Collaboration Experiences and Perceptions in Digital Activities Among Secondary Education Teachers

Collaboration Experiences and Perceptions in Digital

Activities Among Secondary Education Teachers

Chapter 1: Introduction

Working together to accomplish a shared goal or task is key to moving forward at

school or in a career. As careers that require collaboration and technology skills become

more global, students must be prepared to work and competitive in a global society

(Brennan & Dempsey, 2018). Many skills are needed, including leadership, collaboration,

communication, critical, analytical and creative thinking, and problem solving to be

successful (Wagner et al., 2019). Organizations need members who can collaborate to

accomplish goals (Dean & East, 2019). According to Engeness and Edwards (2017),

students in secondary education need to develop collaboration skills to be successful.

Collaboration skills gained in school may benefit these students in their future.

Social change refers to any significant alteration over time in behavior patterns

and norms. Theories of social change involve the likelihood of resistance to change,

especially when people with vested interests feel unsettled and threatened by potential

changes. Secondary teachers in the classroom are not preparing students for careers that

require technology and collaboration skills using current collaborative strategies due in

part to their fears of change (Aliyeva & Kelly, 2019). Many secondary education teachers

lack sufficient knowledge to apply collaborative strategies in the classroom and resist

learning because of the perceived threat that this change may bring about (Howell, 2018).

This study may result in increasing teachers’ knowledge regarding teachers’ perceptions

and experiences of how students collaborate with each other in terms of digital activities.

This increased knowledge may yield strategies that could then be implemented in

classrooms and could benefit those students.

This chapter is organized to first explain the scope of the study and second justify

the literature review and approach taken to address the research problem. This chapter

concludes with information regarding the importance of the inquiry and its impact on

social change along with a summary of the chapter.

Background

An important skill students learn as part of their education is learning how to

collaborate. Collaboration skills includes communication, analytical thinking, and

problem solving; these skills are needed when students work together to achieve a shared

goal or activity (Mirela, 2018; Schmoelz, 2018). Vygotsky’s research of constructivism,

wherein students construct their knowledge more effectively when working in social

groups has been applied to the classroom by teachers through having students work in

collaborative groups. More recently, technology has been designed to promote

collaboration within digital environments by using programs similar to Google Slides

which are designed to be used collaboratively.

For students to reach shared goals while working on a digital activity or project,

they need to have developed collaboration skills to achieve those goals. Collaboration

skills are needed in many careers, such as education and engineering, where projects are

often collaborative (Dean & East, 2019). With the increase in technology-based

instruction in the classroom where the Internet and collaborative tools are available for

students to use, collaboration has become more necessary and important (De Vita et al.,

2018). These skills include collaboration, analytical thinking, and problem-solving skills

that are important when collaborating in a digital environment (Rahman, 2019). In a

secondary classroom, students may be given a collaborative project assignment to create

an English presentation that uses a program such as Google Slides or Microsoft Word

where they can work together virtually within the same document or project. These

collaboration skills connect to future academic needs in college or training entities where

students may not physically be together but are still collaborating on a presentation,

activity, or task.

Collaboration skills in the classroom need to be developed for the future needs of

the 21st century workplace where digital collaborative environments are used such as

Google Suite. Teaching collaboration skills while working in a digital environment

connects the classroom activity to the collaborative digital environment. Applying this

research in a 21st century classroom where an educator is teaching collaboration skills

while working in a digital environment connects the classroom activity to collaborative

digital environment.

Collaboration usage has increased due to improvements in technology

infrastructure such as satellites and Internet connectivity. These improvements in

technology infrastructure allow for nearly instantaneous connections between computers

that permit people to collaborate digitally (Biljon et al., 2017). Exposing the research

problem could lead to better collaboration skills that prove beneficial for students.

Collaboration skills need to be explicitly taught in school to ensure that they are in place

so students can be competitive in a global society where digital environments such as

Google Docs are in use. These skills will carry over and be beneficial for students to

work together in nondigital activities by allowing them to think more deeply and

creatively about a subject and develop more empathy for other students’ perspectives.

Educators are responsible for preparing future generations to live and learn in a

technological world. This requires people to be able to use their collaboration skills to

accomplish tasks in a digital environment. However, even though group work is being

assigned in many secondary classrooms, collaboration skills are not necessarily being

developed because group work does not always require collaboration (Krishnan et al.,

2018).

Problem Statement

The problem is that teachers in United States rural mid-Atlantic region public

schools have used digital activities for student collaboration; however, it is not known

what digital collaboration strategies teachers implement, nor how they perceive students’

ability to apply collaboration skills in a digital environment. Within education, lack of

collaboration occurring for digital activities may lead to lower than average student

achievement on standardized assessments (Hilli, 2020). The research indicates students

must be prepared to work collaboratively to be competitive in today’s job market.

Considering the need for collaboration in 21st century classrooms, researchers have

explored how technology has changed and molded collaboration in the classroom. For

students to be able to work collaboratively on projects, they need to have access to their

own device. The 1:1 initiative is where each student has an electronic device such as a

computer or tablet that they can use and store their information (Frazier & Trekles, 2018).

Information gathered from teachers about how students collaborate, and which practices

teachers perceive to be effective, could be used to create strategies for other secondary

education teachers to use when their students are collaborating using digital activities.

The gap in research is that there is minimal research regarding strategies used by

secondary teachers to teach students properly regarding collaborating using digital

activities. This research may lead to strategies that can be used in secondary classrooms

to benefit teachers and students when collaborating.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore secondary teacher

experiences involving implementing digital collaboration strategies and their perceptions

of effective digital collaboration implementation of strategies among secondary students.

Analysis of teachers’ experiences and perceptions of digital collaboration skills and

strategies students use to work collaboratively using digital activities may assist students

and teachers with learning collaboration skills. Collaboration skills include the ability to

listen to others, leadership roles, critical and analytical thinking, and the ability to

problem solve (Vance & Smith, 2018). Students can then apply these skills in future

education and careers that rely on collaboration skills that involve working on a digital

project or activity.

Research Questions

I interviewed secondary education teachers who teach in secondary English,

science, and social studies classrooms about their experiences and perceptions regarding

students’ collaboration skills, such as leadership, analytical and critical thinking, and the

ability to problem solve during digital projects or activities. I addressed the following

research questions:

RQ1: What are secondary teachers’ experiences in terms of teaching and

implementing digital collaboration strategies?

