Young children's use of ICT: preschool teachers' perceptions and pedagogical practices in Shanghai

Dong, Chuanmei

Title: Young children's use of ICT: preschool teachers' perceptions and pedagogical practices in Shanghai
Creator: Dong, Chuanmei
Relation: University of Newcastle Research Higher Degree Thesis
Resource Type: thesis
Date: 2014
Description: Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Description: This thesis examines the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in preschools in Shanghai. The objectives of the study were to (1) identify the availability of ICT resources and young children’s ICT use in their classrooms; (2) describe preschool teachers’ perceptions and pedagogical practices regarding young children’s use of ICT in the classrooms; and (3) examine the barriers that inhibit full integration of ICT into teaching and learning. To achieve the objectives, a survey was first undertaken with a sample of 316 teachers who directly taught young children in 20 preschools in one urban district of Shanghai. Following this, case studies of four teachers involved interviews and observations to provide an in-depth description of the contexts and meanings for those teachers. This study adopted a sociocultural framework to inform the research methodology and help explain the findings. A wide range of ICT resources was available in the preschools studied, although the number of each device was limited. The majority of surveyed teachers had positive perceptions of the use of ICT in early childhood education (ECE) and the case study teachers had an emerging understanding about the role of ICT for teaching and learning. However, integrating ICT into ECE classrooms was not fully realised. The limited status of ICT in the Chinese ECE system created discontinuities, mismatches and tensions between the teachers’ positive perceptions of the use of ICT and their pedagogies that can maximise ICT potential for teaching and learning. ICT in the classrooms was mainly used for teacher-led teaching and learning activities, whereas young children’s ICT access was low and their ICT activities were generally simple and passive. However, many children had strong interest and competencies in using ICT and their ICT activities were associated with high enthusiasm and joyful experiences. This fact, along with contextual changes in social and technological advancement, had a significant influence on the teachers’ positive perceptions of the benefits of the use of ICT and their provision of ICT access for the children in the classrooms. This study identifies six barriers to successfully integrating ICT into teaching and learning in the classrooms. These barriers were: inadequate hardware and inappropriate software; fears and concerns surrounding the use of ICT; the absence of ECE ICT framework and curriculum guidance; ineffective ICT training; restraints from strong cultural and educational traditions; and a lack of technological and pedagogical knowledge and skills that can fully integrate ICT. Based on the findings of this study and the literature, it is concluded that the successful ICT integration into early learning and teaching relies on a range of factors: adequate and equal access to high quality ICT resources; creation of communities of learners; systematic and effective ICT training and professional development; a high priority for ICT integration in ECE policies and curriculum; young children’s active, meaningful and complex ICT use; and teachers’ positive perceptions, informed technical and pedagogical knowledge and skills.
Subject: early childhood education; ICT; young children; preschool teachers; perception; pedagogy
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1054177
Identifier: uon:15715
Language: eng
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