Professional development for digital competencies in early childhood education and care. A systematic review

Digitalisation places new demands on the early childhood education and care (ECEC) workforce to navigate the care and well-being of children in the digital age. This literature review examines frameworks for digital competencies (DC) in education, with a focus on ECEC, as well as variation in DC requirements for ECEC staff with different responsibilities. It explores strategies for a successful integration of DC in ECEC workforce development programmes. The review shows there has been limited research and policy support regarding the development of DC in ECEC and discusses the importance for the ECEC workforce to understand how digital technologies may be incorporated to their work, encompassing both technical aspects and responsible use, as well as the social and collaborative dimensions of professional development in this area. The review examines also how attitudes towards technology use with young children condition skills development in the sector

The extent of tablet computer use in New Zealand's early childhood education services: Results from a national survey and a collective case study

In 2017, New Zealand’s revised curriculum for early childhood education, Te Whāriki, expanded reference to the use of technology for teaching and learning to include digital media and related devices. This article reports findings from a doctoral study about tablet computer use among New Zealand’s four major early childhood service types: education and care centres, home-based services, kindergartens, and playcentres. Data were gathered in 2017, initially through a national survey, followed by a collective case study. Seven services participated in the collective case study which was designed to explain the results of the survey. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were used to analyse survey data while cross-case analysis was used to identify themes from the responses from each service in the collective case study. The results are presented according to two categories of respondents, services who classified themselves as non-users and services who were using tablet computers for teaching and learning at the time of the survey. The national survey results revealed that more than half of the services did not use tablets. Non-users’ reasons for not using tablet computers are discussed considering findings from both quantitative and qualitative phases of the study. Services who used tablets did so for a variety of reasons, including for documentation and assessment, to support children’s learning and teaching work. Qualitative data regarding policies or guidelines for staff about the use of and access to digital media, teachers’ and educators’ learning for how to use touchscreen tablets for teaching and learning, as well as services’ preferences on the facilitation of children’s tablet use are also presented. An important issue uncovered in this study was the use of personal tablets within ECE services. Among non-users, teachers and educators from more than half of home-based services and playcentres used their personally owned tablet computers, raising concerns about cybersafety and screen time. Many user services did not have formal guidelines or policies regarding tablet use. The data suggest that some services relied on the use of teachers’ and educators’ personally owned tablets. Implications arising from the findings of this study are explored, including the relevance of using digital technology for supporting distance learning and learning at home as a result of the global Covid-19 pandemic

The extent of tablet computer use in New Zealand's early childhood education services: Results from a national survey and a collective case study

In 2017, New Zealand’s revised curriculum for early childhood education, Te Whāriki, expanded reference to the use of technology for teaching and learning to include digital media and related devices. This article reports findings from a doctoral study about tablet computer use among New Zealand’s four major early childhood service types: education and care centres, home-based services, kindergartens, and playcentres. Data were gathered in 2017, initially through a national survey, followed by a collective case study. Seven services participated in the collective case study which was designed to explain the results of the survey. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were used to analyse survey data while cross-case analysis was used to identify themes from the responses from each service in the collective case study. The results are presented according to two categories of respondents, services who classified themselves as non-users and services who were using tablet computers for teaching and learning at the time of the survey. The national survey results revealed that more than half of the services did not use tablets. Non-users’ reasons for not using tablet computers are discussed considering findings from both quantitative and qualitative phases of the study. Services who used tablets did so for a variety of reasons, including for documentation and assessment, to support children’s learning and teaching work. Qualitative data regarding policies or guidelines for staff about the use of and access to digital media, teachers’ and educators’ learning for how to use touchscreen tablets for teaching and learning, as well as services’ preferences on the facilitation of children’s tablet use are also presented. An important issue uncovered in this study was the use of personal tablets within ECE services. Among non-users, teachers and educators from more than half of home-based services and playcentres used their personally owned tablet computers, raising concerns about cybersafety and screen time. Many user services did not have formal guidelines or policies regarding tablet use. The data suggest that some services relied on the use of teachers’ and educators’ personally owned tablets. Implications arising from the findings of this study are explored, including the relevance of using digital technology for supporting distance learning and learning at home as a result of the global Covid-19 pandemic

Young children’s digital literacy practices in homes : Past, present and future research directions

The changing nature of childhood in the digital age is attracting major attention among researchers, educators, health care professionals, parents and policy-makers. In this chapter, the authors summarize how research published in 2016 and 2017 has added to the findings of their earlier review of literature. In order to develop a conceptual picture of the latest studies in the field in terms of how these have addressed and approached young children’s digital literacy practices in the home, focusing on three interrelated dimensions of literacy, namely the operational, cultural and critical. The authors turn the key findings of their conceptual analysis based on the 3D model of literacy, focusing on how studies in the field situate themselves in terms of understanding children’s digital literacy practices in the home. Their conceptual analysis of literature reveals that to date there is scant research focusing more directly on the operational dimension of children’s digital literacy practices in the home.Peer reviewe

iPads in Preschools: A Collective Case Study about Tablet Technology in Subsidized Preschool Programs