RQ2: How do secondary teachers perceive and describe effective digital

collaboration strategies among secondary students?

Conceptual Framework

The conceptual frameworks for the study were Vygotsky’s social learning theory

and Siemens’ connectivism theory. The social learning theory indicates that when

cognition is shared between participants, learning occurs (Vygotsky & Kozulin, 1986).

Culture affects cognitive development when skillful tutors contribute to students’ ability

to learn (Crawford, 1996). The social learning theory involves integrating technology by

adding technological tools such as visual communications where digital images are

manipulated, and videos are created when students are collaborating while working on

digital projects or activities (Levine, 2018). Applying this theory and analyzing teachers’

experiences and perceptions while students collaborate on digital activities yielded

findings that can lead to strategies that can be used to benefit secondary educators and

students. Connectivism suggests that students can combine thoughts, theories, and

information by using technological devices to contribute to the learning process

(Siemens, 2005).

Learners experience something together while using a digital tool for a

collaborative project or activity. Shared experiences are cognitively improved by working

together on the digital project or activity while collaborating using visual communication

tools (Levine, 2018). Technology that involves visual communication tools help students

work collaboratively in a digital learning environment (Zahn, 2017). This learning theory

connects to 21st century skills such as critical thinking and communication skills needed

by students to be competitive and successful by bringing technology and collaboration

into the same environment (Wardani et al., 2019). A more detailed description of the

social learning theory is provided in Chapter 2.

Siemens (2005) said learning occurs when individuals work within a network of

other individuals where they share knowledge in a social and technologically enhanced

environment. Diversity of the network of individuals is a factor that influences learning.

There are several principles of connectivism including connecting students with

information sources and learning rests in the diversity of those information sources.

Decision-making is part of the learning process, which enhances problem-solving skills.

A more detailed description of the connectivism theory is provided in Chapter 2.

Vygotsky’s social learning theory and Siemens’ connectivism theory were

appropriate to guide this study because these theories involve how collaboration benefits

students while they are working with their peers and different methods used to transmit

information which leads to learning. Vygotsky’s theory provides a perspective for data

analysis in terms of how students collaborate with each other using digital activities.

Applying this theory and analyzing teachers’ perceptions and experiences while students

collaborate using digital activities yielded findings that could lead to researchers

compiling strategies that can be used to benefit secondary educators and students.

Siemens’ connectivism theory is similar to Vygotsky’s social learning theory in

that they both involve acknowledging the importance of individuals gaining knowledge

by collaborating with other individuals. Both Siemens and Vygotsky’s theories explain

that the knowledge is gained either by the individuals sharing their knowledge or another

resource such as a book or information that is on a website. Vygotsky’s social learning

theory and Siemen’s connectivism theory are foundations in terms of formation of

research questions based on secondary teachers’ experiences involving teaching and

implementing digital collaboration strategies and how they perceive and describe digital

collaboration strategies among secondary students where skills needed to collaborate are

enriched via the use of technology.

Nature of the Study

In this basic qualitative study, I explored secondary teachers’ experiences

involving implementing digital collaboration strategies and their perceptions of students’

development of digital collaboration skills. The rationale to use a basic qualitative design

is to interpret human experiences. The basic qualitative design is appropriate for this

study because it provides rich and descriptive information to understand perceptions and

experiences of secondary education teachers. Data were collected via semistructured

interviews with secondary education teachers who had experience with students

collaborating with each other on digital activities or projects. Teachers described what

they did and then shared how they believed students’ skills were influenced by using

those strategies. This may remedy lack of research and knowledge regarding secondary

teachers’ perceptions and experiences with students collaborating using digital activities

in order to better understand how to help teachers educate students how to collaborate.

Definitions

The following key terms are used in my study. Definitions are provided to clarify

terms.

1:1 Initiative: An initiative in which a school or organization purchases enough

devices, such as iPads, Android tablets, or laptops, so that each student is able to use them

on a daily basis (Francom & Moon, 2018).

Analytical Thinking: Identifying and analyzing effective and efficient methods to

solve problems (Amaia, 2017).

Applications: Scripts and their expression in code that creates a program designed

for a specific purpose. These scripts and code expressions create clickable icons and

shortcuts to connect to a program that completed a predetermined set of actions. These

steps are determined by the need of the program and are specific to the task (Oigara &

Ferguson, 2020).

Collaboration: Working together to achieve common goals with the purpose of

enhancing all participants’ learning (Li et al., 2017).

Collaboration Skills: Skills that are beneficial to work together effectively and

efficiently, such as communication, active listening, negotiating, persuasion, negotiating,

and planning skills (Vance & Smith, 2018; Wardani et al., 2019).

Collaboration Strategies: Strategies that are beneficial to create success in terms

of working together such as clearly stating goals of the activity, establishing expectations

for each participant, working with individual and group strengths, fostering open and

honest communication, encouraging creativity, sharing knowledge and resources, and

celebrating successes (Battaglia & Brooks, 2019; Hill, 2017).

Digital activities: Activities that include a digital format, meaning a computer or

tablet screen on a digital enabled device such as an iPad, laptop, or desktop computer

(Bilge & Besler, 2018).

Digital collaboration: Working together using digital collaborative technologies.

Digital tools: Devices such as laptops, tablets, and computers, along with

applications, software, and hardware such as 3D printers, speakers, monitors, keyboards,

and scanners (Herold, 2016).

Google Docs: A free web-based application in which documents can be created,

edited, and stored online. Files can be accessed from any computer with an Internet

connection and a full-featured Web browser. Google Docs is compatible with most

presentation software and word processor applications (Woodrich & Yanan, 2017).

Infrastructure: The basic physical and organizational structures of computing

systems in an educational facility (e.g., access points, routers, computer connections,

drops) needed for the operation of a computer network (Khan, 2017).

Interactive whiteboard: A large interactive display in the form of a screen. It can

either be a standalone touchscreen computer used independently to perform tasks and

operations or a connectable apparatus used as a touchpad to control computers from a

projector (Low, 2018).

