An Exploration of K-3 Teachers’ Beliefs, Attitudes, and Instructional Technology Use Pre-, During, and Post-COVID-19

This qualitative multiple case study explores kindergarten to third-grade teachers use of instructional technology across three different periods: pre-COVID-19, during COVID-19, and post-COVID-19. This research investigates teachers’ attitudes, the use of technological tools by teachers, and the internal (second order) and external (first order) barriers that informed their use of instructional technology before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to influence their use in the post-pandemic phase. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, and checklists from eight kindergarten third-grade teachers using a qualitative multiple case study approach. The findings suggest that there was a shift in teachers’ instructional technology adoption from pre-COVID-19 when teachers reported a minimal use of instructional technology. However, during the COVID-19 period, the use of instructional technology became a necessity rather than a supplemental tool for remote instruction and learning, which expanded teachers’ competencies but also created new challenges for support, training, and engagement. While teachers reported maintaining their acquired technological skills in the post-COVID-19 phase, many seek to use a balance of digital tools with traditional pedagogies due to concerns about students’ over-reliance on instructional technology. The study identifies confidence, motivation, and pedagogical beliefs as key internal factors, and access to resources, training, and administrative support as external factors that impact teachers’ instructional technology integration. The implications for this study include considerations for support systems and continuous professional development to increase kindergarten to third-grade teachers’ motivation and confidence for instructional technology use. Suggestions for future research are included.