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Abstract
The purpose of this paper was to explore the various barriers associated with the
acceptance of educational technologies and their use in the classroom. More specifically, the
review of the literature evaluated these barriers as they pertained to school administrators,
teachers, parents, and students. Furthermore, this paper discussed the overall effects these
barriers have in classroom settings within the Middle East. Especially, in regards to the effects
of reinventing how teachers teach, present their lessons, and even how their students interact
with lessons and assignments. Finally, the paper addressed the following question, "In regards to
all stakeholders (students, parents, administrators, and teachers), what are the different barriers
that exist in response to the implementation of new educational technologies in the classroom
and what strategies can be used to overcome them?"
Keywords: Technology integration, barriers, strategies, k-12 education, curriculum, Middle East
school districts did not leverage the opportunity to revisit their existing vision(s), 2) schools and
school districts did not use data to make changes, and 3) limited access to technology.
Moreover, Daniels et al. (2013) agreed that a key component in understanding how technology
can be used to increase student success is to gather information regarding barriers to systemic,
effective and sustainable technology integration. By using a mixed-methods approach, the
researchers conducted online surveys, personal interviews, and took classroom observations and
field notes over a two-year period in order to obtain meaningful data (Daniels, Jacobsen,
Varnhagen, & Friesen, 2013). As it related to administrators, the investigators found that school
administrators were not all agreed on the importance updating their respective districts
technology vision so that their districts would have the support that they need to continue
(Daniels et al., 2013). This problem was compounded with administrators who viewed the
technology initiative as an just another add-on, who had a disconnect with teachers and students
abilities to access online content, who did not understand or truly value the use of research to
inform innovative uses of technology for learning and the collections and use of data on the
success of the initiative (Daniels et al., 2013).
Another issue for administrators was the motivation of the faculty in complying with a
new technology initiative. Reid (2014) pointed this out by stating:
Not surprisingly, the lack of educational technology adoption and the increased cost of
that technology are resulting in new administrative concerns and strategies. While
administration may not expect all faculty members to adopt a new instructional
technology, they may also not have defined what proportion must do so to make the
initiative and the outlay successful (p.384).
This has also proven true with administrators, as well. Once a vision of educational
technology use is established, school leadership needs to model that approach, enact rituals and
practices designed to reinforce it, and lend a coherent voice leading the entire community in a
fashion consistent with its vision to improve the lives of young people (Stager, 2015).
Concurring with Stagers approach, Clarke & Zagarell believed that administrators and educators
must discuss how to integrate technology into their schools curriculum as the first step toward
diminishing the technological divide that continues to exist in todays classrooms.
Teachers Barriers to Technology Acceptance
According to (Reid, 2014), lack of faculty willingness or interest in adopting
instructional technology was a major barrier to most schools and the variety of instructional
technologies and tools, and the capabilities and limitations of each, can cause confusion. This
issue had been going on for quite some time. Per Stager (2015), thirty-five years after schools
began purchasing microcomputers, teachers still need to be bribed, tricked, coerced, cajoled, or
threatened to use them. Nearly two generations of students have missed powerful learning
opportunities due to the inaction of adults. Teachers are commissioned with the task of
educating children and preparing them for the modern world. However, there are other factors
that can potentially deter them from performing their job. In the International Journal of Special
Education, authors Adiguzel, Capraro, & Willson (2011) propose factors which can influence the
acceptance and adaptation of new technologies into the classroom:
(a) Perceptions regarding ease of use of handheld computers.
(b) Perceptions regarding the usefulness of handheld computers.
(c) Subjective norm.
(d) The handheld computers dependability.
when trying to understand faculty use of learning technologies, both individual and
contextual factors need to be taken into account (p.13).
