Mobile Application Use to Support Family, School, and Community Partnerships

Mobile Application Use to Support Family, School, and Community Partnerships by Erin Ortega MEd, University of Phoenix, 2009 BS, St. Thomas Aquinas College, 2003 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Education Walden University May 2019 Abstract Globally, a phenomenon has transpired involving the fast-paced growth of mobile technology and the rapid adoption of smart technology. As technology continues to become more mobile, it could be beneficial for educational systems to begin to evaluate how mobile applications impact family, school, and community relationships; however, little research exists on this specific topic. The purpose of this qualitative study was toGlobally, a phenomenon has transpired involving the fast-paced growth of mobile technology and the rapid adoption of smart technology. As technology continues to become more mobile, it could be beneficial for educational systems to begin to evaluate how mobile applications impact family, school, and community relationships; however, little research exists on this specific topic. The purpose of this qualitative study was to uncover the experiences of district-level administrators during the implementation of mobile applications for a number of school districts. The diffusion of innovation theory, the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology, and various school, family, and community partnership frameworks informed this study. Administrators who oversaw the implementation of district mobile apps participated in this study. Data were collected using electronic questionnaires and phone interviews, with supportive information from archival documents. The resulting data were analyzed to uncover the unique experiences of each study participant and compared and contrasted to explore emerging themes. Families were identified as the target stakeholder group intended to be reached through mobile apps and participants recommended engaging diverse stakeholder groups when planning to implement apps. Focusing on the integration of new mobile apps with existing systems and supplying the apps with content emerged as themes. Communicating the availability of mobile apps to families and participant responsibilities associated with the implementation of mobile apps were areas of concern. This study potentially informs school districts regarding how to reach more diverse families. Mobile Application Use to Support Family, School, and Community Partnerships by Erin Ortega MEd, University of Phoenix, 2009 BS, St. Thomas Aquinas College, 2003 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Education Walden University May 2019 Dedication My dissertation is dedicated to my family and friends who have knowingly (and unknowingly, at times) guided, supported, and inspired me throughout my life and during my long dissertation journey. My two inspiring, creative, loving, thoughtful, incredible children have known me to be a graduate-school student for most of their young lives. I hope that seeing me struggle, persevere, and honor the journey has inspired them as they grow, learn, and embark on journeys of their own. They are my motivation and why I work hard each day to live my best life. My loving, supportive, fun, hard-working, intelligent, amazing husband has been my rock day in and day out since the day we met, especially during difficult times. He has been by my side through every melt down, every victory, every good day, and every bad day. His love and support has never wavered, and for that I am eternally grateful. I know he is so proud of me and sharing all of this with him fills my heart with so much joy. My successes and achievements are as much his as they are mine. My small but mighty soul tribe (they know who they are) believed in me when I doubted myself and lifted me up whenever I was down. They are not friends, they are family and I am eternally grateful to have them in my life. My parents, grandparents, and siblings have waited for years to share this moment with me and their continued support and encouragement has meant the world to me. My Papa, who held on to life for so long, did not make it to see me finish, but I know his energy is here with me and I know he is smiling somewhere out there. I wish he was here to ask me one more time, "did you get your PhD, yet? " so I could answer, "yes, Papa, I finally did it. ". Acknowledgements Throughout the dissertation process I received a great deal of support and guidance for which I am extremely thankful. I would first like to acknowledge and thank my dissertation chair and mentor, Dr. Narjis F. Hyder, whose critical feedback and expertise was vitally important to the successful completion of my dissertation. Dr. Hyder was also always there to support and encourage me to keep moving forward. I am forever grateful for each phone call and every email. These seemingly small moments of positivity meant so much to me and truly helped me trust the process. Thank you, Dr. Hyder. I would like to acknowledge and thank my committee member, Dr. Jennifer L. Courduff. Dr. Courduff supported me greatly throughout the final stages of the process and was always willing to help. Whether it was reviewing drafts or helping me breathe during stressful moments, Dr. Courduff was always ready to quickly jump in with words of encouragement. Thank you, Dr. Courduff. My peer reviewer, Dr. Diane ClareKearney, was vital to my dissertation process and my PhD journey, in its entirety. Dr. Kearney has been an important part of my life for close to a decade. She has taught me so much, professionally and personally, and there is no one I trust more to be honest, open, and critical than her. She has helped me become a better educator, activist, mother, and friend, and words could never begin to express how grateful I am to have her in my life. Thank you, Dr. Kearney. Lastly, I want to acknowledge the professors and staff at Walden who collectively prepared me for this moment. My time at Walden University has been transformative and life-changing.