronous lessons. The district provided the asynchronous lessons for the digital classroom students. The lessons could also be used by the teacher for temporary digital students or utilized with the in-person students. Canvas was the delivery platform for digital content. In the Spring of 2020, students shared a supply of Chrome books by grade. At the start of the 2020-2021 school year the school switched to one-to-one chrome books for the students. Analysis Process Prior to contacting the participants, I completed the questionnaire and the interview questions using vocal responses. My responses were a foundation, with other interviews adding layers and bridges towards a conclusion. Using a Constant Comparative Method (CCM), a deliberate approach was set up, using my responses as the framework (Boeije, 2002). Table 3 shows an overview of the steps in the analysis process. It began with recording the interview. During the interview, my focus was on the participant and asking follow-up questions. Next, I created a transcription from the recorded interview, using an online software program called Otter.ai. The first reading of the transcripts involved listening to the recordings and evaluating and correcting errors within the text. The focus of the second reading was a comparison to my experience. The third reading involved separating by interview question and comparing the thoughts of each participant one question at a time. I then looked at all the analysis notes created during the first three readings, looking for patterns and complimentary ideas. The fourth reading then looked for specific quotes and information in the text, and data to support my conclusions. EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 20 Table 3 Steps in Research Analysis During the interview Focus on participant and asking follow-up questions Create Transcript Create transcript using online software First Reading Compare recording to transcript, correct errors Second Reading Read each transcript separately, writing observations - What did I notice in this transcript? - How is this different from my experience? Third Reading Separate by interview question, read one question at a time across all texts, write observations - How is this different between the other interviews? - What are some things that are the same between interviews? Analysis Data Using observations, look for similar ideas and patterns Fourth Reading Highlight supporting quotes and information within transcripts Throughout this process the questionnaire data was used as another tool for comparison as I looked for additional connection to the interviews. Comparison is the fundamental process during the analysis. This step-by-step process of comparison will support the researcher when finding relationships within the data (Boeije, 2002). This qualitative study looked for new insights and understanding of technology and pedagogy revealed by the experience of the participants. This is a novel time in the history of education, and research aimed at understanding how the Covid-19 has impacted education is essential. RESEARCH FINDINGS This research is anchored by an event in history, the Covid-19 Pandemic. At the time of data collection, the pandemic was still ongoing. I analyzed the data for patterns and ideas that were comparative and contrasting between participants. Two forms of data were generated: the EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 21 interview transcripts and the questionnaire answers. While reviewing the transcripts, I identified words that were repeated throughout all four interviews. Table 4 shows a list of those words and the number of occurrences per participant. Table 4 Repeated Words within the Data Word Karen(author) Jean Hannah Lily need 13 14 11 13 hard/problem/difficult 10 8 8 12 time 61 28 20 25 student(s)/kids(s) 77 69 37 57 learn/teach 67 48 51 38 work 11 39 23 20 help/support 4 11 4 25 The repeated words were a catalyst for finding common thought patterns throughout the data. Four ideas were found that all participants spoke about, in different ways and times throughout each interview that connect to the research questions: • Positive changes to an educator’s TPACK occurred during this experience of the Covid-19 Pandemic. • The experiences of the participants found that technology integration decisions need to take the age of the student into consideration. • Consuming rather than producing digital content for supporting technology integration is best for educators. • Technology training and support needs consideration and differentiation. EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 22 Positive Changes to an Educator’s TPACK Research Question One asked about any changes that participants experience in terms of their feelings and attitudes during the pandemic. As it can be seen from the description that follows, participants experienced mostly positive changes in their attitudes and feelings towards their TPACK. Sometimes a bird needs to be pushed from the nest to learn how to fly. The Covid-19 Pandemic pushed educators to learn and teach in a different way. It was a forced change, in a short time. Lilly described it as “eating an elephant all at once.” Though hard, the Covid-19 Pandemic had a positive effect for all participants. The questionnaire asked two questions, “Rate your comfort level when using technology, with 1 being low and 10 high”, first prior to Covid-19 and then currently. The data showed a jump of two levels for all four participants in relation to their comfort level when using technology from prior to currently, see Figure 2. There was a change in feeling about technology because of the Covid-19 Pandemic. Figure 2 Comfort Level of Participants Using Technology Lilly explained this change was not easy. She said “I feel more confident about it. And I EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 23 do attribute it to having to do it. It is like a trial by fire. Right, I