MacCallum, Jeffrey, & Kinshuk (2014) built upon this by positing that feelings of anxiety
may be further exacerbated if lecturers perceive the skills of their students as being better than
their own when using technology. Combined with the perceived ease of use and the perceived
usefulness of educational technology on the part of the educator, a positive sense of digital
literacy can positively influence the educator to adopt new technologies in the classroom
(MacCallum, Jeffrey, & Kinshuk, 2014).
According to her thesis findings, Palmore (2011) examined the theory of behavior in the
acceptance of educational technology in that she claimed:
How an individual views his or her ability to perform a particular task determines to a large
extent what that individual does with knowledge and skills gained in that particular area.
Thus, faculty perception of their understanding or mastery of technology will have a direct
impact on their behavior and attitude towards integrating technology into their curriculum
(p.129).
Palmore (2011) also proposed that more properly developed policies can be contributed
to an ongoing professional development program coupled with support initiatives, such as peer
mentoring, to alleviate faculty anxiety towards technology and to incorporate technology into the
schools overall culture. Fleagle (2012) expanded upon that by stating that students technology
expectations within the classroom are directly related to faculty knowledge and skill. As such, it
is noteworthy that individual educators remain the deciding factor in whether or not technology
is successfully integrated into classrooms (Clarke & Zagarell, 2012).
Challenging the traditional view of content determining the direction of teaching strategies
and technology use, Fleagle (2012) envisioned technology as the deciding factor influencing the
development of content and teaching strategies. This also coincided with Fleagles assertion that
one of the biggest obstacles to technology integration in the classroom was, in the minds of
students, found in the facultys lack of technology knowledge (2012). Chong (2012) elaborated
further by stating, As shapers of tomorrows minds, teachers need to prepare their students for
the role technology will play in their lives and enable them to be well-trained and successful in
the global workplace. Bauer & Kenton (2005) also suggested that it was important that teachers
integrate technology as both a teaching and as a learning tool on a daily basis in order to remain
current, relevant, and to set a positive example to their students.
The final teacher-specific study came from Israel and represented three years work
involving interviews of teachers as individuals and as groups (Levin & Wadmany, 2008). The
study followed six individuals as they advanced from using notepads to iPads and other
educational technology tools. It also chronicled their transformations from traditional teacher
roles to the digitally-savvy teachers that they are now.
ParentsBarrierstoTechnologyAcceptance
(Bourgonjon,Valcke,Soetaert,deWever,&Schellens,2011)examinedbarriersparents
experiencedwhenconsideringdigitalgamebasedlearninganditsuseintheclassroom.Often,
parentsdichotomizebetweeneducationalgamesatschoolandeducationalgamesathome;
educationalgamesatschoolaretrulyeducationalandeducationalgamesathomewerenot
educationalandreallyjustforentertainment((Bourgonjonetal.,2011).Accordingto
Bourgonjonetal.(2011),thepressuresofsubjectivenorm(whatothersthinkinregardsto
gaming)affectsparentsperceptionofgamingandcanhaveanegativeimpactontheiropinion
ofgamingintheclassroom.
ThisBourgonjonetal.study(2011)relatedtotheUlineetal.(2008)studydesignedto
enhancetheeducationaltechnologyskillsofpreserviceteacherssothattheycanpassthose
skillsontotheirstudentwhowill,ideally,useeducationaltechnologyfromtheirhome.Likewise,
Ulineetal.(2008)sentsurveyshometoparentsinordertocollectdataregardingtheirchilds
homecomputeruseandtheparentsowncollaborationwiththeirchildsschoolwork.According
toUlineetal.(2008),technologytrainingofthepreserviceteachersdidhavetheintendedeffect
ofchildrenbeingmoreinterestedwithcomputers,childrensinterestintechnologybeingusedin
thehome,andparentsspendingmoretimewiththeirchildren.
