UNVEILING THE DIGITAL FUTURE: INVESTIGATING THE

TRANSFORMATIVE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD

EDUCATION

A Research Proposal

Presented to

DR. SHIELA B. PELICANO

Instructor

In Partial Fulfillment of the Course Requirements for the Degree

Master of Arts in Educational Management

Michael M. Mengote
Judil P. Buzon
Johnrey M. Gavilan
Haidee Marie Q. Montances
Glare B. Sobremonte
Ma. Niña L. Moslares

May 2024

1
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE: The Problem and its Scope ……..….……………………..…1
Introduction…………….…………………………………………………………….1
Objectives, Theoretical Framework.……………..………………………….…….2
Conceptual Framework, …………….………......………………….…………..…3
Hypothesis………………………………………………………..…………………5
Significance of the Study, Scope and Limitations………………...…….……….6
Operational Definition of Terms……………………………………...…………….7

CHAPTER TWO: Review of Related Literature ………...……………………...9

Related Readings………………………………………..………………………….9
Related Literature, Related Studies …......…………..…………………….……10
Justification of the Present Study…………………….………………………….12

CHAPTER THREE: Methodology …...…………………..………………………14

Research Design and Procedure…………………………………..…………….14
Locale of the Study ………………………………………………………………..15
Data Gathering Procedure ………………..…………………..…...........….……16
Determination of the Sample, Statistical Treatment ………...…………………17
Bibliography…………………………………………….…………………………..18

Appendix I………………………………………..………………………………….21
Survey Questionnaire………………………..…………………………………….21

2
 CHAPTER I

The Problem and its Scope

Introduction

One of the tasks of the modern school is to prepare students for life in the

information society. Teachers should create an environment for students to acquire

the ability to search, organize and use information from various sources and learn

how to use information technology (IT) in a creative and productive way. This can be

achieved by preparing students to use computers and IT as well as by using

technology in the classroom with a variety of subjects, at all stages of education. The

implementation of this task is a large and long-term project.

Education, like every sphere of human activity in society, undergoes evolution

associated with changes in the conditions in which it is conducted. The direction of

these modifications is determined by the educational concepts or are natural result of

the transformations of the social and technical measures that accompany education.

The education system reorganizes its settings of the program curriculum and

school activities dictated by the central authorities, schools and teachers and slowly

evolve into a system that supports individual educational goals of students.

The school shall, above all, help students in developing their own education.

The use of modern IT in education is an opportunity to emerge a cognitive resource-

based mechanism in students and develop the skills and the importance of lifelong

learning and continuous education. It can also facilitate a more individual approach

and individualized communication between teachers and students. Education can

become transformative when teachers and students synthesize information across

subjects and experiences, critically weigh significantly different perspectives, and

incorporate various inquiries. Educators are able to construct such possibilities by

fostering critical learning spaces, in which students are encouraged to increase their

3
capacities of analysis, imagination, critical synthesis, creative expression, self-

awareness, and intentionality.

As mentioned before the school should prepare for a life in the modern world,

which is difficult to imagine without computers and the skills to use them. Changes in

the education system should therefore consider the changes that are taking place

around us in society. One of the most important factors, which already has a huge

impact on individuals, communities and entire societies is IT, which increases the

possibility of active participation of citizens in the functioning of their communities.

Students should have access to the technology that is needed for a modern

education.

Objectives

1. Identify the impacts/effects that digital technology has in learning in primary

schools.

2. Identify evidence of the ways in which digital learning supports improved outcomes

for learners.

3. Analyzing the development process of e-learning.

Theoretical Framework

Educational learning theories have their value and can be applied to

instructive

settings. In a classroom situation it would be difficult to assert that only one learning

method should be implemented. The constructivist learning theory seems to fit well

with instructional technology. Jerome Bruner, constructivist theorist, asserted that

students learn by engaging in the learning and constructing their knowledge through

their experiences. Students’ learning builds from prior knowledge and understanding,

while building new ideas and concepts through engaging in learning activities.