had to walk through the fire.” Her technological pedagogy increased, but it came at a cost. She continued, “It was hard. The time commitment was a lot. It was a ton with very little student outcomes.” Lilly worked hard, and she gained knowledge and abilities, though she didn’t feel like her students were responding. Jean had very high ranking for technology prior to the Covid-19 Pandemic, yet she used it minimally. Talking about her pre-pandemic teaching Jean said, “I tried to do things with technology quite often (in the classroom), but not long on time... something to entice… different things, but it wasn’t my main focus of teaching.” As the interview progressed, she described her feelings now, “I know everybody was pushing before Covid for this blended learning, but now I can really, really see the need for it.” She continued, “ I feel like I’m more willing to try harder things with the computer.” Her experience during the Covid-19 Pandemic increased her technological and pedagogical knowledge. Fear is something that can hold a person back from gaining knowledge in any subject. Karen(author) had a lower comfort and confidence level of technology prior to Covid-19. Both increased through her experiences. She expressed, “My confidence with technology has definitely improved. I’ve learned a lot of skills…how not to be afraid of a computer.” She was pushed to use technology, which before her fear may have been holding her back from developing her technology pedagogy. Karen(author) continued, “I would like to learn to get better at using their iPads as a tool for integrating technology in my classroom… and helping kids improve at being independent learners. That’s where technology is incredible.” This experience not only increased her TPACK, it showed her the possibilities of technology in the classroom. All participants spoke of how hard teaching during the Covid-19 Pandemic was, using phrases like “sleepless nights”, “lots of time”, “it took hours”, “it was hard”, “very frustrating.” EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 24 Though hard, all participants also found value in the experience of being pushed into technology. Hannah articulated this point stating. I think it’s forced us to get out of a rut. If that makes sense. It’s forced us to look at different ways of teaching and look at different ways of doing something because you can’t just do in-person teaching anymore ... Covid has made a step forward into a better way of teaching... I think it is pushing us to be better educators. Despite the challenges of the Covid-19 Pandemic, Hannah’s technological pedagogical knowledge was increased by her experiences. The events surrounding the Covid-19 Pandemic were extremely disruptive to the education of all students. Schools closed and forced teachers into the world of technology. Though difficult and hard, the data showed there was a positive change of feeling and attitudes toward technology during the Covid-19 for participants. The pandemic had a positive impact on the TPACK of educators. Technology integration decisions need to include the age of the students Research Question Two asked, what could be learned from the experiences of educators teaching during the Covid-19 Pandemic? Through analyzing the data, I noticed a connection between the use of technology and the age of the students, expressed by the educators from their experience. There was a dissonance between participants on the amount and type of usage when integrating technology with younger students. The questionnaire from Hannah, showed her use of technology in the classroom went from 10% to 66% through her experiences. She was in District C, which returned to a traditional classroom at the beginning of 2020-2021. As a 6th grade teacher, which is the oldest of elementary school students, Hannah found technology as increasingly vital. I really think technology has helped in the classroom. It’s been a piece that’s been missing. Because these kids, they don’t do paper/pencil anymore. It’s not their speed. EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 25 It’s technology and even then, this isn’t fast enough for them...This is what they’re growing up with is technology, and we’ve got to keep up with them or we are gonna lose them. Hannah found through using technology that she gained more appreciation for what it had to offer to her students. She spoke about her increased use of technology being “a little shaky” in the beginning, but as the year progressed her confidence grew and she spoke of “playing around with a lot of different technologies”, on assignments and creating projects. She stated, “we are able to use the technology to deepen their understanding.” Writing was the only subject that started on paper, ”but then they turn it into a Google Doc and then it goes into Utah Compose.” For her 6th grade students, she discovered that technology is vital in the classroom and called it “a step forward into a better way of teaching.” Hannah was enthusiastic about technology for her 6th grade students, but she expressed remorse that the younger students, kindergarten, were having to use the same devices as her 6th graders because “the district has got rid of all the iPads, so sweet little kindergartners have to work on Chromebooks. I think they do much better with iPads.” In her experience as an educator, she felt there is an age-appropriate piece of the technology puzzle that needs to be taken into consideration. Jean taught 3rd grade and works in District B. She also gained enthusiasm for technology. She began in a hybrid instruction in the fall and found that most of the in-person time was spent teaching how to use the technology and an “incredible amount of Canvas stuff.” As the year progressed, the time paid off as she was able to increase her use of Canvas in the classroom. District B provided digital Canvas lessons that she was able to modify and create a blended learning environment with differentiated