A Case Study of One-to-One Mobile Teaching and Learning Environments Measuring Creativity in a Rural Elementary School in Deep South Texas

Author

• David Warren Hernandez, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Date of Award

5-1-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Curriculum & Instruction

First Advisor

Pauli Badenhorst

Second Advisor

Maria Elena Corbeil

Third Advisor

Ming Tsan-Lu

Abstract

This qualitative case study examined how creativity is enacted within rural one-to-one mobile teaching and learning environments in Deep South Texas. Grounded in the frameworks of mobile learning affordances (Klopfer et al., 2002), the Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, and the SAMR model, the study explored how instructional practices, student agency, and contextual conditions influenced creative learning experiences in an elementary school setting. Data were collected from five elementary teachers at a rural South Texas district and included semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and samples of student-created artifacts. Data analysis followed a systematic process of first-cycle coding, second-cycle axial coding, and selective coding to identify cross-case themes and core categories.

Findings revealed that creativity was not incidental but intentionally designed through multimodal task redesign, student choice, collaborative learning structures, and authentic, situated experiences. Teachers leveraged mobile technologies to transform traditional assignments into opportunities for student-centered expression and inquiry. Creativity also functioned as an equity-enabling practice, expanding participation for multilingual learners and students with diverse academic needs through multiple expressive pathways. Infrastructure reliability and sustained professional learning emerged as foundational supports that enabled these practices. The study contributes to the literature by demonstrating how creativity in rural one-to-one environments is designed pedagogically, enacted through student agency, and sustained by contextual and equity-focused conditions. Implications are offered for instructional leadership, professional learning design, and rural technology implementation.

Comments

Copyright 2026 David Warren Hernandez. All Rights Reserved. https://proquest.com/docview/3371414222

Recommended Citation

Hernandez, D. W. (2026). A Case Study of One-to-One Mobile Teaching and Learning Environments Measuring Creativity in a Rural Elementary School in Deep South Texas [Doctoral dissertation, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley]. ScholarWorks @ UTRGV. https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/etd/1956