The Impact of a One to One Laptop Program on the Self-Efficacy of Nine Middle School Students with Specific Learning Disabilities

Abstract

A significant body of research has examined the impact of technology on pedagogy (Cuban, 1999; Enyedy, 2014), student achievement (Schachter, 1999; Cheung & Slavin, 2013, OECD, 2015), and equity (Reich, Murnane & Willett, 2012; Van Deursen & Van Dijk, 2011) with both positive and negative results within each domain. Research has also examined the impact of technology on the success of students with disabilities in various domains (Corn, Tagsold, & Argueta, 2012; Hargreaves & Braun, 2012; Harris & Smith, 2004; Penuel, 2006). However, no research has assessed the impact of one to one technology, in particular, on the self-efficacy of students with specific learning disabilities in educational settings. This dissertation examined the experience of nine middle school students with specific learning disabilities in the first year of a one to one laptop program. Among the guiding questions for this research was the following: What characteristics of 1:1 programs present particular challenges or opportunities for students with learning disabilities? A series of interviews with students, parents, and teachers, as well as pre and post-surveys gauging student self-efficacy, were organized within the frame of activity theory and analyzed using a case-study narrative approach. Findings from the research suggest the presence of several critical conditions that support student self-efficacy in this one to one program. These critical conditions include the presence of a culture of collaboration, putting the needs of teachers first in terms of comfort with technology, providing a system of professional development for both students and teachers, encouraging the philosophy of a growth mindset in relation to technology, and adopting a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework as a model for curriculum design that emphasizes equity through flexibility.