lessons. Because of learning all this stuff, I’m now integrating individualized programs for each kid…. I can just take what the district made… and I take stuff away and make it easier EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 26 for them. For some kids, it’s just too easy and they need harder stuff …. I need to add stuff I make in for them... So, it’s been heaven because I’m meeting the needs of the kids more than I’ve ever been able to. Earlier I wrote how Jean’s TPACK increased, and this increase flowed into the classroom as she was able to provide differentiated asynchronous learning while she worked with small groups. She found her third graders were able to handle the increase of technology. Jean’s feelings about technology did vary across subject areas. With math Jean stated, “I still think everything should be hands on for third grade... It’s really important to still have them do it with manipulatives themselves.” Writing is another subject she does without technology. When it comes to technology usage in elementary school, she feels that “the upper grades are using it way more than the lower grades and I can see kindergarten not really needing to use it.” Her enthusiasm for technology was tempered by the age of the students and the needs within a subject. Lilly had strong feelings about the amount of technology being used by all students. She teaches in District A, and at the time of the interview her district still required a lot of digital use because of the Covid-19 Pandemic restrictions. She exclaimed, I’m so sick of technology. I think we use it too much…. I think we’ve crossed over that line. There’s got to be a Goldilocks zone (not too hot, not too cold). And we’re out of the Goldilocks zone right now. These feelings of the need for moderation with technology were communicated multiple times within the interview with Lilly. Near the end of the interview, she expressed that this experience “has made it very apparent to me what’s appropriate and what is not appropriate to use technology. “ She had different opinions than Jean for Language Arts and couldn’t wait to get back to “real live print that’s right in front of them and (they can) follow along with their finger.” EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 27 Lilly teaches 4th grade and for her students she felt that there needs to be age-appropriate technology guidelines. The time and type of technology used for each age group is something that needs to be studied, as shown by some of the contrasting views of the participants. For example, Karen(author) stated it like this: I see technology in my classroom… I would like them to get better at using it… but they’re only third graders… I don’t know if this is the time for them to learn it. They have time... there is other stuff and ways to learn without always using an iPad. The age of her 3rd grade students affects her feelings for when and how to integrate technology. The Covid-19 Pandemic did not take the age of the student into consideration. Initially all students were thrust into a digital classroom regardless of their age. The experience of integrating technology into the classroom then changed and was controlled by the location of a student’s school. In this study, participants expressed a connection between the age of the student and technology integration decisions, though there was not a consensus on how to make those decisions. As education moves forward with increased technology use, additional research is needed involving the age of the student and appropriate technology integration and usage. Consuming rather than producing digital content to support technology integration Research Question Three asks how technology integration changed during the pandemic. I found a pattern that those teachers who were supported by their district with digital materials had increased positive feelings about technology integration. The following section describes this pattern in detail. The Covid-19 Pandemic was unprecedented, unexpected, and relentless. Educators were removed from their classrooms and put on a computer screen. Educators were now required to do their job, in a new environment that most had little experience or knowledge of. EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 28 Most of the participants hinted, but Lilly stated it clearly, that the additional technology that was required was a job: I have more confidence with technology, and I have a lot of resentment as well, because I feel more than ever that we’re not being paid what we should. If you’re going to throw that (technology) in the mix, then you better put some IT pay in my pay… I’m doing it all now. I’m doing everything. She was not the only one that felt overwhelmed by the newly required technology. Previously I presented words from participants to describe teaching during the Covid-19 Pandemic; “sleepless nights”, “lots of time”, “it took hours”, “it was hard”, “very frustrating.” Table 4, which is found earlier in the document, presented the most repeated words by the participants. They were “time”, “student(s)/kid(s)”, “learn/teach” and “work”. All participants talked about how much work it was to jump into the technology pool, within their interviews. They also expressed why they were willing to put forth the effort. The effort was for the students. Lilly expressed a desire to help make her students continue to love school during this time. She said, “I knew remote learning was not the best way to learn and I wanted to create a banquet for my kids.” She put in a lot of effort on her Canvas page to make it an experience. Jean talked about making “something really good for them to learn instead of just, you know, simple stuff. I wanted them to really be learning.” She worked hard to create something great. Teachers went from being mainly consumers of digital teaching media to producing their own digital classroom during the Covid-19 Pandemic. The contrasting experiences