Bruner highlighted three principles of constructivism. 1. Instruction must be

concerned with the experiences and context that make the student willing and able to

4
learn (readiness), 2. Instruction must be structured so that it can be easily grasped by

the student (spiral organization), and 3. Instruction should be designed to facilitate

extrapolation and or fill in the gaps (going beyond the information given) (Bruner,

2010, p. 1).

The active process of engaging in an activity adds to an individual’s learning.

Technology instruction utilizing Web 2.0 tools fits well with the constructivist learning

theory. The interactive technological tools allow students to move at their own pace.

The students also have the ability to discover and seek more information and

knowledge as soon as they are ready.

Conceptual Framework

Although there is great interest, and considerable investment, in adopting

technology within Education, it is less clear what this change means to the people

who implement or experience it. Presently, there is no consistent framework used to

study and explain this phenomenon. In this paper, I propose a framework that can

structure and guide work in the area. Work carried out as part of a Kaleidoscope-

funded project (see Price et al, 2005) to explore the impact of technology, providing

an overview of current research in this area is described, outlining a framework of

approaches to researching this topic, and providing an example of empirical work

that fits within this methodological framework. Findings from the case study reported

here focus on the role that models of teaching and learning play in the process of

technology adoption and will be used to elaborate on the themes emerging from the

review of existing research. The paper will conclude by considering the framework’s

role as a foundation for further work in this area.

One thing is evident - that there is no obvious research method to adopt in

relation to this problem (Price et al., 2005). Instead, different approaches seem well

suited to particular aspects of this field. In response to this, it is

proposed that these issues can be clustered according to the kinds of research

5
approaches that are suitable to use when studying them. Reviewing work in the field

to date, it was possible to distinguish between studies that used different kinds of

data as evidence of impact. These differences are significant, in that they reflect

fundamental differences in how ‘impact’ was conceived within the research.

Classifying research papers according to their epistemological commitments, we

could distinguish between work that sought to describe impact, work that sought

to explain how impact took place and work that, in effect, conceptualized or

promoted particular kinds of outcomes.

Consequently, I suggest that one way to group these research issues is as

being:

 Anticipatory (such as the discourses and rhetoric of policy, design and

intentions, opinion and attitudes);

 Ongoing (processes of integration, including practices of staff development); or

 Achieved (summative studies, particularly of technology that is no longer

considered ‘novel’).

IMPACT
of Technology
Enhanced Learning

Anticipated Achieved
(Summative, Break
(Discourse, rhetoric) Method)
Ongoing

(Process,
sequential
case
studies)

e.g. POLICY MAKERS e.g. SUPPORT

STAFF
e.g. STAFF
DEVELOPERS

6
Figure 1: An overview of approaches to the topic, indicating example audiences

Hypothesis

Based on the information gained during the research, as well as based on

wide range of studies carried out on a much larger scale, despite all negative effects

that ICT may be associated with, I can subjectively conclude, that the impact of ICT

on students is positive in most cases. However, it is important that the introduction of

ICT into the curriculum shall be carried out reasonably and with moderation. As it

may be

noted, a huge impact on how ICT affects the students has not only ICT itself, but also

factors associated with it such as the access to technology, the attitude towards it, as

well as the level of knowledge teachers possess. If the above elements are chosen in

an appropriate manner, with a suitable technological base, as well as adequately

educated staff, I consider that the influence of technology on students could be more

positive than it is today. ICT opens tremendous possibilities for teachers. Both the

choice of the type of teaching aids and materials, as well as their availability has

increased incalculably even compared only to the previous decade. However, with

increasing possibilities of choice, it is more and more important that teachers not only

teach, but also dedicate themselves to training. Along with better knowledge and

experience, it shall become easier for teachers to use ICT and the use of technology

would become more common and with the time ICT may slowly displace part of the

classical methods of teaching. Important is, however, that teachers shall find the

perfect balance between those "two worlds" and shall manage to get the most out of

both. Consistent with Vygotsky’s beliefs, each environment that a distinctive

individual is exposed to is not isolated from other environments, but each and every

environment is a part of a bigger socio-cultural learning area. Taking this into

account, it is important

7
that the technology shall not be seen only as a tool for fun and entertainment, but

technology shall also be seen as a tool that is fit for work and a great aid for learning.

