A MULTIPLE CASE STUDY ABOUT DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY USE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION CLASSROOMS

Date

2023-12

Author

Demirtaş İlhan, Seden

Metadata

Show full item record

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Item Usage Stats

743
views

6622
downloads

Cite This

Integrating technology into early childhood classrooms has numerous advantages, such as enhancing language acquisition, mathematical skills, literacy abilities, school preparedness of young learners and promoting social interaction. Early childhood teachers, having an important role in children’s education, are the decision-makers in the technology integration process because of being in direct communication with children. Data on early childhood teachers' current views and behaviors around technology integration and the practices' developmental appropriateness must to be gathered. Hence, within the framework of ‘Developmentally Appropriate Use of Technology’, the study intends to investigate how early childhood teachers in Türkiye apply interactive media tools and information and communication technology in their lessons. The study employed a multi-case study design, which is a qualitative research methodology. Four early childhood teachers working for two different early childhood organizations in the city's rural and urban areas provided the data. Semi-structured interviews, focus groups, document analysis, and non-participant observation were all used to collect the data. Findings indicated that teachers in both rural and urban schools frequently integrated information and communication technologies and interactive media tools in classroom activities as well as holding a positive view towards technology integration. The findings also demonstrated that, although teachers were taking into account content appropriateness and adult guidance as well as other developmentally appropriate technology use principles in their technology integration practices, they neglected to address issues like pretend play, active use, creativity, and exploration.

Subject Keywords

Early childhood education, information and communication technologies, interactive media, technology integration, developmentally appropriate use of technology

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/107659

Collections

Graduate School of Social Sciences, Thesis