Publication Date
8-2024
Date of Final Oral Examination (Defense)
4-23-2024
Type of Culminating Activity
Dissertation
Degree Title
Doctor of Education in Educational Technology
Department Filter
Educational Technology
Department
Educational Technology
Supervisory Committee Chair
Yu-Chang Hsu, Ph.D.
Supervisory Committee Member
Kerry Rice, Ed.D.
Supervisory Committee Member
Jui-Long Hung, Ed.D.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Abstract
This exploratory sequential mixed methods study examines the contemporary usage of online education in rural, K-12 settings, as well as explores the relationship between Internet connectivity, smartphone use, and rural, K-12 online education in the United States. The following general research questions were explored:
- How are rural K-12 schools using online education overall?
a. How does usage vary based on school size and/or socioeconomic status?
- What is the relationship between Internet connectivity, smartphone use, and online education in these schools?
Data collection occurred in two phases; an initial focus group provided qualitative data which was coded, analyzed, and organized into overarching themes, including online education types and usage; internal factors influencing usage—including site implementation and staff integration; external factors influencing usage—including Internet connectivity and district or school external impacts; and perceived student outcomes. These themes were used to develop a survey instrument and provided context for the findings of the survey.
The second phase consisted of the development and distribution of the quantitative survey, followed by data analysis and interpretation using descriptive statistics, Fisher’s exact tests, chi-square tests of independence, and one-way ANOVAs. Survey findings were broad and showed that online education use in rural school systems is widespread and fairly consistent in terms of format, grade levels, technology availability, and use of online education tools. Conversely, rural sites considerably varied in terms of online education providers, staff structure and duties related to online education, and uses of online education. The COVID-19 pandemic appears to have resulted in increased technology adoption in rural school systems, although the corresponding duties necessary to make those changes may be associated with staff compression, particularly in small rural schools.
School size and socioeconomic status were not found to play a statistically significant role in individual variables related to online education use such as enrollment, format, and staff professional development. However, an examination of the data indicates that size and socioeconomic status may be associated with overarching patterns that suggest small rural schools’ usage patterns are influenced by smaller staff sizes, and low-income rural schools’ usage patterns are influenced by limited funding and community resources. Internet connectivity was found to have the highest perceived influence on online education in rural schools, and was found to be interrelated with online education, and smartphone use.
This research provides a broad snapshot of contemporary online education use in rural settings, and many of the findings may be useful for those seeking broad comparisons on a national level. The study revealed that Internet connectivity, site size, and area socioeconomics are important factors in how rural schools use online education. Researchers, policymakers, educators, content developers, and other stakeholders involved in rural K-12 online education should be careful to consider geography and socioeconomic status of rural school systems, as many sites may have unique factors that render online education anything but a one-size-fits-all solution for rural school systems.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.18122/td.2237.boisestate
Recommended Citation
Horan, Arielle, "Rural, K-12 Online Education in the United States and an Examination of Its Relationship to Smartphone Use and Internet Connectivity" (2024). Boise State University Theses and Dissertations. 2237.
https://doi.org/10.18122/td.2237.boisestate