Assumptions

In this research, I made the following assumptions. The first assumption was that

teacher participants answered research questions honestly and to their best ability to

ensure validity in research. The second assumption was that the teachers involved openly

and honestly discussed their collaborative perceptions and experiences in interviews to

safeguard authenticity. The last assumption was that secondary teachers accurately

described their experiences involving teaching and implanting digital strategies and

perceptions and descriptions of effective digital collaboration strategies among secondary

students. These assumptions had the capability of impacting the validity of this study.

Scope and Delimitations

This qualitative study was restricted to teachers who teach in secondary education.

Elementary schools (pre-K through 5th grade) were excluded from this study. Teachers

participating in this study had access to training involving technology use, 1:1 digital

devices in the classroom, and experience using collaborative software where students

collaborate while working on a digital activity. Secondary Title 1 schools that did not

meet these criteria were excluded from this study.

No teacher from schools other than Title 1 secondary schools was permitted to

participate in research. Those excluded from this study also included parents and

administrators of secondary school students. Chosen schools had 1:1 initiative since it is

conducive to digital collaboration. Any school without the proper infrastructure needed

for devices to work properly was ineligible.

This study focused on exploring the experiences of secondary teachers, who teach

in the rural mid-Atlantic region of the United States’ school districts, involving teaching

and implementing digital collaboration strategies. Piaget’s theory of cognitive

development was considered for this research; however, Piaget has little emphasis on

sociocultural context and Vygotsky’s cognitive development theory has strong

sociocultural significance (Devi, 2019). Piaget’s theory also focuses more on cognitive

development stages rather than Vygotsky’s zones of proximal development which

incorporates social learning rather than defined stages. Piaget’s theory also has a

cognitive constructivist base that learning is a mentally internal process where Siemens’

connectivism theory works in a social constructivism environment where the learning is a

social process (Siemens, 2005). This study focused on how secondary teachers they

perceive and describe effective digital collaboration strategies among students in the

classroom. These foci were used while applying Vygotsky’s social learning theory and

Siemens’ connectivism theory which have strong emphasis on social cultural context and

social constructivism to attain a shared goal.

The transferability of the findings from this study may advise future research on

effective strategies needed to teach students how to collaborate in digital environments.

This study explains the experiences and perceptions that secondary educators had while

working in digital activities and some of the strategies they found to be beneficial when

their students were working on an activity in the digital format. This study may also

provide insight into what skills may be needed at the elementary level and what skills

may be needed at the collegiate level.

Purposive snowball sampling was used to select participant secondary teachers. 13

teachers were chosen to meet saturation for this study. Semistructured interviews

involving Zoom as the online video meeting application were detailed, and questions

were explained and justified. Data were collected, and interviews were digitally

transcribed and securely stored. Data were analyzed in order to determine phrases,

patterns, and themes. Eight overarching themes and seven subthemes emerged from the

two research questions.

Limitations

Limitations are a part of all research projects and may weaken the integrity of a

study (Rahman, 2017). Data saturation was may, so additional use of secondary schools

in neighboring school districts across the rural mid-Atlantic region of the United States

was not necessary for this study. This limitation was because schools and school districts

in the US rural mid-Atlantic region are small. The last limitation was time constraints for

participants. This was due to busy schedules people have, which made it difficult to set

aside at least one hour of their time.

Significance

Even though there has been research on collaboration support between teachers,

there is a lack of research involving students collaborating with other students on digital

projects or activities. When preparing for future success in education, it is important to

build collaboration skills so they can be applied. The purpose of this basic qualitative

study was to explore secondary teacher experiences involving implementing digital

collaboration strategies and their perceptions of students’ development of digital

collaboration skills. Digital technologies have promoted collaboration skills that are

needed in future careers to ultimately benefit students as they move into the workplace.

Results of this study may lead to teachers increased understanding of collaboration

strategies used to provide students practice in terms of developing their digital

collaboration skills. Teachers’ experiences and perceptions provided insight regarding

teaching of digital collaboration skills and were used to inform teacher training. If

students’ digital collaboration skills improve, this might lead to positive social change by

improving student learning, leading, listening, and communicating as well as improving

their career and workforce readiness.

Summary

In this study, I addressed lack of research regarding what secondary education

teachers experience and perceive related to skills and strategies of students when they

collaborate with other students and are engaged in digital activities. In this basic

qualitative study, I explored experiences and perceptions of secondary education teachers

from the rural mid-Atlantic region of the US. I used Vygotsky’s social learning theory

and Siemens’ theory of connectivism. This can possibly lead to increased teacher

understanding of collaboration strategies used to provide students in order to practice

developing their digital collaboration skills.

Chapter 1 included an introduction and background of the study, problem and

purpose of research, research questions, conceptual framework, and nature of the study.

In Chapter 2, I provide research regarding collaboration skills, including communication,

analytical thinking, and problem solving.

Chapter 2: Literature Review

Introduction

The research problem is that it is not known what digital collaboration strategies

teachers implement nor how they perceive students’ ability to apply collaboration skills in

a digital environment. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore

secondary teachers’ experiences involving implementing digital collaboration strategies

and their perceptions of students’ development of digital collaboration skills. There is

current research that explores collaboration in face-to-face classrooms; however, digital

collaboration skills observed and needed in the classroom during a digital activity is

lacking in current research. Due to the increase of distance learning and virtual

classrooms, this research could be beneficial for planning collaborative digital activities.

This chapter includes literacy research strategies and a comprehensive review of

the conceptual frameworks. This is followed by a review of current literature addressing

themes within this qualitative study. I analyzed and explained current literature involving

secondary teachers’ experiences and perceptions of digital collaboration skills and

strategies among students. The chapter concludes with a summary of literature and a

review of gaps in knowledge involving teachers who work with students learning to

collaborate using digital activities.

Literature Search Strategy

This literature review is organized into six sections: the conceptual framework,

definitions and explanations of collaboration and digital collaboration as well as

secondary classroom collaboration skills and strategies. Searching strategies were used to

conduct the literature review. Google Scholar and Walden University’s library databases

were used for this research. The databases accessed were Academic Search Complete,

ERIC, Education Resources Complete, SAGE Journals, ProQuest, Dissertation and

Theses Database, and Thoreau.

