A Case Study: The Attitudes of a Teaching Assistant of French Toward Instructional Technology

Author

Farida Emelia Ngandu Tshiebue, Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical CollegeFollow

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

School of Education

Document Type

Dissertation

Abstract

Technology has shaped the personal experiences of Teaching Assistants (TAs) of French at the collegiate level in the United States (US), what they feel about the technology tools that are accessible in their work environment, and how they use these tools in their practice of teaching. Yet, there is limited research on the specific topic of the attitudes of TAs of French toward the instructional technologies that are available to them. This study sought to investigate the attitudes of a singular TA of French at a southern US university toward instructional technology (IT) by exploring the dynamics of IT use in the French courses that she taught during two consecutive semesters. Using an intrinsic case study design, the researcher considered how a TAs’ attitude toward IT affects the teaching and learning of the French language in college classrooms. Data was collected from interviews, direct observations, and documentation. A theoretical framework integrating Davis’ (1986) Technology acceptance model (TAM) explains the key factors, concepts, and variables that were studied and the presumed relationships among them. The three overarching themes that emerged from this investigation were (a) pedagogical goals, access, and digital readiness influenced the participant’s decision about how and when IT would be used, (b) the participant felt an intellectual and emotional attitude focused on student learning and making the TA’s job easier, and (c) Actual System Use was frequent and targeted toward pedagogical objectives in the French courses. Knowing the attitudes of a TA of French toward IT and exploring her use of IT helped determine the opinions and skills that shape TAs’ professional careers because the TAs of French of today represent the French language faculty members of tomorrow (Paradise & Bergstrom, 2005).

Date

1-18-2018

Recommended Citation

Ngandu Tshiebue, Farida Emelia, "A Case Study: The Attitudes of a Teaching Assistant of French Toward Instructional Technology" (2018). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 4191.
https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/4191

Committee Chair

Sulentic Dowell, Margaret-Mary

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_dissertations.4191