of being a consumer over a producer of technology-rich instruction became more apparent as the 2020-2021 school year continued. The participants in districts that provided digital lessons were very positive about the resources they received. Hannah, in District C said: EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 29 What the district has given us is very awesome. They’ve gone through all of the collection, books, all of the math, all of everything, they’ve pulled in videos, they’ve pulled in Khan Academy stuff, and they put it all in these modules already. They’ve taken a lot of work actually from us, which is really, really nice. She embraced the new required technology, using district digital resources. Hannah was able to use the products as a beginning point. Hannah said, We were told really not to change what the district had put out, just because it was more work, but if we didn’t like something the district was doing, we’d change it. That’s what we do as teachers anyway, we’re gonna change things. You tell us not to change it, we’re gonna change it. This use of digital resources increased her enthusiasm for technology in her classroom. Acting as a consumer and just modifying the resource, increased her ability to integrate technology into the classroom, which I spoke of previously. On the questionnaire Hannah’s rating for integrating technology in the classroom rose from 4, to an 8 out of 10. Jean also spoke enthusiastically for district digital lessons. Earlier I told how she used the district lessons to create a blended learning environment. She was able to use them as a starting point and create individualized student learning. She spoke of the district lessons, and said “Actually, the district prepared most of them. Which was really nice.” It allowed her time to just, “fix them a little bit.” Jean consumed, modified, and then delivered digital lessons to her students. Jean and Hannah’s positive attitude for using digital media in their classroom can be contrasted by Karen(author) and Lilly, whose district did not provide digital content material. On the questionnaire, Lilly and Karen(author)’s rankings for integrating technology into the classroom decreased from prior to the Covid-19 Pandemic to current time. EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 30 Lily and Karen(author)’s fall 2020 school year began with the focus on both Canvas digital lessons and synchronous learning, on the Zoom meeting platform. Both expressed gratitude for having at least one, in-person meeting with each student, before school began. Karen(author) stated it like this “I was able to give them a very quick how to on Zoom and Canvas, so students were able to connect the first day.” They then spoke of frustrations of trying to teach students how to troubleshoot technology over technology, Lilly stated “you can’t help a kid remotely if you can’t see their screen, you just cannot.” Lilly and Karen (author) spent five months in a digital classroom, teaching synchronous lessons, and providing asynchronous content. They found new ways to teach. Karen (author) described: We did a lot of annotation tools where the kids could then draw on the screen and circle and then interact with me. I learned how to do polls and chats. Other ways to try to get the kids to be more interactive. This was a new type of classroom and learning that teachers were producing for their students daily. Lilly and Karen (author) remained in online synchronous learning until February. When students were able to return to in-person instruction both Lilly and Karen (author) did little to integrate technology into their classroom, unless required. Lilly said, in math “we barely open our iPad to do something in math… I used Play Doh and Hershey bars to teach fractions.” She expressed the opinion that next year she will use paper texts, “because I think they need to do that.” Her current classroom situation was still requiring digital media due to the pandemic. Karen (author) also expressed using very limited technology when students came back to in-person learning. She started adding some digital Canvas assessments, “to get them ready because they will be taking the end of level tests that are digital.” She explained why she was doing little integration, “because it takes time to create those Canvas assessments.” Their EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 31 experience of having to produce a digital classroom and learning materials made them not eager to continue the process when it was not required. Research question three asked how integration of technology had changed in the classroom from this experience. All participants produced digital learning media during the soft closure to integrate into their classrooms, which had the benefit of increasing their technological knowledge. The pattern I found in the data was that the quicker a participant was able to switch to a consumer over a producer of digital media, their feelings about continued technology integration in the classroom were more positive. On the other hand, the less support teachers received and the more materials they needed to produce on their own, the less likely they were to change their pedagogical practices relating to technology integration. Teacher Training and Support Educators hope to teach their students to enjoy learning, for they understand that learning never ends. During the Covid-19 Pandemic the new knowledge needed by educators exploded. Research Question Four asked what the best method for learning technology was during the Covid-19 Pandemic. I was not able to find a simple answer to this question, but all the observations in connection to this topic are presented below. The last question of the questionnaire was, “Rank the way you prefer to learn new technology from most beneficial (first) to least (six)”. Six different learning methods were presented: Professional Development (PD), Synchronous Learning, Asynchronous