In this study, I used the following search terms: secondary teacher experiences,

perceptions of digital collaboration skills and strategies, digital collaboration skills

among students, creative thinking skills, critical thinking skills, analytical thinking skills

collaboration in education, teamwork in education, cooperation in education, digital

activities in education, collaboration in careers, collaboration in society, 21st century

skills, 1:1 initiative, classroom technology, digital activities, digital tools, instructional

design, and multimedia. Sources were published between 2017 and 2020. After

peerreviewed articles and journals were compiled, citations were used to find pertinent

research. Search alerts via Google Scholar were created to ensure the most up-to-date

information was available for my research.

Conceptual Framework

The conceptual frameworks of this basic qualitative study were Vygotsky’s social

learning theory and Siemens’ connectivism theory. These theories were used to frame this

study because when cognition is shared between participants using digital resources,

learning occurs. Vygotsky's social learning theory and Siemens’ connectivism theory are

based on how collaboration benefits students while they are working with their peers and

how different methods used to transmit information led to learning.

Vygotsky’s Social Learning Theory

Vygotsky’s social learning theory was used to provide a perspective for data

analysis regarding how students collaborate with each other using digital activities.

Vygotsky’s theory is appropriate for this study because the theory is based on how

collaboration benefits students while working with someone possessing more abilities or

knowledge. Vygotsky’s social or cognitive theory has four major components: social

interaction where individuals interact to achieve a shared goal, more knowledgeable other

(MKO) where another individual who has more knowledge is part of the learning process

then, zone of proximal development is the space between what a learner can do without

assistance and what a learner can do with another individual that has more knowledge,

and learning drives development where the individual learns and that learning drives their

cognitive development so they can continue to learn (Nguyen, 2019; Vygotsky &

Kozulin, 1986).

The cognitive development of the student first takes place in social settings either

with a teacher modeling or a peer assisting with a concept. The student then internalizes

new knowledge from the social setting (Nguyen, 2019; Vygotsky & Kozulin, 1986).

Community plays a central role in the process of making meaning. Group members

should have different levels of ability (Sauers & McLeod, 2018).

Building on the theory of social interaction is Vygotsky’s concept of the MKO.

Vygotsky and Kozulin (1986) said the MKO could be a peer, teacher, coach, parent, or

content expert who simply has more knowledge or more advanced abilities than the

student. According to Vygotsky, students collaborate with MKOs to ensure social

interaction leads to learning and internalization of content. The social learning theory

suggests that students learn by observing others.

Another concept is the zone of proximal development. The zone of proximal

development is a two-stage process that starts with the capacity of the student to learn

through scaffolding of the concept. During the first stage, the student is assisted by the

MKO. For instance, the teacher may model a strategy to use in mathematics with the

student in a social setting. The student then enters stage 2 where he or she then takes what

was modeled and begins to process the same concept using the same strategy

independently.

Vygotsky and Kozulin (1986) said learning drives development, meaning the

student is able to learn by socially interacting with one or more individuals who possesses

ability or knowledge beyond what the student has acquired. The learning then leads to

internalization of the knowledge and the development of the skills needed to understand

the content is achieved (Nguyen, 2019; Vygotsky & Kozulin, 1986). This conclusion that

learning develops through social interaction is the underpinning of my study.

Vygotsky’s social learning theory was applied to my study by focusing on the

collaborative component in Vygotsky’s research. Collaboration between a student and

another that has either more ability or knowledge is the ideal situation for the

achievement of cognitive development. Once the student learns from the more

knowledgeable other, they are able to internalize this new knowledge and be able to give

evidence of their new understanding (Nguyen, 2019; Vygotsky & Kozulin, 1986).

Applying Vygotsky’s social learning theory and analyzing the strategies students use in

collaborating on digital activities yielded data that was explored. This research analyzed

collaboration skills while looking through the lens of Vygotsky’s social learning theory.

Previous research applying Vygotsky’s social learning theory covers topics such

as: overall learning (Silalahi, 2019), achievement programs (O'Bryan, 2019), mathematics

education (Roth, 2020), clinical instruction (Kantar et al., 2020), and coping skills

(Shillabeer, 2019). This previous research has several similarities. The similarities start

with Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development meaning that there is an area in learning

where learning can almost be achieved alone but may be achieved with assistance,

extending Piaget’s perspective on how learning occurs (Roth, 2020). Piaget explains that

learning happens as a constructive process that happens when one is alone where

Vygotsky explains that learning happens as a constructive process that happens when one

is learning in a social environment (Devi, 2019). This is essentially developing someone’s

learning potential by increasing their socialization and creating relationships with others

to learn (Shillabeer, 2019; Silalahi, 2019). The methods used to accomplish this learning

designs scaffolding of the lessons using more capable peers as collaborators to blend the

learning between the collaborators (O’Bryan, 2019). Using pairing of students in

collaborative learning environments supports the development of the students by teaching

beyond the student’s ability meaning that when putting students in groups where they are

no longer independent but will learn together, based on Vygotsky’s theory, they will learn

beyond what they could alone (Kantar et al., 2020). The current study, to explore

secondary teachers’ experiences and perceptions of digital collaboration skills and

strategies among students, benefits from this framework based on Vygotsky’s emphasis

on the collaborative nature of learning by the construction of knowledge through social

dialogue.

Siemens’ Connectivism Theory

Siemens (2005) said learning occurs when the following happens: it is distributed

within a network and is social, it is technologically enhanced, recognized, and patterns

are interpreted. Diversity of networks is a factor that influences learning. For example,

Google Workplace, formerly known as Google Suite, is a tool that transforms static

lesson delivery with game-based activities, formative assessments, and student

collaboration to enhance learning experiences on any device.

The history of connectivism goes back to the early 2000’s when Siemens (2005)

realized that current theories were too limiting to explain how technology is changing our

global knowledge base and how to discern which information is important and which is

not. This need led to the idea that knowledge exists everywhere, using multiple

modalities to convey that knowledge, which can be accessed and organized by the learner

(Siemens, 2005). In this study, connectivism theory was used as a lens that is applied

using digital tools such the internet.

Technology has become a major component in educational systems (Woodrich &

Yanan, 2017). Connectivism integrate technology into learning by bringing the

technology into the classroom. This learning uses networks of information, such as the

internet, to connect the learner with the information that is available (Waks, 2018). When

these networks are used in a collaborative manner, learning can be more effective

(Siemens, 2005; Vygotsky & Kozulin, 1986).

