Date of Award
Winter 12-14-2019
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctorate of Education, Ed.D.
College
College of Education
Department
Education
First Advisor
Jillian Skelton, Ed.D.
Second Advisor
Quincey L. Daniels, Ph.D.
Third Advisor
Edward Kim, Ph.D.
Abstract
A gap exists in current research due to a lack of studies that explore the effect of schoolwide one-to-one computer implementations on academic achievement. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect a one-to-one computing environment had on student academic achievement means of middle school students in rural Nevada. This quantitative, non-experimental study used a causal-comparative design and analysis of academic achievement archival data from the 2015–2016, the year before implementation; 2016–2017, the first year of one-to-one implementation; and 2017–2018, the second year of implementation. Two research questions guided this study: RQ1. Is there a significant difference in mean scores on end-of-year grade point averages comprised of semester grades in math, English, social studies, and science between middle school students who participated in a one-to-one computing environment and those that did not? and, RQ2. Is there a significant difference in mean scores on the Nevada Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) Math and English Language Arts/Literacy Summative Tests between middle school students who participated in a one-to-one computing environment and those that did not? This study was conducted at a rural middle school with a total sample population of 1,344 students between the two years of study. The data showed that a one-to-one computing environment had no significant effect on students’ end-of-year grade point average means comprised of semester grades in math, English, social studies, and science. The results of this study call for further research into the effect a one-to-one computing environment has on academic achievement means, especially student GPA means.