Learning, Independent, One-to-one, or Other. A visual representation comparing the choices of the participants is shown in Figure 3. Other, as a method, was the 6th choice for all participants, so it was excluded in the graphic. Figure 3 was created by looking at each method and giving 5 points for every 1st choice vote, 4 points for a 2nd choice, 3 points for a 3rd choice, 2 points for a 4 choice and 1 point for every 5th choice vote. A perfect score of 20, would mean the method EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 32 was the 1st choice for all four participants, while a score of 5 meant the method was the last choice for all participants. Figure 3 At first glance, PD and One/one seem to be the preferred methods, with the highest point totals. Looking closer at the data, within the distribution of votes, both PD and One/one received a 4th choice vote, which means at least one participant voted them almost last as a training method. There were other discrepancies with the data. Independent Learning has the lowest point total, which seems to make it the least preferred method, yet it received a 2nd choice vote from one participant. There is variance between participants. A bigger sample is needed to get a more reliable results on the best method of technology instruction. I then looked for continuity between a participant’s “preferred method” and how they spoke about technology training during the interview. On her questionnaire, Lilly ranked Professional Development (PD) as her 1st choice but then she complained about PD she participated in during the summer saying, “it didn’t answer anything.” She switched near the end EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 33 of the interview and raved about PD given in her school a couple of years ago. She described how that PD impacted her technological pedagogy. We had really awesome professional development that built my competence up. Because of that training, I was able to be a little curious, “what if I do this?”. I was able to be not terrified? When you’re terrified, you can’t do anything. You’re stuck... I can really confidently speak for everybody. It made a huge difference in our staff. I think we all would have struggled a lot more. Lilly talks about PD in both a negative and positive point of view. This leads to the idea that perhaps it is not the learning method but something else that matters when learning technology. Within Lilly’s interview I found other points of confusion relating to learning methods. She spoke about her experience learning during the summer and describes using all methods of learning. She started with struggling in a synchronous class. She continued by “figuring out a lot on my own” in an independent method. When she became stuck, she went back to the recordings for asynchronous learning, but found that “it was just useless.” Lilly then approached a colleague for one-to-one support. Lilly stated, “it was one quick fix. She said, Oh, do this and then I understood it.” In this conversation she talked about independent learning as being valuable, yet on her questionnaire she ranked it her 5th choice. Her method choices and her experiences do not match up. Other participants had similar data discrepancy relating to learning methods. Hannah spoke of getting her Google certification. It was taught in an asynchronous method. She spoke of how she felt confident during the soft closure because of her training, “I think I had it easier than some people, because I was pretty prepared with what Google had to offer.” Yet she ranked asynchronous learning in 5th place. Over the summer, she took synchronous classes to learn the Canvas platform. For Hannah, “they went so fast, you know, on how to use Canvas and different things like that.” She then “watched their little help videos, and eventually I got EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 34 there. But it took me a little while.” She ranked synchronous learning ahead of independent learning on the questionnaire, though from our conversation she talked of learning independently more favorably. She said, “I am a button pusher, I have to crash a computer here and there”. She also seems to be unaware of her learning method. Given the incongruities in the data, I did not find an answer to research question four about the best method for learning technology. Participants had differing opinions and experiences. While evaluating the interviews, I noticed that all participants spoke highly of team members being an important part of their success with learning technology. They spoke of team members and co-workers as being a source of technology support. Hannah found that using the strength of others on her team worked best when producing digital content. I know there’s a whole lot more I have to learn. I rely on my team members. So, some of us are really good at designing the webpages, others the backgrounds and others are really good at making them into modules. So as a team we’ve got it covered. Hannah spoke highly of her team being a main support system during this time of increased technology learning. Jean also found support in her team. When asked if her team was working at the same level she replied: Different (abilities), but we’re trying to be similar. Our third grade is very autonomous, we try to stay with each other. We try to help each other... I’ve made my lower and higher groups, and the other people aren’t interested in those lessons quite yet. They just want to do the main one, and that’s okay… All of us are working (Canvas), all of us have found success with it. Though Jean may be working at a different level of ability, as a team they work together and find success. Lilly talked about time with her co-worker, “I went to my partner’s house, we tried to EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 35 figure stuff out together… we spent a lot of time trying to troubleshoot together.” Collaboration seems to be a key part