There are several principles of connectivism including connecting students with

information sources. These sources can include video storage resource such as YouTube

and other digital information sources such as museum sites and shared University

databases (Dogtiev, 2019). It also indicates decision making as part of the learning

process which enhances problem solving skills. This decision-making is part deciding

which resources are valid and useful as well as decision that need to be made to achieve

shared goals (Siemens, 2005).

Vygotsky’s social learning theory and Siemens’ connectivism theory are

appropriate for this study because these theories are based on how collaboration benefits

students while they are working with their peers and how different methods used to

transmit information leads to learning. Vygotsky’s theory may provide a perspective for

data analysis on how students collaborate with each other using digital activities.

Applying this theory and analyzing the teachers’ perceptions and experiences while

students collaborate on digital activities may yield findings that could lead to researchers

compiling strategies that can be used to benefit secondary educators and the students.

Connectivism is a newly developed theory of learning that started within the blogosphere

in 2005 and from there has been and continues to be, developed into a learning theory for

the digital age (Siemens, 2005). Moreover, Vygotsky’s social learning theory is similar to

Siemens connectivism theory in that they both acknowledge the importance of gaining

understanding from entities that are more knowledgeable. In Vygotsky’s theory it was a

peer or teacher and in Siemens’ theory it would include the internet. These theories in

education show the development of connections as a way to gain knowledge.

Literature Review Related to Key Concepts

I have organized the literature review into subtopics relevant to my research. First

of all, collaboration and collaboration skills are needed to be successful in the classroom.

Next, 21st century skills are explored due to their importance in the academic world as

well has the career field. I also discussed the connection between communication and

collaboration as it pertains to digital collaboration. I examined the research on critical and

analytical thinking skills as well as collaborative groups and problem-solving skills.

Collaboration and Collaboration Skills

Collaboration is defined as when two or more people work together on a shared

goal or task (Vance & Smith, 2018). The construct of collaboration applied to secondary

education is to work together to achieve common goals with the purpose of enhancing all

participants’ learning in a classroom setting (Li et al., 2017). A study by Zarrinabadi and

Ebrahimi shows that collaboration has been a necessary part of society since the

beginning of time to reach goals (Zarrinabadi & Ebrahimi, 2019). As several researchers

have found, collaboration is a key component in society due to the utilization of

technology to collaborate on shared tasks (Amaia, 2017; Boyu, 2017; Hill, 2017; Hughes

et al., 2018).

A synopsis of current literature reveals that teachers assign group work in school

classrooms across the country, but collaboration skills may not be developed (Zarrinabadi

& Ebrahimi, 2019). Moreover, most students did not know how to work together

effectively (Engeness & Edwards, 2017). This leads this researcher to believe that group

work in the school may not mean that students are collaborating. Edwards’ research

shows that students in secondary education need to develop communication and

collaboration skills to be successful (Engeness & Edwards, 2017). Collectively these

studies show that collaboration is an important skill within educational activities.

Qualitative research methodologies were applied in the aforementioned research which

coincides with my chosen qualitative design. The scope of my study was to focus on the

experiences and perceptions of my participants while collaborating as is consistent with

this research where the researchers looked for their participants experiences when

students work together to learn.

Researchers who have studied collaboration skills have some inherent strengths

and weaknesses in their approaches. As discussed above, the research is qualitative in

design with the focus being on the experiences and perceptions of the participants. The

strengths of this method are that it; is good for examining experiences and feelings

towards collaboration, allows in-depth exploration of collaboration, and provides insights

into how collaboration can affect learning. Some inherent weaknesses are that; it cannot

extrapolate to a much larger population, the volume of the data is limited due to

saturation, and the possibility of time-consuming data collection methods (Rahman, 2017;

Ravitch & Carl, 2015; Strauss & Corbin, 1990).

Collaboration skills allow an individual to successfully work toward a common

goal with others. Collaboration is just one of many skills needed to be successful in future

academia, future careers, and being part of society (LaDuca et al., 2019). According to

Rahman (2019) collaboration is a necessary 21st-century skill that enable people to

accomplish shared goals in diverse teams. This research justifies the rationale for

selecting collaboration as a key concept in the scope of this study. Many theorists have

iterated the importance of collaboration skills. According to Dean and East (2019) for

society to progress through the 21st century, collaboration is needed for a cohesive and

productive world. Therefore, since there is an increase in technology-based instruction in

the classroom where the internet and collaborative tools are available for students to use,

collaboration becomes even more necessary and important (De Vita et al., 2018). After

reviewing and synthesizing these studies a clear description of collaboration has been

formed however it also necessitated narrowing the scope of the search of key concepts

related to the research questions. The concept of digital collaboration is working together

using digital technologies. Products from Google Suites such as Google Docs, Google

Slides, Google Sheets and Google Forms as well as products from Microsoft Suite such

as Word, Excel and Power Point are used for collaboration to accomplish a common goal

or purpose (Heggart & Yoo, 2018). According to White (2018) classified research on

classroom activities can take the form of an individual activity, a small group activity, or

a large group activity. According to Wardani et al. (2019), even though research explains

the needs for skills that enhance collaboration, the need to use these skills during digital

activities is significant to prepare students for a future in a competitive global economy.

The literature also rationalizes the need to research communication skills.

Collaboration is just one part of the 21st Century skills that are needed for

success. According to Androutsos and Brinia (2019), there are many skills needed to be

able to collaborate such as being able to competently communicate. Communication

skills must be developed and implemented to be successful in a global community (Vance

& Smith, 2018). For this reason, it was selected as a variable within the conceptual

framework. Vygotsky believed that language develops from social interactions, for

communication purposes. Vygotsky viewed language as man’s greatest tool, a means of

communicating with the outside world (Sauers & McLeod, 2018). There are several

different methods to communicate including but not limited to written and digital

correspondence, electronic messages, and presentations either oral or through video

(Hughes et al., 2018). The connection between communication and collaboration is strong

in that communication skills are needed to be able to collaborate (Vance & Smith, 2018).

However, the communication must be developed, signifying that the method of

communication must be chosen based on the needs of the individuals involved. If the

group has all the criteria, such as infrastructure, experience using differing

communication devices, and technological skills, then they can communicate to decide on

which is the best method for all involved (Steyn, 2017). This reinforces the need for

certain skill sets in society and careers specifically including collaboration skills

(Androutsos & Brinia, 2019). All things considered, communication is the efficacy of

effective digital communication skills, and it relates to the basic qualitative study

exploring secondary teacher experiences and perceptions of digital collaboration skills

and strategies among students.

