Date of Award
Spring 3-17-2020
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education in Instructional Technology
Department
Instructional Technology
Committee Chair
Dr. Jo Williamson
Committee Chair/First Advisor
Dr. Julie Moore
Second Committee Member
Dr. Anissa Lokey-Vega
Abstract
Personalized learning (PL) has emerged as a trend in K-12 teaching and learning (Netcoh, 2017). This instructional strategy provides a customized learning experience, allowing students to work on their own path and at their own pace while learning and instruction is developed to students’ ability levels, interests, and learning modalities. While some scholars and many educational organizations have published definitions of PL, these definitions are often vague and sometimes conflicting. Furthermore, there is limited in-depth research presently available regarding the implementation of personalized learning in K-12 classrooms. Due to the lack of clear definitions and descriptions of PL, educators struggle to conceptualize and implement PL. To bridge this gap, this case study will examine how four exemplary middle school teachers implement PL in a Title 1 middle school in a large urban K-12 school district in the Southeast. The study will also describe these teachers’ perceptions of PL.
Keywords: personalized learning, technology, 1:1 computing, professional development, transformation, middle school