Preschool children today will not remember a time when there were no smartphones, laptops, or iPads. The purpose of this qualitative collective case study was to develop an in-depth understanding of the challenges and benefits of implementing tablet technology for early education teachers that work in subsidized preschool programs. Tablet utilization in preschool classrooms was generally defined as how teachers from five different classrooms utilize tablet technology to enhance the instructional programs for children in subsidized preschool programs. The setting for this study was five early education centers in a large urban school district. Data were collected through semistructured interviews, audio-visual recordings, and observations. Data were analyzed by applying within-case analysis, cross-case synthesis, and direct interpretation of the evidence. Issues of trustworthiness were addressed through triangulation, member checks, and clarifying researcher bias. The primary research questions were: (a) How do sociocultural learning theory and developmentally appropriate practice apply to a preschooler’s use of tablet technology? (b) What do early education teachers need to understand so iPads can be successfully utilized in a preschool classroom? (c) How do early education teachers describe their experience as they implement iPads into the instructional program? The results of the study revealed that children benefit the most from technology when it is used in conjunction with interactions that are commensurate with socio-cultural learning theory and developmentally appropriate practices. Devoid of these interactions, children can use the technology but this does not always translate into meaningful learning. The study also revealed that teachers who systematically plan for how the devices will be implemented in their classrooms also experienced greater successes while mitigating their initial fears and challenges

Comparative global knowledge about the use of new media technologies among young children

We examine evidence regarding young children’s digital literacy practices around the world. Although little is known about children under eight years old, especially on a global comparative basis or beyond the West, we identify such research as exists, including from East Asia and the global South. Barriers to access represent the major challenge globally, a problem often obscured when research focuses on wealthy countries. Some challenges are shared cross-nationally, albeit in different forms, including inequality, curriculum development and the home–school connection. Experimentation with ways of appropriating digital technologies for learning is occurring in diverse contexts, and valuable lessons are beginning to emerge

Stretchy time or screen time: how early years practitioners conceptualise time in relation to children's digital play

There is a tension between the early years (EY) ideal of ‘stretchy time’ for free-flow play and discourses surrounding children’s digital play, which emphasise the need for time limits. To explore this tension further, we engaged in collaborative reflective dialogue with 20 EY practitioners in a workshop exploring apps for young children. Based on a thematic analysis of the written notes made by practitioners during the workshop, we present four conceptualisations of time adopted by practitioners in relation to digital play: balance, limitation, self-regulation and open exploration. . We then present three factors that shape these conceptualisations of time: 1) whether apps are seen as tools or activities, 2) pedagogic emphasis on purposefulness versus playfulness and 3) take-up of popular discourses of concern. Based on the findings, we suggest how practitioners might use observation, reflection and their own playful experiences as a way of generating new possibilities for managing time around digital play in EY environments

It’s fun!” Using students’ voices to understand the impact of school digital technology integration on their well-being

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to better understand children’s perception of their school-based educational technology use and its role in their well-being. Children (N = 23) from the Midwestern U.S. completed an interview and mapping exercise focused on the contexts and factors that impact their well-being, including schools and teachers. Phenomenological analyses of interview transcripts focused on children’s perceptions of 1) school educational technology use, and 2) the impact of school educational technology use on their well-being. Children described a variety of school educational technology experiences, which they perceived as having both positive and negative effects on their well-being. Findings are discussed in the context of the historical challenges to school educational technology integration and children’s well-being

A mixed methods study of the beliefs and attitudes of teachers regarding the developmental appropriateness of technology in early childhood

In this study, teacher self-efficacy regarding technology use was examined. Data from a sample of teachers were analyzed to determine the degree to which these educators felt comfortable and confident with the infusion of technology in their practice. Additionally, the beliefs and attitudes these educators held toward the developmental appropriateness of technology were analyzed to determine if the level of integration in their classrooms was impacted by these beliefs and attitudes. This study analyzed surveys from 41 teachers (preschool and kindergarten) along with interviews of six participating teachers in the West Shore Educational Service District region in Michigan. Four of the primary findings of the study were the existance of a clear division between districts that have access to technology and those who do not based on a perceived unequal distribution of funding or focus on technology in the classroom. A second finding was that even in districts where technology was available, there were concerns about teachers struggling with the integration of it due to lack of training. Often times, teachers were feeling unprepared to teach with the tools provided and they were apprehensive about the use and worried children will perceive their limitations. The third primary finding was the importance of the teacher facilitating the learning and guiding the use of the technology tools with early learners so that they are used purposefully and with intention. Finally, the fourth primary finding was that the level of technology implementation tended to be higher for teachers with more years of experience, but was significantly higher for teachers who used the iPad in more personal ways suggesting that those who were using the devices outside of their classroom instruction were also those who were implementing more in the classroom