Other elements important to the conceptual framework and scope of the study are

critical thinking and analytical thinking. A 21st Century skill, critical thinking involves

asking appropriate questions gathering and creatively sorting through relevant

information. From a Vygotskian perspective, critical thinking skills are taught through

social interactions between most knowledgeable other, most often the teacher, and the

student. Critical thinking skills also incorporate systematic thinking where thinking

through a problem step by step is needed. Secondly, effective analyzing and evaluating is

needed within the critical thinking skill. The evidence from the reasoning is not only

analyzed but also evaluated, to fully understand and start to make some conclusions on

what has happened or what the issue is. Next, making connections allows for one to start

to fully understand what has happened and begin to plan out the next step. This is usually

done in a group with a collaborative goal of coming up with the solution to the problem

or situation. These skills are integral to being able to collaborate with others with the

shared goal in mind (Turvey & Hayler, 2017). Considering the need for collaboration in a

21st century classroom, research has explored how technology has changed and molded

collaboration in the classroom as well as the need for those skills to then be part of

business (Pifarré, 2019). Analytical thinking is focusing on what needs to be done, step

by step, in an activity (Deringöl, 2019). By analyzing what steps need to be taken by the

participants, their creativity is needed to come up with a plan to accomplish the goal of

the activity. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to determine secondary

teachers’ experiences and perceptions of digital collaboration skills among students. It is

important for the teacher to know and understand how their students think these two

concepts are important elements in this study.

When the teacher creates their collaborative groups, understanding the thinking

skills their students have will help facilitate a successful collaborative activity (Martin,

2019). When applied to collaboration, critical, analytical, and creative thinking skills are

imperative skill to be successful while collaborating. Skills such as communication,

thinking skills, and problem solving are meaningful skills in the construct of

collaboration.

Creative thinking and problem solving are natural by-products of critical thought.

For this reason, creative thinking and problem solving were selected as elements of the

phenomenon related to be studied. The scope of this basic qualitative study to explore

secondary teacher experiences and perceptions of digital collaboration skills and

strategies among students. This approach has been formalized as creative problem solving

(CPS). CPS is a method for tackling a problem or a challenge in an imaginative and

innovative way (Hardy et al., 2017). The role of creativity in this research is the use of

original ideas to accomplish a shared goal.

When students are collaborating, there is a need for them to be creative in the

roles they take when working (Harper, 2018; Schmoelz, 2018). These roles range from

framing the task they are working on, overcoming technological challenges, engaging in

generating shared ideas, making connections within intrasubject ideas, evaluation of

ideas, and making these ideas a reality with the shared goal (Pifarré, 2019). According to

Puente‐Diaz and Cavazos‐Arroyo (2019), these roles based on the individual students’

creative abilities is facilitated by the teacher to best meet the needs of the students and to

ensure success with the activity.

Problem solving skills use analytical thinking to complete a shared goal.

According to Rahman (2019) knowledge is not sufficient to make students successful,

they need to be able to problem solve in collaborative situations. Therefore, when

students are collaborating on a shared activity there will be decisions that need to be

made to complete the task. These decisions are considered problems that need to be

surmounted by the students in a collaborative manner. According to Rahman, (2019)

there are several steps in problem solving. The first step is to identify the problem that

needs to be dealt with and then its causes. After these sessions, students choose the best

solution from the brainstorming event. When the best solution is chosen, it is time to

implement the plan and evaluate the success or failure of the solution (Rahman, 2019).

Creativity in the solutions generated by the students is needed for effective collaboration.

Vygotsky’s theory of creative imagination explains that imagination may be used

in CPS in art and science (Skorc, 2019). It also discussed a convergence between

imagination and thinking in concepts which occurs during adolescence and matures in the

creative thinking of the adult. Therefore, this concept is relevant to the conceptual

framework of this basic qualitative study due to the connection to Vygotsky’s social

learning theory.

Collaboration skills are needed in careers so individuals can come together and

share information, share responsibilities, and make group decisions where technology is

used to connect people. These skills lead to making products, providing services,

negotiating deals, coordinating projects, offering advice, and making decisions (Wardani

et al., 2019). Globally the technology being used to collaborate is vast and includes the

fax machine, pagers, email, instant messaging, mobile phones, text messages, social

networking, video conferencing and multiple other devices and platforms to connect

people to work together. Pew surveys analyzed the use of these tools, and the following

percentages explain those that stated that these methods are very important to their

careers, 61% email, 54% internet, 35% landline phones, 24% mobile technologies, and

4% social networking (Anderson & Jiang, 2020). The career aspect of collaboration is

very similar to academia. In academia, all the above devices can also be used to

collaborate. Therefore, this demonstrates the importance of collaboration in school so

these skills can be learned and applied in diverse and differing situations.

What is known about Vygotsky’s social learning theory is that students tend to

learn better in a social environment rather than learning alone. Interactions with others

while learning a task, working towards a goal, or simply the development of cognition

within the zone of proximal development increases the amount an individual can learn

despite their genetics (Vygotsky & Kozulin, 1986). On the contrary, Piaget explains that

learning happens in stages and individuals cannot learn more than their genetics allows

them to learn, even if in collaborative learning groups (Burke, 2020; Wallace, 2020).

Vygotsky’s ideas and Piaget’s ideas do share constructivist structures which means they

both feel that knowledge is built upon previously known facts, however, Vygotsky adds

the social component to building knowledge where Piaget does not. Vygotsky also feels

that working within a social environment they are in continuous cognitive development

with no limitations and Piaget explains that there are four discrete stages, and that

cognitive development is limited by those stages.

Vygotsky’s social learning theory was not without its controversies. Vygotsky

argued that in education, students’ abilities to solve problems should be assessed and not

their acquired knowledge; this is fundamentally different then our current assessment

system (Chaiklin, 2003). This argument has received more criticism since this makes

Vygotsky appear overly optimistic in his perceptions of one’s abilities. Some further

controversies with Vygotsky’s ideas are that he does not consider gender in his studies

and under emphasizes the individual learner (Feldman & Fowler, 1997). Vygotsky’s

informal research methods, due to the qualitative nature of his research, cannot be

projected to cover large populations (Crawford, 1996). Quantitative research of

Vygotsky’s ideas may be able to extend his ideas to larger populations and by adding

demographics to his research could increase validity and reliability due to the nature of

quantitative research rather than qualitative (Crawford, 1996). The lack of current

research in the discipline reveals a need to further investigate the skills sets needed for

digital collaboration skills through the lens of teachers’ experiences and perceptions.

