Teachers’ Informal Collaboration Regarding Technology

Abstract

Elementary school teachers in the present study reported informal collaboration regarding technology use as a more effective method of professional development than organizationally planned or sponsored activities. Despite the fact that teachers see their colleagues as valuable resources for learning how to utilize technology, the disciplined inquiry into informal collaboration is sparse. To answer the research question, “What is the nature of informal collaboration among teachers regarding technology use?,” a combination of questionnaire and interview techniques was utilized to generate five assertions concerning the constructs that govern teachers’ informal collaboration regarding technology use. These assertions include information pertaining to teachers’ perceptions of informal collaboration, factors that influence conversations, and with whom and for what purpose participants informally collaborate.