StudentsBarrierstoTechnologyAcceptance
Christensen(2002)observedthecorrelationbetweenteachersattitudestowardsandthe
usageofeducationaltechnology,bothprofessionallyandpersonally,andtheperformanceand
attitudesoftheirstudentsinrelationtotechnology.Furthermore,basedonthedatagatheredin
theirstudy,thehypothesisthatteacherinstructioninneedsbasedtechnologyintegration,
combinedwithsignificantclassroomuse,fosterspositivestudentattitudestowardinformation
technologywasaccepted(Christensen,2002).
Siang&Santoso(2015)discussedthesignificanceoftheuseoftechnologybystudentsin
conjunctionwithintentandbehavior.Pertheirstudy,therewasasignificantrelationship
betweenPerceivedEaseofUseandActualTechnologyUse,asignificantrelationshipbetween
AttitudetowardUsingTechnologyandBehavioralIntentiontouseTechnology,andasignificant
relationshipbetweenActualTechnologyUseandBehavioralIntentiontouseTechnology
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(Siang&Santoso,2015).Ifthetechnologywasdifficulttouse,thenthatactedasabarriertothe
studentssincetheywillbelessinclinedtousethatparticulartechnology.Inthesameway,if
theyhadanegativeattitudetowardstheuseoftechnology,thentheywerelessinclinedtousethe
technology.Finally,oncetheystartedusingthetechnology,theybecamemorefamiliarwithit
andmorelikelytouseitagain(Siang&Santoso,2015).
BarrierstoTechnologyAcceptanceintheMiddleEast
Theproblemsdiscussedinthissectionwerenumerous.Astudywasconductedto
determinetheawarenessofelearningsystemsattheuniversitylevelinJordan(AlTarawneh&
Allahawiah,2011).Theirsurveysrevealedthat,eventhoughtheintervieweeswereawareof
basicWeb2.0toolsandnavigation,theywereunawareofelearninganditsconcepts(Al
Tarawneh&Allahawiah,2011).InthecontextofthisstudyelearningisdefinedasInternet
basedlearningthatisfocusedonthedeliveryofcontent(text,audio,video,animation,
simulation)inatrainingformat(AlTarawneh&Allahawiah,2011).Pertheresearchers,Al
Tarawneh&Allahawiah(2011),thetypicalresponsesofthesurveywere:
1. Ouruniversitieselearningdevelopmentsarestillataninfancystageinthatweare
stillworkingontryingtoidentifyasuitableelearningplatformtoadoptforour
contentdevelopmentandlearnermanagement.
2. Lackofawarenessfrommostoftheteachersandheadsofouruniversitiesthattheuse
ofeLearningcouldbeabeneficefortheteachingortraining.
3. Lackoffinancialresourcestosupportthetrainingofthetrainers,theproductionof
thecontentsofeLearning,toadoptanothercontext(p.16).
IntheAljaraideh(2014)article,theBarriersofUsingEducationalGamesinJordanian
PublicSchools,itwasconsistentlynotedbytheresearcherthatJordanwasnotreadyforthisnew
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developmentsincethereweremanymisconceptionsabouttheinitiativeanditspurposeforthe
students.Problemssuchasseeinggamesasonlyforfuninsteadofeducational,aligningthe
goalsofthecurriculumwiththegames,inabilityproperlyoperateandusethegamesonthepart
oftheteacherandthestudents,andpooruseofclassroomtime(Aljaraideh,2014).Simplyput,
computergameswererarelyintegratedinJordanianschoolsduetoinflexiblecurriculum,
perceivednegativeeffects,andthelackofasenseofusefulnessforthesoftware(Aljaraideh,
2014).Finally,therewasagenderissue.Accordingtotheresearcher,thereasonwhymale
teachersfacedalowerlevelofbarriersconcerningusingcomputergamesthanfemaleteachers
wasbecausemaleteachershaveahigherlevelofselfefficacyandselfconfidencewhenthey
usenewtechnologythanfemaleteachers.Maleteachersingeneralhaveanadventurousspiritso
theydoliketotryandapplynewtechnologies,ideas,andapplicationsintheireducation
(Aljaraideh,2014).