Significance of the Study

Technology use needs to be considered in early childhood (Quesenberry et

al., 2016). Research showed the efficacy of a plan to implement technology into an

early childhood classroom. Technology needs to be balanced in early childhood

classrooms. Technology alone cannot meet all of the developmental needs (social

emotional, physical, language, cognitive, literacy, and mathematics) of every student.

Technology can be an influential piece of the puzzle for educators to make the

instruction and application of learning complete.

The results of the study have the potential to influence the appropriation of

state

education agencies and school systems’ funds in the areas of professional

development and technology instruction. In addition to the utilization of funds, the

results could influence state standards, curriculum guides, and the inclusion of

instructional technology. Positive results from the study will lead school districts that

prohibit access to Web 2.0 tools to rethink their present technology policies.

If the study finds there was not a statistically significant relationship between

technology and student achievement, educators still need to identify ways to tie

instruction to the constant changing technologies available to today’s learners. It is

the

responsibility of educators to prepare students for the world outside of school

including

technological use.

Scope and Limitations

8
 The purpose of the study was to discover if and how integrating technology

into

instruction improved student academic achievement. The study took place in a

suburban public-school district in the Southeast about 30 miles from a metropolitan

city. The participants were fifth grade math and science students. The majority of

research literature addresses Web 1.0 technology. However, there was limited

research focusing on Web 2.0 interactive technologies. This study strove to

contribute to the literature regarding the integration of Web 2.0 technologies in

classroom instruction. The degree in which ICT affects students does not depend

solely on the amount of time spent by students in front of the computer, but is

dependent upon a number of different factors, which together form the complete

picture of impact of ICT on students. Factors, which have an impact on the direction

of influence, can be divided into several categories that can be seen from different

points of view. One of the base elements that have an impact on the degree of ICT

influence is the access to ICT, not only at school, but also at home. Accessibility in

turn affects not only the student’s ability and skills, but also limits a teacher’s

possibilities to use ICT in the process of learning. Other categories that can affect the

impact of ICT are the teacher’s skills and their attitude towards ICT and their use of

technology in learning. In the later part of the analysis the remaining factors which

have an effect on the degree of influence of ICT on students and their learning will be

presented. In order to be able to fully assess the impacts of ICT, there is a need to

divide the analysis into two separate sections - one dedicated to the teachers and the

second one with the focus on the students

Operational Definition of Terms

Brain Pop – educational website that offers Flash based movies in most content

areas for students in grades kindergarten through 12 (BrainPop Educators, 2011).

9
E-learning – “learning that is facilitated and supported via information and

communications technology (ICT)” (TS& Logistics Group. (2011).

Instructional Technology – “the theory and practice of design, development,

utilization, management, and evaluation of processes and resources for learning”

(AECT, 2001).

Millennial – refers to a person born between 1982 to 1995 (Urban Dictionary).

Nonconformist – refers to a person who uses technology creatively, inquisitively,

is a leader, and innovative challenging the rules and limits. The nonconformists are

the

leaders in producing and editing online content (Davis, 2008).

PowerPoint – presentation software used for instructional purposes

(TechTerms.com).

21st Century Classroom Learning Environment –classroom equipped with a DLP

(digital light processing) projector, screen, speakers, voice amplification, Pixie Wall

Controller, and Mobi Interactive Pad providing a world of information available at the

touch of a finger on the Internet and other media (Cleary, 2009)

Online Learning – the activity or process of gaining knowledge or skills by studying

through online or with the use of technology, internet or computer.

