The impact of 21st-century technology teaching on socio-economically challenged students in public high schools: A phenomenological study

The purpose of this qualitative, transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of 10 teachers who have used 21st-century technology teaching methods in three U.S. public high schools (PHS), North, South, and West in the Mid-Eastern United States. Schlossberg’s transition theory guided this study and was used to address the central research question: What essential elements of 21st-century technology teaching practices do you believe can improve students’ performance and academic success in U.S. public high schools? The three sub-questions helped uncover the teachers’ lived experiences and perspectives using 21st-century technology teaching methods in public high schools. Purposeful sampling was used to select the participants that included teachers at the research sites, with experience of the phenomenon. The qualitative methodology revealed the participants' insights and strategies of teaching methods, curriculum modifications, assessments, leadership, and program development. The data were collected from the participants’ responses to the central research question and sub-questions, via individual interviews, focus group interviews, observations, and annotation of their behaviors. The data were transcribed, analyzed, and synthesized for the codes that led to the themes and subthemes, which revealed the use of 21st-century technology teaching methods in education require teachers’ leadership and critical thinking skills. The study's findings were discussed and reviewed, with emphasis placed on the summary of thematic findings, critical discussion of findings, implications for practice, theoretical and empirical implications, limitations, delimitations, recommendations for future research and the conclusion of the research findings. Keywords: participants, research, teachers, students, 21st-century technologies