of a teacher's support structure relating to technology. As education moves forward, there is a need to look critically at what digital learning skills are needed for educators and what technology is necessary within education. This research did not find a best method for gaining those technology skills, though there needs to be differentiation in the training. Collaboration with other educators should be seen as a valued support structure for educators in learning technology. CONCLUSION The purpose of this study was to document how the Covid-19 Pandemic has changed education with the emphasis on technology in the classroom. I accomplished this by analyzing the perceptions and opinions of four educators based on their experience before and within the events caused by the Covid-19 Pandemic in regards to technology. Despite the disruptions to education, there were positive outcomes to TPACK of the four participants: Karen(author), Jean, Hannah, and Lilly. Research in the summer of 2020, found value in the extra time teachers spent utilizing technology (e.g., Bushweller, 2020), and my research supported those findings. The Covid-19 Pandemic, though difficult, had a positive effect on education, due to the increased TPACK of educators. According to the opinion of the interviewees in this study, age of the students is a potential factor influencing technology integration. Previous research found that elementary students and secondary students have different technology needs (Gorder, 2008; Wexler, 2019). During the Covid-19 Pandemic, all students were forced into a digital classroom regardless of age. As teachers were given control over how and when to use technology, it was interesting to see how their classrooms changed. This experience opened a dialogue about what is a reasonable and effective use of technology within each grade level. There was discord among the participants on the topic of technology usage for different age groups, though all EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 36 agreed that technology needs differ between younger and older students. This is an area open for more research. It is an area of study that could be ongoing since technology is constantly changing and evolving. The Covid-19 Pandemic was an unexpected event that quickly thrust educators to be producers of digital learning for their students. As the event progressed, some of the participating teachers received digital resources while others did not. I found that those teachers that became consumers of digital resources, rather than having to stay in a production mode, had a more positive attitude when integrating technology into their classroom. This was shown by the different experience of participants in District B and C which provided digital resources, while District A participants did not receive that support. The amount of time and effort to produce digital learning media, increases the job load of an educator. Consumers can change and adapt a product to their needs and ability, which is less time consuming than producing new content. This is an idea that would be beneficial for districts to keep in mind when studying digital resources to provide to educators. Editable digital resources make digital teaching easier. Education is not a static environment. It is dynamic, as it strives to keep up with the ever-changing needs of society. The events surrounding the Covid-19 Pandemic required increased training for teachers in a short time frame. Previous research found inequality with the training of teachers (An & Reigeluth, 2011). Discrepancies were also found while discussing with participants the different learning methods. The preferred method for learning new technology was not found within this study. This opens the door for additional research involving ways to provide efficient and effective training for teachers. Educators do benefit from collaboration and support from peers when learning technology. When the Covid-19 Pandemic releases its hold, teachers must be given time to explore and reflect on what they have learned, how it has affected both their technological and EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 37 pedagogical knowledge, and how they will use this new knowledge to advance education in the future. 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Weber School District (2020). Elementary learning options. Weber School District. Retrieved from: http://wsd.net/covid-19/2020-2021-learning-options/elementary Wexler, E. (2019, December 19). How classroom technology is holding students back. MIT Technology Review. Retrieved from: https://www.technologyreview.com/2019/12/19/131155/classroom-technology-holding-students-back-edtech-kids-education/ World Health Organization (2020, January 30). Statement on the second meeting of the international health regulations(2005) emergency committee regarding the outbreak of the novel coronavirus(2019-nCoV). World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news/item/30-01-2020-statement-on-the-second-meeting-of-the-international-health-regulations-(2005)-emergency-committee-regarding-the-outbreak-of-novel-coronavirus-(2019-ncov) Zimmerman, K.A. (2017, September 07). History of computers: a brief timeline. Live Science. https://www.livescience.com/20718-computer-history.html EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 42 Appendix A - Candidate email (Date) (Participate Name), I am reaching out to you as a potential candidate for my Master’s thesis study. I worked at (school name) ____ years ago, in ____ grade. I was impressed with your teaching mastery and thought you might be a good fit for my study. 