Promoting educational opportunity and achievement through 1:1 iPads

Author(s):

Gayle Y. Thieman, (Graduate School of Education, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, USA)

Tatiana Cevallos, (Portland Tigard Center, George Fox University, Portland, Oregon, USA)

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Single Sentence Summary:

This paper identifies barriers to successful technology integration and impacts of 1:1 iPads on student achievement including inequitable access, inconsistent administrative and teacher support, and limited professional development.

Abstract:

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to expand the growing body of research on the educational impact of 1:1 mobile devices, investigating the iPad’s potential to reduce the disparity of access to high-quality instructional technology and achievement for low income, racially, and linguistically diverse students.

Design/methodology/approach

This three-year, mixed-method study investigated the degree to which a 1:1 iPad initiative reduced the disparity of technology access and instructional use and improved student learning and attendance. The research design included survey data on student technology skills, experiences and use and teacher focus groups to confirm and contextualize the survey data.

Findings

Across all three years, ninth graders and students who were white, female, eligible for free/reduced lunch and those with stable enrollment were more likely to have an individual iPad (THP). Having a THP was associated with greater satisfaction, ease and frequency of technology use, higher attendance and GPA.

Research limitations/implications

Inequitable distribution, inconsistent administrative support, and uneven faculty support for iPads limit generalizability.

Practical implications

This research identifies barriers to successful technology integration and impact on student achievement including inequitable access, inconsistent administrative and teacher support, and limited professional development.

Originality/value

This research focuses on an issue of digital equity that has not yet been studied in depth with 1:1 iPads and investigates students’ technology access, experiences and use to support student achievement in a high poverty, highly diverse high school.

Keywords:

iPad, Mobile learning, Digital equity, Research article

Type:

Research paper

Publisher:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Received:

01 June 2017

Revised:

24 July 2017

Accepted:

31 July 2017

Copyright:

© Emerald Publishing Limited 2017
Published by Emerald Publishing Limited
Licensed re-use rights only

Citation:

Gayle Y. Thieman, Tatiana Cevallos, (2017) "Promoting educational opportunity and achievement through 1:1 iPads", The International Journal of Information and Learning Technology, Vol. 34 Issue: 5, pp.409-427, https://doi.org/10.1108/IJILT-06-2017-0047

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