Assessing the Factors Affecting West Virginia PreK-12 Teachers’ Use and Non-Use of Lesson Plans Published on the Internet

Assessing the Factors Affecting West Virginia PreK-12 Teachers’ Use and Non-Use of Lesson Plans Published on the Internet Kammi Kai Hefner During the past 10 years, West Virginia PreK-12 schools have received nearly $14 million to provide teachers with technology-enhanced solutions in meeting the demands of Internet enculurated students. Specifically, these monies were dedicated to educating West Virginia PreK-12 teachers about technology. In some way during that training, these teachers were exposed to the knowledge that lesson plans exist on the Internet. The first purpose of this study (1) was to build a demographic profile for (a) teachers who were unaware that lesson plans are available on the Internet, (b) teachers who were aware that lesson plans exist on the Internet but did not use lesson plans published on the Internet, and (c) teachers who used lesson plans published on the Internet. The second purpose of this study (2) was to identify and examine the critical factors that profile teachers who used lesson plans published on the Internet. The third purpose of this study (3) was to determine how often teachers use lesson plans published on the Internet. The fourth purpose of this study (4) was to investigate how teachers were using lesson plans published on the Internet. The fifth purpose of this study (5) was to identify and examine the critical factors that profile teachers who were aware that lesson plans exist on the Internet but did not use lesson plans published on the Internet Based on results from impromptu interviews and an exhaustive literature review, three, self-assessment Web-based questionnaires were constructed. Teachers were invited to access The Lesson Plan Study Web Site to complete one of the questionnaires. A Pilot Study was conducted using 71 teachers from two randomly selected counties in West Virginia. The Final Study was conducted by inviting teachers from 42 counties in West Virginia whose superintendents and principals elected to participate in the study. The response rate was 600 out of a possible 750 teachers, or 80%. The results of The Lesson Plan Study overwhelmingly revealed that more West Virginia PreK-12 teachers used lesson plans published on the Internet than teachers who were aware that lesson plans exist on the Internet but did not use lesson plans published on the Internet. In addressing the first purpose of the study, the demographics revealed that of the 18 (a) teachers who were unaware that lesson plans are available on the Internet, 28% were certified in Elementary Education K-6, 44% had between 16-30 years of teaching experience, 44% had between 6-10 years of computer experience, and 50% had between 0-5 years of Internet experience, 50% were male, and 72% had not participated in any lesson plan related professional development efforts. Of the 91 teachers who were aware that lesson plans exist on the Internet but did not use lesson plans published on the Internet, 24% were certified in Elementary Education K-6, 52% had between 16-30 years of teaching experience, 36% had more than 10 years of computer experience, and 44% had between 0-5 years of Internet experience, 37% were male, and 69% had not participated in any lesson plan related professional development efforts. Of the 491 teachers who used lesson plans published on the Internet, 35% were certified in Elementary Education K-6 teachers, 50% had between 16-30 years of teaching experience, 45% had more than 10 years of computer experience, and 56% had between 6-10 years of Internet experience, 19% were male, and 75% had participated in 1 or more lesson plan related professional development efforts. In addition, the demographics revealed that more Elementary Education K-6 teachers participated in The Lesson Plan Study than teachers from any other certification area. For purposes of data analysis the phrase “Degree of Interaction” was introduced to encompass the 3 levels of awareness and utilization of lesson plans published on the Internet, (a) unaware, (b) aware lesson plans exist on the Internet but did not use, and (c) used. There was a significant relationship between a teacher’s number of years of teaching experience and their Degree of Interaction. When the 600 teachers were categorized by years of teaching experience, the results of the analysis showed that teachers in the range of 0-15 years of teaching experience had the highest percentage (86%) use of lesson plans published on the Internet, followed by 82% of the teachers in the range of 16-30 years of teaching experience. Teachers with more than 30 years of teaching experience had the lowest percentage (70%) use of lesson plans published on the Internet. There was a significant relationship between a teacher’s number of years of computer experience and their Degree of Interaction. When the 600 teachers were categorized by years of computer experience, the results of the analysis showed that teachers in the range of 0-5 years of computer experience had the lowest percentage (65%) use of lesson plans published on the Internet, followed by 85% of the teachers in the range of 6-10 years of computer experience. Teachers with more than 10 years of computer experience had the highest percentage (86%) use of lesson plans published on the Internet. There was a significant relationship between a teacher’s number of years of Internet experience and their Degree of Interaction. When the 600 teachers were categorized by years of Internet experience, the results of the analysis showed that teachers in the range of 0-5 years of Internet experience had the lowest percentage (74%) use of lesson plans published on the Internet, followed by 85% teachers in the range of 6-10 years Internet experience. Teachers with more than 10 years of Internet experience had the highest percentage (93%) use of lesson plans published on the Internet. There was a significant relationship between a teacher’s gender and their Degree of Interaction. When the 600 teachers were categorized by gender, the results of the analysis showed that male teachers had the lowest percentage (68%) use of lesson plans published on the Internet. Female teachers had the highest percentage (86%) use of lesson plans published on the Internet. There was not a significant relationship between Degrees of Interaction and grade level. Overall, the data suggested that teachers’ grade levels had no effect on their awareness and/or utilization of lesson plans published on the Internet. There was a significant relationship between a teacher’s participation in lesson plan related professional development efforts and their Degree of Interaction. When the 600 teachers were categorized by number of lesson plan related professional development efforts, the results of the analysis showed that teachers with the lowest percentage (62%) use of lesson plans published on the Internet had participated in no lesson plan related professional development efforts, whereas, teachers with the highest percentage (92%) use of lesson plans published on the Internet had participated in 1 or more lesson plan related professional development efforts. In addressing the second purpose of the study, an examination of the critical facilitating factors revealed that of the 491 teachers who used lesson plans published on the Internet, there was strong evidence that their “motivation” to use computers and the Internet greatly contributed to their success in using lesson plans published on the Internet. In addressing the third purpose of the study, a tabulation of frequencies revealed that, of the 491 teachers who used lesson plans published on the Internet, 60% had used lesson plans published on the Internet over the past two school years (2001-2002 & 2002-2003) between 1-10 times, and 47% plan on using lesson plans published on the Internet over the next two school years (2003-2004 & 2004-2005) between 1-10 times. In addressing the fourth purpose of the study, a selection process showed that of the 491 teachers who used lesson plans published on the Internet, 55% indicated that obtaining “ideas from their Activities” was the primary way in which they used lesson plans published on the Internet. In addressing the fifth purpose of the study, an examination of the critical impeding factors revealed that of the 91 teachers who were aware that lesson plans exist on the Internet but did not use lesson plans published on the Internet, there was strong evidence that a their “personal practice” greatly contributed to their decision not to use lesson plans published on the Internet. Implications for education and recommendations for future research are discussed.