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Mobile devices in early childhood education: teachers’ views on benefits and barriers

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Abstract

Mobile devices and, in particular, tablets have become increasingly popular in young children’s lives; however, there is limited empirical evidence regarding early childhood teachers’ perceptions on mobile technology-learning in early years. This study investigated teachers’ views on mobile devices’ usage in early childhood education classrooms, focusing on their perceived benefits, barriers and their concerns. A questionnaire with open ended questions was completed by 30 early childhood education teachers, in Greece. The primary perceived benefits regarded the facilitation of the educational process, the interactive learning environment and the support of children’s learning and development. Major perceived barriers were related to the lack of (or limited) resources/equipment, the limited teacher training opportunities and lack of funding, while key concerns regarded the constraint of hands-on experiences, children’s concentration, and cyber safety issues. Implications for pre-service and in-service teacher training, educational policy and practice, as well as links between home and school are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Early Childhood Education, School of Education, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Navarinou 13A, 10680, Athens, Greece

    Kleopatra Nikolopoulou

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  1. Kleopatra Nikolopoulou
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Correspondence to Kleopatra Nikolopoulou.

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Approval was obtained from the ethics committee of the University department. The procedures used in this study adhere to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Appendix

Appendix

If you use mobile devices in class (for educational purposes)

If you do not use mobile devices in class (for educational purposes)

In your opinion, what are the benefits of using mobile devices in ECE classrooms?

In your opinion, what are the barriers regarding mobile devices’ usage in ECE classrooms?

What is the frequency of mobile devices’ usage in your class?

• daily

• 2–4 times per week

• once per week

• once per month or less

What is the way of mobile devices’ usage in ECE classroom?

What are your concerns regarding mobile devices’ usage in ECE classrooms?

What are the barriers regarding mobile devices’ usage in ECE classrooms?

What are your concerns regarding mobile devices’ usage in ECE classrooms?

In your opinion, are there any benefits (which ones) of using mobile devices in ECE classrooms?

What are children’s emotions when they use these devices in class?

What are the conditions under which you would use mobile devices in the classroom?

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Nikolopoulou, K. Mobile devices in early childhood education: teachers’ views on benefits and barriers. Educ Inf Technol 26, 3279–3292 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-020-10400-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-020-10400-3

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