Abstract
Nowadays, we live in a society in which unprecedented technological progress that demands a rapid adaptation is taking place. The educational sector needs to adapt to the changing world in which we live. Many authors pointed out that the rapid development of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has direct consequences in the field of education, starting from early childhood education, to learn how to cope with what some authors have called the “virtual world.” The aim of this work is to analyse, through a research project in a public Spanish early childhood education school, how the use of tablets influences different levels of educational reality (teachers, students, families, and management team). The main objective is to obtain a clear idea of the methodological change that is taking place in many early childhood education schools in Spain, moving from the traditional model to a model based on ICT, and whether this process is beneficial for pupils. A field study was conducted based on questionnaires to the different agents that make up the education system.
TopIntroduction
Today, we live in a society in which unprecedented technological progress is taking place and that demands rapid adaptation to these changes. The education sector does not escape this imperative and needs to adapt to the changing world in which we live. Many authors point out that the rapid development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has direct consequences in the field of education (Slutsky & DeShelter, 2017; Maciá & Garreta, 2018), as it is increasingly necessary to train students, starting from Early Childhood and continuing through Primary Education, to know how to function in what some authors have called the “virtual world”. Therefore, it is necessary to encourage pupils to develop the skills and knowledge for them to be able to cope in this new environment.
Although schools have long been considered one of the most conservative institutions in society due to their lack of adaptation to the environment as far as teaching methods are concerned, this chapter shows how to integrate the use of tablets within the school environment (González et al., 2019). For this purpose, the advantages, and disadvantages of the use of ICTs in the Early Childhood Education classroom will be analysed, focusing on the use of tablets. Some of the criticisms made by various authors of these gadgets will also be presented.
A field study will be conducted to analyse the impact of the use of tablets in a centre. Through a global approach, the opinions of the management team, teachers, pupils, and families are considered. Aspects such as the assessment of the use of ICTs in the classroom, teacher satisfaction with them, and the impact of the use of tablets on the development of pupils’ skills will also be studied. This study will be carried out using two instruments: questionnaires to the management team, teachers, pupils, and families (questionnaires for which we requested the corresponding permissions), and direct observation in the classroom.
On a practical level, the aim is to evaluate the implementation of ICTs in an Early Childhood Education school, as well as to analyse the degree of penetration of tablets in this school. We will also study the effects of tablets on the performance, productivity, and motivation of both pupils and teachers, reflecting on whether the use of these resources is positive for teachers and pupils, and whether they bring families closer to their children’s school reality. Therefore, the general objective of this chapter is to evaluate the direct influence of the use of tablets within the ICT resources environment in teaching at a specific Early Childhood Education centre.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Digital Revolution: The Digital Revolution, also known as the Third Industrial Revolution, is the shift from mechanical and analogue electronic technologies to digital electronics which began in the latter half of the 20th century, with the adoption and proliferation of digital computers.
Tablet: A tablet is a wireless, portable personal computer with a touchscreen interface. The tablet form factor is typically smaller than a notebook computer, but larger than a smartphone. The idea of tablet computing is generally credited to Alan Kay of Xerox, who sketched out the idea in 1971.
ICTs: Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education is the mode of education that uses information and communications technology to support, enhance, and optimise the delivery of information.
Management team: the school management team includes a Head of School, a second master/mistress, an academic master/academic mistress, a discipline master/discipline mistress, a sports/games master/mistress or a school self-reliance master/mistress, and a school hygiene master/mistress.
Early Childhood Education: Erly childhood education is considered an official term for teaching young children. More specifically, it refers to formal and informal educational programs that guide the growth and development of children throughout their preschool years (birth to age five).