After careful review of the studies closely related to the research questions of this

basic qualitative study one would conclude that secondary teachers may assign group

work in classrooms across the country, but collaboration skills are essential to being not

only a good student but also a productive member of a global society. Conversely, many

studies show that collaboration skills including communication, thinking skills, and

problem-solving skills are imperative to success in a global technological society. It is not

known how secondary teachers from rural mid-Atlantic schools perceive and describe

effective digital collaboration strategies among students. It is also not known what

experiences and perceptions secondary students have about collaboration skills among

students, Given the research questions, a basic qualitative approach was selected as the

most meaningful approach because it involves collecting and analyzing non-numerical

data to explore experiences, perceptions, and opinions.

Summary and Conclusions

The purpose of this literature review was to provide background to this basic

qualitative study which explored secondary teacher experiences and perceptions of digital

collaboration skills and strategies among students. The review of the literature provided

insight into the various frameworks applied to collaboration, digital collaboration in the

classroom, collaboration skills, communication skills, critical and analytical thinking,

problems solving, creativity, and leadership. In this review of digital tools in secondary

education and digital collaboration in secondary classrooms were investigated. In this

section literature on the social learning theory by Vygotsky and the Connectivism Theory

by Siemens were evaluated. Common themes where collaboration is important in

secondary education, digital collaboration is increasing in classrooms, collaboration skills

need to be taught and practiced in the classroom, there are many digital tools available to

students with many new ones being developed, and teachers need to embrace technology

to properly implement digital collaboration in the classroom.

I researched teachers’ experiences and perceptions of digital collaboration skills

and strategies among students. This study filled the gap in research where there was

minimal research on secondary teacher experiences and perceptions of collaboration

skills and strategies used by their students when collaborating in digital activities. In

Chapter 3, I addressed the design and rationale of a qualitative interview study method. I

also identified the study population in addition to the procedures for collecting and

analyzing the data. Chapter 3 methodology is consistent with a qualitative study seeking

to understand the teachers’ experiences and perceptions of collaboration skills and

strategies used by their students when collaborating in digital activities.

Chapter 3: Research Method

Introduction

The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore secondary teacher

experiences involving implementing digital collaboration strategies and their perceptions

of students’ development of digital collaboration skills. This chapter includes the research

design, my role as the researcher, and methodology, followed by a detailed description of

participants, instrumentation, and data analysis. Finally, Chapter 3 includes issues of

trustworthiness, ethical procedures, and a transitional summary leading to Chapter 4.

Research Design and Rationale

The research questions that guided this study were based on experiences and

collaboration strategies of secondary teachers. I addressed the following research

questions:

RQ1: What are secondary teachers’ experiences in terms of teaching and

implementing digital collaboration strategies?

RQ2: How do secondary teachers perceive and describe effective digital

collaboration strategies among secondary students?

Merriam and Tisdell (2016) said the purpose of the basic qualitative research

method is “to understand how people make sense of their lives and their experiences” (p.

24). Furthermore, for a basic qualitative study, the researcher collects data from peoples’

experiences to understand interpretations of those experiences (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).

Basic qualitative studies involve using an inductive strategy to analyze patterns or

common themes. A basic qualitative study is descriptive in nature, meaning that the

researcher describes common themes that explain the phenomena (Rahman, 2017;

Ravitch & Carl, 2015; Strauss & Corbin, 1990).

The in-depth interview method was used to obtain rich and contextualized

information from teachers. Experiences and perceptions of secondary education teachers

were used to develop collaborative strategies. Those strategies can then be used to

enhance classroom instruction.

Three qualitative designs (phenomenology, grounded theory, and case study) were

considered for use in this study. A phenomenological approach involves focusing on

individual experiences of the world and interpretations of events (Alase, 2017). The

phenomenological approach was not chosen for this study because this study was

designed to explore teachers’ experiences and perceptions of digital collaboration skills

and strategies among students and not the essence of their shared experiences. Moreover,

the phenomenological study is suited for studying effective, emotional, and often intense

human experiences (Moustakas, 1994). However, this study was used to address

strategies and techniques teachers are using in secondary classrooms to facilitate students

collaborating using digital tools.

Grounded theory involve generating or discovering a theory for a process or

action involving a specific situation (Strauss & Corbin, 1990). This approach was also not

chosen for this study. This study involves how teachers perceive and describe effective

digital collaboration strategies among secondary students and not theories or processes.

Using the grounded theory may generate predictions of experiences, and this research

does not involve predicting experiences but finding themes within secondary teachers’

experiences.

A case study is designed to limit bias by collecting accurate data. The data

analyzer may choose what to define as a fact and what is not. The case study approach

was not chosen due to the chance of turning opinions into facts due to unconscious bias.

Case studies also involve focusing on a phenomenon by analyzing data from an

individual person, event, or institution. This study involved analyzing multiple secondary

teachers across differing institutions to compile data.

Role of the Researcher

For this basic qualitative research, I served as the interviewer who accessed

experiences and perceptions of secondary teachers as well as perceptions of digital

collaboration skills and strategies among students. As the researcher, I am a human

instrument that collects data taking my own biases, assumptions, expectations, and

experiences into account and ensuring my ability to collect data with minimal bias. I took

more of an etic role since I was a researcher rather than emic.

My role as the sole researcher was to interview participants for this basic

qualitative approach with fidelity. I have taught others how to use technology and digital

tools in the classroom to engage and teach students. This has been done at secondary and

collegiate levels. My experience and expertise gave me a better understanding of

potential strategies and techniques teachers use for digital activities. I did not have

personal or professional relationships with participants because they were chosen from

US rural mid-Atlantic Title I schools outside of my district that met participant selection

criteria. Data were collected outside of my current school building. This was done to

avoid supervisory or instructor power over participants.

