Rural High School Faculty Perspectives on Bring Your Own Device Implementation: A Phenomenological Study

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the experiences and perceptions of faculty members who recently implemented Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) in a rural high school in Georgia. Many students bring electronic devices to school despite policies banning or limiting their possession and use. Some schools have recently implemented BYOD guidelines that allow the use of these devices to enhance the learning environment. In-depth interviews, participant journals, and a concluding focus group discussion were used to better understand the lived experiences of the faculty members during their transition to BYOD. Themes discovered through the data indicated that a lack of adequate faculty preparation for BYOD contributed to difficulty in managing the transition during the first year of mandatory implementation. The re-evaluation and changes in BYOD policy between year one and year two made BYOD implementation voluntary and empowered the participants to adapt to BYOD through a process of trial and error and ongoing adjustments.