2020-2021 has been an interesting year in education. I am specifically looking at how the increased time in technology has affected a teacher’s pedagogy in relation to technology. Your participation would require about 70 minutes of time. The first 10 minutes will be to fill out a questionnaire, sent as a google form, gathering attitudes toward technology and general demographics. An interview would follow about a week later. It will be held over Zoom and should last approximately 60 minutes. If you are interested in being part of my study, please email or call me, so we can set an interview date and time. Thank you for your time. Respectfully, Karen Brunner 801-390-6101 EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 43 Appendix B - Introduction Email Date, 2021 Participant name, Thank you for accepting participation in my Master’s Research Project. My project is titled “Effects of Covid-19 on Teacher Pedagogy in Regards to Technology.” I am interested to hear and learn about your experiences with technology during your teaching career, especially during this novel time in history. The technology I am referring to is anything related to a computer - hardware and software. The research process has two steps- questionnaire and interview. A questionnaire will be sent by email, as a Google form, a week before the interview (by date). It should take approximately 10 minutes to complete. It has three sections - prior to Covid-19, Current Time, and General Information. The first two sections ask questions about your opinions and knowledge toward technology prior to Covid-19 and then currently. The last section gathers general personal information. Please let me know if you have any difficulties with the questionnaire. The interview will be on (day) at (time). It will be conducted (location / zoom) as your preference. It should last no more than an hour. It will be recorded, and the recording will be transcribed for analysis purposes. questionnaire data will be stored in my Google Drive while the recording will be stored on my personal laptop. If you have any questions concerning the project, please email or call me. Again, thank you for being part of my project. I appreciate the time you will be spending on my behalf. Sincerely, Karen Brunner Weber State University MED Master’s Candidate 801-390-61 EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 44 Appendix C – Informed Consent IRB STUDY # IRB-AY20-21-265 WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY INFORMED CONSENT Effects of Covid-19 on Teacher Pedagogy in Regards to Technology You are invited to participate in a research study of the effects of Covid-19 on teacher pedagogy in regards to technology. You were selected as a possible subject because you are an elementary school educator from a school district of interest. We ask that you read this form and ask any questions you may have before agreeing to be in the study. The study is being conducted by Karen Brunner. It is not funded. STUDY PURPOSE The purpose of this study is to contribute to the understanding of the effects on education during the Covid-19 Pandemic, through exploring the perceptions and opinions of teachers on the topic of technology in their classroom based on their experience before and with Covid-19. NUMBER OF PEOPLE TAKING PART IN THE STUDY: If you agree to participate, you will be one of 4 subjects who will be participating in this research. PROCEDURES FOR THE STUDY: If you agree to be in the study, you will do the following things: - Complete a short survey which should take 10 minutes - Participate in an interview, conducted over Zoom, which should last around an hour. RISKS OF TAKING PART IN THE STUDY: -The risk of completing the survey and being uncomfortable answering the questions. -The risk of possible loss of confidentiality. -There may be risks that are currently unforeseeable. BENEFITS OF TAKING PART IN THE STUDY You will not receive payment for taking part in this study ALTERNATIVES TO TAKING PART IN THE STUDY: There are no options for not participating in the research. EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 45 COSTS/ COMPENSATION FOR INJURY In the event of physical injury resulting from your participation in this research, necessary medical treatment will be provided to you and billed as part of your medical expenses. Costs not covered by your health care insurer will be your responsibility. Also, it is your responsibility to determine the extent of your health care coverage. There is no program in place for other monetary compensation for such injuries. However, you are not giving up any legal rights or benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. If you are participating in research which is not conducted at a medical facility, you will be responsible for seeking medical care and for the expenses associated with any care received. CONFIDENTIALITY Efforts will be made to keep your personal information confidential. We cannot guarantee absolute confidentiality. Your personal information may be disclosed if required by law. Your identity will be held in confidence in reports in which the study may be published and databases in which results may be stored. The principal researchers will be the only ones to have access to any recordings. The recordings will be stored on the researcher's personal laptop. They will be destroyed upon approval of the Master’s Thesis. Organizations that may inspect and/or copy your research records for quality assurance and data analysis include groups such as the study investigator and his/her research associates, the Weber State University Institutional Review Board or its designees, and (as allowed by law) state or federal agencies, specifically the Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) [for FDA-regulated research and research involving positron-emission scanning], the National Cancer Institute (NCI) [for research funded or supported by NCI], the National Institutes of Health (NIH) [for research funded or supported by NIH], etc., who may need to access your medical and/or research records. CONTACTS FOR QUESTIONS OR PROBLEMS For questions about the study, contact the researcher Karen Brunner at 801-390-6101 or the researcher’s mentor Ryan Cain at 385-288-1024. For questions