JOURNAL ARTICLE REVIEW TEMPLATE

North American University

Education Department
M.Ed. in Educational Leadership / M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction
EDUC 5324 Integrating Technology into Education
Name: Gulay Turgut

Date: 10/16/15

Cite the reviewed article in APA format:

Dogan, B., & Almus, K. (2014). School Administrators Use of iPads: Impact of Training
and Attitudes Toward School Use. Computers in the Schools, 31(3), 233250.
doi:10.1080/07380569.2014.932660

INTRODUCTION
Research Questions (if research questions are not specifically mentioned, what is
the theoretical background or overarching theme):

1. What is the impact of the training process on school administrators use of iPads for
administrative tasks and personal organization in their professional duties?
2. What is the impact of the training process on school administrators beliefs regarding
how teachers should use iPads in the classroom?
3. Are there any differences in school administrators survey responses based on gender,
age, and years of experience in school administration?

Purpose of the research:

The purpose of research is to examine the impact of receiving specific iPad training on
school administrators attitudes toward iPad use.

METHODOLOGY
What is the methodology for the research or approach used to understand the
issue? Provide information regarding the following:

Participants: 51 Elementary and secondary school administrators (i.e., principals and

assistant principals) working in one of the largest public charter school systems in a
southwestern state. The participants consisted of 30 males and 21 females.

Procedures: Participants in this study were contacted by email through the school
systems central office, after securing approvals from the school district and the
university. The initial communication included information on the purpose, structure, and
schedule of the research study along with information on training and resources to be
provided throughout the spring semester of the 20122013 school year. Participants were
asked to complete consent forms prior to the study as required by the school district and
the universitys Institutional Review Board (IRB).

Data Collection Methods/Data Source: Study components included a pre-survey, a

training session on the effective use of iPads for administrative tasks and personal
organization, specially designed resources expanding the topics covered in the training
session, on-going support, and a post-survey. Researchers developed two survey
instruments as a mechanism to collect data, which were administered online through the
survey submission system hosted at the universitys server. Survey instruments included
multiple choice and Likert-type scale items. The pre-survey was administered at the
beginning of the spring 2013 semester and the post survey was given at the end of the

four-month study period. Both instruments were reviewed for face validity by two
education faculty members and then were piloted using a group of school administrators
in a local school district.
Surveys were finalized after the feedback on the pilot versions. Demographic information
collected on the pre-survey included age, years of experience as a school administrator,
years of experience in education, highest degree earned, school classification, and school
size. The pre-survey also included questions measuring if and how school administrators
were currently using their iPads for their daily school-related tasks, their beliefs about the
effectiveness of iPads for administrative tasks, and if and how school teachers should be
using iPads in the classroom.
Designed as a closure to the study, the post-survey instrument included questions
intended to measure self-reported improvements in certain tasks after completing the
training, as well as items regarding the evaluation of training session and resources
provided to school administrators during the study.

Data Analysis: The data analysis of this study is categorized into five main groups:
analysis of demographic and contextual data; impacts of the training process on school
administrators use of iPad and iPad applications; impacts of the training process on
school administrators beliefs regarding how teachers should use iPads in the classroom;
differences in participants responses by their demographic and contextual data (gender,
age, years of experience in school administration and education, highest degree attained,
school classification, and school size); and evaluation of training process.

RESULTS
Findings or Results (or main points of the article): The training process had a positive

effect on the development of iPad skills and knowledge of the school administrators.
School administrators believed that iPads were effective tools for administrative tasks and
personal organization. Additionally, administrators were even more in agreement with
this idea There were increases in the frequency of school administrators use of the iPad
for administrative tasks and personal organization in all measured areas after completing
the training process.
School administrators in this study had positive views regarding the potential of iPad
current and future use in the classroom by teachers. School administrators in this study
reported valuing the iPads mobility, the touchscreen, and the ability to use various
application features for work related purposes. Providing ongoing training opportunities
may help school administrators success in using iPads for professional duties as well as
implementing iPads in the classroom.

DISCUSSIONS
Conclusions/Implications (for your profession): This survey-based quantitative study

investigated the impact of receiving iPad training on school administrators attitudes

toward iPad use in their professional duties and in the classroom by teachers. Specifically
examined in this study were how school administrators used iPad and iPad applications in
their professional duties before and after training, their beliefs on how teachers should
use iPads in the classroom, differences in participants responses by demographic and
contextual data, and evaluation of the training process.

Results also indicated that applications in the educational category were the most used
types of iPad applications, followed by communication and books and reference
prior to the training. While the same trend was observed in the post-survey, the training
process seemed to have a positive impact on the use of applications in productivity and
tools categories as well. This result was expected, as iPad applications in categories of
productivity and tools were covered in the training session as well as in the resources
provided after training.

REFLECTIONS
Students Reflections (changes to your understanding; implications for your
school/work): The role of principal is not only being an instructional leader also being a

role model. The usage of iPad would allow the school administrators setting a positive
role model as a technology leader. The principal sets positive role models the usage of
technology is going to be able to inspire innovation in their school much more effectively
than a principal who simply requires that teachers use technology. Also, there are
fabulous apps to make administrators job easier such as iCal, OmniFocus, Evernote, etc. I
believe that the school administrators should use technology effectively and efficiently
not only for reducing their professions burden, also becoming a technology leader in
their school.