The Use of Educational Technology Integration by Special Education Teachers in Rural Schools in South Carolina
ABSTRACT
Effective professional development training is essential to ensuring full technology
integration in all classrooms by all teachers on a regular basis. Technology integration
can greatly enhance the learning of all students. In particular students with disabilities
and special needs benefit a great deal from the use of technology during instruction. It
helps to create a universal design for learning that minimizes the students’ disabilities
and allow them to participate with little assistance. Often when these students live in
rural areas they are at an even greater disadvantage due to the limited resources
available. The following research uses a survey questionnaire to investigate the
prevalence of educational technology for instruction used by special education teachers
in rural areas throughout South Carolina. The amount of time spent in professional
development training related to technology has an influence on how often a teacher
uses technology in the classroom. The research uses adult transformational learning
theory as a basis for understanding how adults (teachers) learn new things and
incorporate them into practice. There are implications presented for teachers and
administrators regarding technology integration.