EdTech Context Inventory

Abstract

The EdTech Context Inventory (ECI), developed by Kohler, Elreda, and Tindle in 2023, is a robust collection of ten distinct measurement instruments designed to systematically assess various contextual features critical to the successful implementation of educational technology (EdTech) within educational settings. The inventory’s development relied on a rigorous methodology that synthesized extensive literature reviews, original empirical research, and the specialized knowledge of key stakeholders, including the core steering committee of the EdTech Genome Project. This process identified ten specific, crucial context features: Vision for Teaching & Learning, Infrastructure & Operations, Selection Processes, Implementation Systems & Processes, Teacher Agency, Strategic Leadership Support, Staff Culture, Teacher Beliefs & Knowledge, Professional Learning, and Competing Priorities.

For each of these features, dedicated expert working groups were established to formulate precise definitions and draft corresponding measurement instruments. These groups ensured the face validity of the scales by actively engaging experts in the composition and critical review of items and definitions for each construct. Validation data were collected from two separate educator samples, and subsequent analyses confirmed the instruments’ appropriate factor structure, high reliability, and strong validity, although the authors noted the reliance on self-reporting as a key limitation for future research consideration.

Keywords

Educational Technology Implementation, Context Features, School Environment, Teacher Attitudes, Teacher Agency, Strategic Leadership Support, Infrastructure & Operations, Selection Processes, Face Validity, Construct Validity, Factor Analysis, Educational Measures.

Authors

Kohler, Emily A., Elreda, Lauren Molloy, Tindle, Kate

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Purpose

The primary purpose of the instruments comprising the EdTech Context Inventory is to generate comprehensive and detailed profiles of an educational district’s environment regarding educational technology implementation. By quantifying these contextual features, the inventory serves as a diagnostic tool for researchers and administrators.

Beyond research, the inventory possesses significant practical application, enabling districts to identify specific areas of weakness or strength. This detailed contextual understanding facilitates the provision of targeted support to educators, ultimately promoting more effective and sustainable integration of EdTech tools and practices within the classroom environment.

Construct

The central construct measured by the inventory is the Educational Technology Implementation Context. This is not a single construct but rather a multidimensional framework encompassing ten distinct, yet interrelated, features identified as crucial determinants of successful EdTech adoption and utilization. These ten features span organizational, systemic, and individual factors, providing a holistic view of the environment in which technology is deployed.

Validity

The construct validity of the EdTech Context Inventory was systematically evaluated by analyzing the correlational relationships between the ten different scales. The results demonstrated a wide range of correlations, reflecting the theoretical independence and interdependence of the context features.

For instance, correlations varied significantly, from a low coefficient of 0.32 observed between the Selection Processes scale and the Teacher Beliefs & Knowledge scale, to a high correlation of 0.82 between the Vision for Teaching & Learning scale and the Strategic Leadership Support scale. These varied correlations support the notion that while some context features are closely aligned (e.g., leadership and instructional vision), others operate more independently within the educational system. Furthermore, the rigorous development process involving expert working groups ensured initial face validity.

Reliability

The internal consistency, a crucial aspect of reliability, was rigorously assessed for all scales within the inventory using two psychometric measures: Cronbach’s Alpha and McDonald’s Omega. The results provided strong evidence of reliability, with the values for both statistical metrics consistently exceeding the threshold of 0.80 across all ten scales. This high degree of internal consistency suggests that the items within each instrument reliably measure their intended underlying feature of the EdTech implementation context.

Factor Analysis

Both Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were employed during the validation process. The EFAs generally supported the initial theoretical model, demonstrating that instrument items loaded cleanly onto the number of theorized factors, with minimal evidence of cross-loadings across different factors.

While the EFA results maintained consistency with the initial theoretical factor count for each instrument, they did suggest minor refinements regarding the grouping of certain items or slight adjustments to the theorized factors themselves. Subsequent CFAs, conducted within a Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) framework, confirmed that each of the ten instruments possessed a factor structure ranging between three and six specific factors. The final instruments are concise yet comprehensive, containing between 8 and 24 items each.

Instrument

Test Type: Original

Format: The EdTech Context Inventory is designed for electronic administration. Nine of the ten instruments utilize a 5-point Likert scale response format. Educators respond to statements by indicating their level of agreement (where 1 represents Strongly Disagree and 5 represents Strongly Agree) or the frequency of an occurrence (where 1 represents Never and 5 represents Always). Crucially, the instruments are designed to assess the broader contextual environment for technology, rather than the implementation success of a single, specific technology tool. Each of the ten instruments can be administered and utilized independently.

Language Available: English

Population Group: Human; Male; Female

Age Group: Adulthood (18 yrs & older)

Population Details: The respondents used for the development and validation of the inventory were educators located across the United States.

Test Methodology: The development and rigorous validation of this instrument involved multiple advanced psychometric methodologies, including Test Validity, Construct Validity, Test Reliability, Internal Consistency, Factor Analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Exploratory Factor Analysis, and Structural Equation Modeling.

Keywords

Education Technology Implementation, Educational Personnel, School Environment, Teacher Attitudes, Teacher Characteristics, Teaching Methods, Technology, Human Technology Interaction, Professional Learning, Teacher Agency.

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Authors

• Kohler, Emily A.

  • Author ORCID Identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0470-0891

  • Affiliation: University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development

  • Email: [email protected]

• Elreda, Lauren Molloy

  • Author ORCID Identifier: No data is Available

  • Affiliation: University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development

  • Email: No data is Available

• Tindle, Kate

  • Author ORCID Identifier: No data is Available

  • Affiliation: EdTech Evidence Exchange

  • Email: No data is Available

• Correspondence Address: Kohler, Emily A.: University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, [email protected]

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The EdTech Context Inventory was developed and validated in 2023. To obtain permission to use this research instrument, interested parties must contact the corresponding author, Emily A. Kohler. Importantly, there is No fee required for the use of this instrument, but it is explicitly stated that the instrument is not for commercial use.

Reference’s

Kohler, E. A., Elreda, L. M., & Tindle, K. (2023). EdTech context inventory: Factor analyses for ten instruments to measure edtech implementation context features. Computers & Education, 195, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2022.104709

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Items of the EdTech Context Inventory

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

This measure includes a total of 188 items across the ten instruments. The specific test items are not available in the provided documentation.