The implementation of e-tutoring in secondary schools: A diffusion study

While technology use is becoming ever more ubiquitous in society, there are times when even the most useful of technologies faces non-adoption for a variety of contextual reasons. Educational institutions are increasingly relying on online academic support services such as e-tutoring to balance rising demands for public accountability over standardized testing with decreasing budgets. This study explores the context of an e-tutoring service that has experienced a relatively low adoption rate in a school district in Eastern Ontario, Canada. The study proposes a model, based on the results of a mixed-methods diffusion study, for the effective implementation of the service; results indicate that this model is significantly correlated with the adoption of e-tutoring. Implications for the integration of educational technologies in secondary education, especially in relation to e-tutoring, are discussed.

► This paper proposes a model for implementing e-tutoring in secondary schools. ► A concurrent mixed-methods design was used. ► Data were collected from N = 304 surveys, as well as focus groups and interviews. ► Analyses show the model is significantly correlated with e-tutoring's adoption.