Methodology

In this section, I explain the methodology used to conduct this research so

researchers can replicate this study. Participant selection logic, data instrumentation,

procedures for recruitment, participation, and data collection are discussed. Additionally,

a data analysis plan involved connection of data to research questions, types of and

procedures for coding, and treatment of discrepant cases. This was completed in a

credible, transferable, dependable, confirmable, and ethical manner.

Participant Selection Logic

In this basic qualitative study, the population was secondary teachers from U.S.

rural mid-Atlantic Title I schools that have a 1:1 digital device initiative where each

student has their own device to allow for collaboration and digital activities. The school

itself also had to have the proper infrastructure needed for devices to work properly and

access to information and digital tools while in the classroom. Purposive snowball

sampling was used to select participants and schools for this basic qualitative study.

Purposive snowball sampling is a simple and low-cost method that allows for studies to

take place when populations may be difficult to attain. Snowball sampling consisted of

two steps: the first step was to identify potential participants within the population, and

then those participants were asked to recruit other people and until there were sufficient

participants to complete the study.

All participants were teachers located in the mid-Atlantic region of the Unites

States and teach in secondary classrooms that had access to training involving technology

usage and 1:1 digital devices and experience using collaborative software where students

collaborate using digital activities. Schools were selected from an approved district that

met the requirements of the research problem, purpose, and research questions. To

establish how participants are known to meet this criterion, an email communication was

sent to the appropriate school district contact person who connected me with the initial

volunteer to which the sampling process begins. The initial volunteer assisted with

recruiting participants in a snowball sampling method.

Determining the sample size of this study depended on several factors, including

the depth and breadth of the research questions, the number of interviews being

conducted, and the purpose of the study (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016; Patton, 2015). This

study needed ten to twelve for saturation of emergent themes (Dworkin, 2012; Noy,

2008; Strauss & Corbin, 1990). With thirteen in-depth interviews, I was able to explore

the individual perceptions and experiences of the teachers to gain rich and abundant data

(Legard et al., 2003). The in-depth interview is a common qualitative research technique

that utilizes a small number of participants to explore their experiences and perceptions of

a particular phenomenon; in this study that phenomena is the teachers’ experiences and

perceptions of digital collaboration skills and strategies among their students when

working on a digital activity (Strauss & Corbin, 1990). The goal of the interview is to

gain a detailed picture of the phenomena.

The relationship between saturation and sample size in basic qualitative research

is to find the balance between the number of participants and new information being

gathered. Data saturation means that data should be collected until there are few or no

surprises in the data and no more patterns or themes are emerging from the data (Mason,

2010). Using purposive snowball sampling, 13 participants yielded sufficient data to

generate data saturation.

Instrumentation

The data collection instrument used for this qualitative study was an interview

protocol created by the researcher. The interview protocol included several items to make

sure the content is valid. I used a basic qualitative approach where I conducted

semistrutured interviews utilizing Zoom as the online video meeting application. I then

had the audio transcribed into text to gain understandings (Patton, 2015).

Interview Protocol

The validity of the interview protocols was addressed by structing my research

questions based on Vygotsky’s and Siemens theories on social learning with the use of

technology to collaboratively work together through the lens of teachers’ experiences and

perceptions in the secondary classroom. My dissertation committee assisted me in

ensuring that my interview protocols and research questions aligned and appropriate for

this study.

Collaboration experiences and perceptions in digital activities among secondary

education teachers is the primary focus of this qualitative study. Vygotsky’s social

learning theory and Siemens’ connectivism theory influenced the creation of the

interview protocols by sharing cognition between the participants of the study and when

that sharing took place, learning occurred. The interviews were also technologically

based, using Zoom as a recording platform which coincided with using technology to

enhance learning as in Siemen’s connectivism theory. The research questions focused on

the teacher experiences and perceptions which made the semi-structured interview format

ideal since the data would be open-ended and exploration of the participants thoughts

were needed to establish trends and themes (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).

The interview protocols were included in the main questions (see Appendix A)

that provide the scaffolding of the interview and follow up questions that explore the

interviewer’s answers to obtain further depth and detail (Rubin et al., 2020). The follow

up questions were used to clarify examples and clarify concepts and themes that are being

developed. To ensure sufficiency of the data collection instrument, the interview

questions were designed to have open-ended responses rather than simply yes or no

responses to allow for deeper exploration of information (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). I

used purposive snowball sampling to obtain my 13 participants which yielded sufficient

data to generate data saturation. I created 2 research questions with 13 interview

questions to sufficiently address the research questions, as per Merriam & Tisdell (2016).

The interview questions were based on the research questions and the conceptual

framework of this study.

According to Merriam and Tisdell (2016), there are many benefits to

semistructured interviews which have a flexible structure. Semistructured interview

questions can be prepared ahead of time to assist with keeping the respondents on topic

and follow up questions during the interview can created and asked during the interview

which allows for deeper exploration of the participants experiences and perceptions as

well as increasing the validity of the research by having the initial framework established

for all participants. A fully structured interview will not allow for deeper exploration of

perceptions and experiences of the participants. Since deeper exploration was needed, a

pilot study was not conducted due to a pilot study being used to test the design of the

study for potential later research and not an in-depth study from the beginning (Dean,

2007). Another benefit of semistructured interviews by encouraging two-way

communication are open-ended responses from the participants that are more in-depth in

nature so emerging ideas will come forth where more specific questions will not yield the

reasons behind the responses and emerging ideas will not be discussed (Merriam &

Tisdell, 2016).

The validity of this research was addressed by structuring the research questions

based on Vygotsky’s and Siemens theories of social learning with the use of technology

to collaboratively work together through the lens of teachers’ experiences and perceptions

in the secondary classroom. Throughout my dissertation process, a panel of experts, my

dissertation committee, assisted me in ensuring that my research questions aligned with

my study. Using the semistructured interview protocols with the same base interview

questions based on the research questions made this research more valid and replicable

for future research. By interviewing 13 participants, this research met saturation which

achieved sufficiency of data collection to answer the research questions

(Noy, 2008).

Table 1

Research and Interview Questions

Research Questions Interview Questions

Question #1: What are secondary teacher

experiences and perceptions of digital

collaboration skills among students?

● When your students collaborate in

digital activities, which

collaboration programs/software

do you use and why? Such as

Google Suite and/or Microsoft

Suite