Exploring the influence of teacher’s grit and technological attitudes to learner’s reading proficiency

Reading proficiency, a fundamental skill for academic success, varies widely among learners and is influenced by numerous factors, including the quality of instruction and the resources available. Teachers attitudes towards technology, which encompass their willingness to integrate digital tools into their teaching practices, play a significant role in modern education. This study investigated the relationship between teachers perseverance, their attitudes towards technology, and the reading proficiency of elementary students in the Department of Education, Lumban Sub-Office, Laguna, Philippines. The participants included 24 Key Stage 1 Language Teachers and 28 Key Stage 2 Language Teachers. The research utilized three instruments: an 8-item Grit Scale, a 12-item Attitude to Technology Survey, and a frequency measure of learners reading levels. Key findings indicate teachers grit levels across learners reading proficiency significantly differs in Key Stage 1, while this is not true for Key Stage 2. Technological attitudes among teachers were generally positive and did not significantly differ across varying student reading proficiency levels in Key Stage 1, as indicated by an F-value of 0.071 and a P-value of 0.932. However, a significant difference was noted between teachers of learners in Key Stage 2 with different reading proficiency levels, particularly favoring those teaching at the Instructional level (F-value of 4.225, P-value of 0.046). Additionally, a positive correlation was found between higher grit levels and favorable technological attitudes, with correlation coefficients of 0.484 and 0.544 in Key Stages 1 and 2, respectively, both exceeding the critical value of 0.404 and showing statistical significance (p-values of 0.017 and 0.003, respectively). These findings suggest that teachers with higher grit levels are more likely to embrace technology, potentially enhancing their teaching efficacy and positively impacting learners reading proficiency. Recommendations are directed towards school administrators, policy makers, educational technologists, teacher training programs, teachers, and educational researchers to further support and develop these relationships. Suggested program includes professional development workshops, mentorship programs, and technology integration projects.