What are the Opportunities and Challenges of using Technology in Early Years Education?
Stevens, Thomas (2022)
2022
All rights reserved. This publication is copyrighted. You may download, display and print it for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2022060515485
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2022060515485
Tiivistelmä
Technology is increasing more integrated into our lives. Children are growing up in a world where the demand for technological skills is only going to increase in the future. The integration of technology in a child’s Education in Finland as stated in Finland’s National Core Curriculum for Early Childhood Education and Care 2018. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the challenges and opportunities of implementing technology in Early Childhood Education and Care.
Literature was reviewed that identified some of the challenges and opportunities of implementing technology in Early Years Education and Care. Interviews were conducted with kindergarten teachers working in daycare centers in Helsinki. In collaboration with a private English daycare in Helsinki, an online questionnaire was sent to parents of children attending a private to gather data.
The results indicated that kindergarten teachers saw some of the main challenges of implementing technology in Early Childhood Education and Care to were with the teachers’ skills of implementing technology. Kindergarten teachers saw that using technology increases motivation and the critical thinking skills of the children. Parents saw a challenge of using technology was that it takes time away form children’s social interactions and the development of these skills. Both the parents and the kindergarten teachers saw that internet safety to be a challenge of children using technology in Early Years Education and Care. Suggestion for future research and reflection on this thesis process was also made as part of the process of this thesis.
Literature was reviewed that identified some of the challenges and opportunities of implementing technology in Early Years Education and Care. Interviews were conducted with kindergarten teachers working in daycare centers in Helsinki. In collaboration with a private English daycare in Helsinki, an online questionnaire was sent to parents of children attending a private to gather data.
The results indicated that kindergarten teachers saw some of the main challenges of implementing technology in Early Childhood Education and Care to were with the teachers’ skills of implementing technology. Kindergarten teachers saw that using technology increases motivation and the critical thinking skills of the children. Parents saw a challenge of using technology was that it takes time away form children’s social interactions and the development of these skills. Both the parents and the kindergarten teachers saw that internet safety to be a challenge of children using technology in Early Years Education and Care. Suggestion for future research and reflection on this thesis process was also made as part of the process of this thesis.