Conversely,adifferentstudywasconductedinTurkeywhere,despitediscovered
technologybarriers,theperceptionsoftheinstructorsdidnothaveasignificantdifference
accordingtosex,accordingtotheavailabilityofcomputertraining,andaccordingtointernet
experience(Elmas,2012).IntheElmasstudy(2012),examinedthereactionstothreedifferent
internetsitesestablishedtocarryouttotalqualitystudiesfromacentrallocationandthesites
werelaidoutlikeLearningManagementSystem(LMS)toincreaseeffectivenessinstudent
learning(Elmas,2012).
InasimilarstudyperformedbyAlShboul(2011),theauthorresearchedtheuseof
coursemanagementsystem(CMS)toolsattheuniversitylevel.Inhisfindings,heobservedthe
followingconclusions,thefacultyneededfinancialincentivestoencouragethemtouseCMS
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tools;thefacultyneededtraining,technicalassistanceandinstitutionalsupporttoenablethemto
useCMStools;andthefacultyneedmoreinformationabouttheeffectivenessofCMStoolsfor
instruction(AlShboul,2011).
Inanotherstudy,Hani(2014)discussedthepossibilityofusingaComputerAssisted
LanguageLearning(henceforthCALL)programtoenhancestudents'learningandachievement
inlearningEnglish.Oncesurveyed,JordanianEnglishlanguageteachersrevealedthatthe
mostsignificantbarrierswerethefollowing,inadequatenumberofcomputers,experiencing
technicalproblems,needformoreteachertrainingneedformoretime,andthehighcostto
implementtheinitiative(Hani,2014).
TheQudais(2010)studywasconductedtodetermineiftheuseofeducational
technologiesandtheseniorfacultymembersattitudescorrelatedwiththefollowingfactors,
gender,teachingexperience,countryanduniversityfromwhichtheirdoctoratewasreceived,the
availabilityofinfrastructure,knowncomputerskills,productivity,psychologicalfactors
(Qudais,2010).Mostoftheresponseswerepositiveincomparisontoelementaryorsecondary
schoolteachers.Thebiggestissuesforthesenioruniversityfacultymemberswere,perQudais,
poorproductivityskills,thelackoftimeandsupport,andtherequestformoreincentivesto
dedicatetimetotrainingandforthedevelopmentofresources(Qudais,2010).
Finally,areportofcasestudiesperformedbyAlharbi(2013)examinedteachers
attitudestowardstechnologyintegrationinbothSaudiArabiaandtheUnitedStates.Oneofthe
maindifferenceswasnotfinancialbutwasinsteadaculturalissuethatstemsfromthereligious
backgroundofthetheisticSaudiArabianculture.Interviewswereconductedforeachgroup,
analyzed,andusedtodeterminetheteachersattitudesfromeachcountryforcomparisonand
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contrastoftheresults(Alharbi,2013).Mostoftheintervieweesenjoyedusingtechnologyin
theirclassroomsbuttheysometimesdidnothavethetimetoinvestinlearningandapplyingthe
technologyintotheircurriculumonadailybasis(Alharbi,2013).
Conclusion
Asthereviewoftheliteraturewasconducted,itwasobservedthatcertainthemeswere
emerginginregardstothedifferenttypesofbarriersencountered.Thiswasespeciallytruefor
theissueofalackoftimeonbehalfofthevariousstudyparticipants.Thecomplaintmostheard
wasthelackofsupportfromadministration,noupgrading,poorcommunication,andlackof
propertraining.Astechnologicaladvancescontinuetopresentthemselves,thevariousbarriersto
theacceptanceofeducationaltechnologymayonedaybereplacedwithopportunitiesforgrowth.
Theimplicationsoffurtherresearchinclude,moreteachersbeingablecollaboratewithothersas
globalcitizens,creativity,collaboration,andthedevelopmentofchildrenwhoarepreparedto
competeas21stcenturycitizens.
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References
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