about your rights as a research participant or to discuss problems, complaints or concerns about a research study, or to obtain information, or offer input, contact the Chair of the IRB Committee IRB@weber.edu. VOLUNTARY NATURE OF STUDY Taking part in this study is voluntary. You may choose not to take part or may leave the study at any time. Leaving the study will not result in any penalty or loss of benefits to which you are entitled. Your decision whether to participate in this study will not affect your current or future relations with Weber State University. SUBJECT’S CONSENT In consideration of all of the above, I give my consent to participate in this research study. EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 46 I will be given a copy of this informed consent document to keep for my records. I agree to take part in this study. Subject’s Printed Name: _________________________________ Subject’s Signature: _________________________________ Date: (must be dated by the subject) Printed Name of Person Obtaining Consent:_____________________________________________ Signature of Person Obtaining Consent:____________________________________________ Date:__________________ If the study involves children who will be providing their assent on this consent document, rather than on a separate assent document, use the following signatures: Printed Name of Parent: _______________________________________ Signature of Parent:_________________________________________ Date:__________________ EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 47 Appendix D - Questionnaire (Sent with Google Forms) Section 1: Introduction Thank you for your participation in my Master's project. I appreciate the time you will be spending on my behalf. Information gathered will bring insight and understanding to education relating to technology. The following questionnaire is an overview of the information that will be covered during our interview. The interview will be held in approximately a week and will last approximately an hour. There are three parts to the questionnaire: prior to Covid-19, Current Time, and General Information. Please answer with your opinion based on the appropriate time period. This questionnaire should take less than 10 minutes. Technology is anything relating to a computer - software and hardware. Section 2: Prior to Covid-19 For the following questions I would like your opinion and knowledge of technology, PRIOR to Covid-19: 1- Prior to the Covid-19: Rate your COMFORT level when using technology, with 1 being low and 10 high (Linear scale 1-10) 2- Prior to Covid-19: If given a CHOICE, how often would you integrate new technology in your classroom, with 1 being never and 10 always? (Linear scale 1-10) 3- Prior to Covid-19: How IMPORTANT was integrating technology into your classroom, with 1 being not important and 10 very important? (Linear scale 1-10) 4- Prior to Covid-19: What percentage of your CLASS TIME was spent on technology? (This includes teaching and independent student work.) (Percentage rating 10% - 100%) 5- Prior to Covid-19: What percentage of your PREP TIME was spent on technology? (This includes grading, communication, lesson planning) (Percentage rating 10% - 100%) EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 48 Section 3: Current Time For this section use your CURRENT opinion and knowledge of technology: 1- Current time: Rate your COMFORT level when using technology, with 1 being low and 10 high (Linear scale 1-10) 2- Current time: If given a CHOICE, how often would you integrate new technology in your classroom, with 1 being never and 10 always? (Linear scale 1-10) 3- Current time: How IMPORTANT was integrating technology into your classroom, with 1 being not important and 10 very important? (Linear scale 1-10) 4- Current time: What percentage of your CLASS TIME was spent on technology? (this includes teaching and independent student work.) (Percentage rating 10% - 100%) 5- Current time: What percentage of your PREP TIME was spent on technology? (this includes grading, communication, lesson planning) (Percentage rating 10% - 100%) Section 4: General Information Section 4: General information about your teaching career 1- What is your first name and current school district you are working for? (Short answer) 2- How many years have you been an educator? (Short answer) 3- What grades have you taught and what grade are you currently teaching? (Short answer) 4- Rank the way you PREFER to learn new technology, from most beneficial (first) to least (sixth). (Ranking choices: Professional Development, Synchronous, Asynchronous, Independent, One/one, Other) EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY IN REGARDS TO TECHNOLOGY 49 Appendix E - Interview Questions Questions will be asked verbatim, with the option to ask follow-up questions for clarification. 1. Prior to Covid-19 - What were your feelings towards technology? Were you always looking for the newest thing or were you the last to jump on the bandwagon? 2. Prior to Covid-19 - Where was technology found in your classroom? Was it part of your everyday routine? 3. How prepared were you for the soft closure in the Spring, and creating the needed digital learning? What was the time commitment, relating to technology, during this time? 4. What technological preparation did you make during the summer before the 2020-2021 school year? 5. What was your classroom experience as the fall 2020 school year started, relating to technology? 6. Has your experience changed over the school year? Has your time commitment changed in relation to technology? 7. Where is technology found in your classroom today? Is it part of your everyday routine? 8. Has your feelings and confidence toward technology changed, and what do you attribute the change to? 9. Has your ability or knowledge of technology changed, and what do you attribute the change to? 10. What place will technology have in your classroom, in the future?