6.1 Evaluation of an online technology leadership master's program  (Page 10/16)

Participants and data collection

The population for this convergent mixed methods research study was 289 graduates of an online Educational Technology Leadership master’s degree program employed in PK-12 school settings. All graduates were invited to complete a web-based survey created and distributed through SurveyMonkey™. Of the 289 graduates in the participant pool, sixteen graduates’ email addresses were invalid and two individuals were no longer employed in a PK-12 school environment. Consequently, there was a possibility for 271 graduates to participate in the survey. Of the 271 potential contributors, 110 graduates responded to the online survey (41%). Both quantitative Likert-style and qualitative open-ended items were included in the electronic survey for which each respondent was permitted anonymous submission.

Additional qualitative data was collected through examination of 60 graduates’ electronic portfolios. Each work sample, purposefully selected and examined, were representative of graduates who completed the ETL master’s program during the same timeframe as 271 ETL graduates included in the population for this study. The electronic portfolio was a collection of artifacts and reflections gathered throughout the program coursework.

Delimitations/limitations

The selected communication method was one delimitation of the study. Educational Technology Leadership graduates were contacted twice to complete the online survey through SurveyMonkey™ using the email addresses on file in the university’s student registration system. Consequently, some potential recipients may not have regularly logged in to read or respond to messages stored in that specific email account. A second delimitation was related to the population selected for the study. The program graduates were to be employed in PK-12 school settings, thus two opted out of the study because of employment outside of PK-12 educational environments. The third delimitation was associated with the two week timeline for which the online survey was accessible. Some potential contributors may not have been available to respond during the survey activation timeframe; therefore, those individuals could not participate.

One limitation to the study was related to the participation in the survey. Participation in the survey was voluntary and anonymity was permitted, therefore, it reduced opportunities for potential follow-up communication. A second limitation associated with the survey pertained to the use of online survey formats. Although, the respondents were graduates of an Educational Technology Leadership master’s degree, there was the potential for varied understanding of access and usage regarding online survey formats. The third and forth limitations were associated with the targeted population. Data was collected only from program completers following graduation and the research participants could have been biased to some of the survey topics.

Data analysis and findings

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of an online Educational Technology Leadership (ETL) master’s program to advance graduates’ leadership in the use of online learning, Web 2.0 tools, and technology professional development in PK-12 schools. The overarching research question for the study was: Does the online Educational Technology Leadership master’s program advance graduates’ leadership in the use of online learning, Web 2.0 tools, and technology professional development in PK-12 schools? Assumptions were developed to analyze quantitative research data and sub-research questions guided the qualitative data analysis. A convergent mixed methods research design was selected for this study. The survey and open-ended questions were completed by 110 of the 271 possible participants (41%). Additionally, a purposeful sample of 60 graduates’ electronic portfolios were selected and examined to obtain additional qualitative data.