Technology in Education

The problem being addressed in this study was the discrepancy of student achievement in low socioeconomic populations as it relates to integration of technology. The purpose of this study was to answer the question: Do technology-enriched classrooms have positive, negative, or neutral effects on students of low socioeconomic status? The author hypothesized that technology-enriched classrooms raised achievement levels and self-esteem of students of low socioeconomic status. This study compared the accomplishments of elementary students in technology-enriched classrooms and students in traditional classrooms in terms of student achievement, self-esteem, and classroom interaction. Classes from five Louisiana elementary schools were randomly assigned to either treatment or control groups. Treatment classrooms included a variety of technology upgrades and equipment while control classrooms did not. The subjects involved were a sample composed of 211 students of low socioeconomic status and of various backgrounds, races, and ability levels. The research concluded that mathematics achievement, composite self-esteem, school self esteem, and general self-esteem showed statistically significant differences, favoring the treatment group. Technology-enriched classrooms were far more likely to consist of a student-initiated environment where students participated in not only teacher led instruction but also student instruction in the form of computer workgroups. The literature reports many similar study outcomes: technology