ICT – Information and Communications Technology is an extensional term for

Information Technology (IT) that stresses the role of unified communications

(telephone lines and wireless signals) and computers as well as necessary enterprise

software, middleware, storage and audiovisual, that enable users to access, store,

transmit, understand and manipulate information.

10
 CHAPTER II

Review of Related Literature

Related Readings

Digital natives, the net-generation, the digital-generation, and millenniums are

all labels to identify today’s learners. Marc Prensky (2001) created the term digital

native in his work Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants to describe the generation of

learners growing up interacting with digital technology. Marc Prensky (2001),

educational author, noted that the average college student has spent less than 5,000

hours of his/her life reading, yet he/she has spent over 10,000 hours playing video

games and 20,000 hours watching television. The National School Board Association

(2007) reported teens engage in social networking almost as much as they watch

television. Marc Prensky (2001) stated, “Our students have changed radically.

Today’s students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to

teach” (p.1). Media entrepreneur Rupert Murdock (2005) agreed with Prensky when

he stated that today’s generation and future generations will “never know a world

without ubiquitous broadband Internet access.” Referring to himself as a digital

11
immigrant he continued, “We may never become true digital natives, but we can and

must begin to assimilate to their culture and way of thinking” (Murdock, 2005, p. 1)

Technology has become part of our everyday life. Children’s exposure to

media, technology, and screen time has increased in the home and school settings.

(Sharkins et al., 2016). The number of children interacting with devices has been

increasing. Almost 98% of students, under the age of eight, have access to

technology (McCarthy et al., 2018). Technology has prepared our children for the

21st century by providing real world experiences within the classroom environment

(Bavelier et al., 2010). Technology has affected all areas of development assessed in

early childhood classrooms. This literature review will focus on the effect’s

technology has on the development of children in early childhood. Technology could

have an impact on a child’s development in the areas of (a) social emotional, (b)

physical, (c) cognitive, (d) language, (e) mathematics, and (f) literacy skills. The

advantages and disadvantages of technology will be reviewed in each of these early

childhood developmental areas.

Related Literature

According to the commonly accepted concept of mankind - epistemology,

also referred as a theory of knowledge - humans can be seen as a system that

processes information. His behavior does not only depend on the current information

coming to him from all sides, but also from the so-called cognitive structures, which

are encoded in the memory of the knowledge gained in the course of learning and

thinking. The human is also being independent and creative. Learning and teaching

should enable him to not only process information, but also to create a new cognitive

structure based on the basic information and develop skills of continuous learning to

cope with new emerging information resources. Most of the areas of knowledge, and

therefore the fields of education, are characterized by the accumulation of vast

amounts of information. Teaching can therefore not be focused on the transfer of

12
teacher’s knowledge and the accumulation of presented facts by the students, but it

should offer students primarily the basic knowledge and skills with which they

themselves would be able to reach the information they need. This means that

schools should move away from an encyclopedic learning approach and instead

teach students how to gain knowledge by developing their skills in continuous

learning and teach them how to find reliable sources of knowledge and how to decide

what information is essential and relevant.

Related Studies

There can be little doubt that online education is destined to continue to grow,

possibly at ever fast speed. That being the likely case, more research should be

conducted to investigate the effectiveness, efficacy, and improvement of online

teaching and learning. At present time, however, there is a great gap and perhaps

future research should be focused more on in-depth analysis of online instruction

practices, step-by-step implementation, and the most effective practices for online

course design and instruction. This article has reviewed aspects of how to teach

effectively and successfully in an online learning environment. However, there is no

empirical evidence in the reviewed studies and research to demonstrate whether

online education has actually improved students’ academic outcomes. Future

research, therefore, may connect online education with students’ academic

achievements. Online education is a growing trend, and more and more institutions

may eventually be offering more and more online courses to an increasing number of

students. Therefore, future studies should be designed to obtain students’

perspectives, especially those who are new to computer-based learning. In addition,

the study may also focus on this regard by levels of students in online education such

as undergraduate and graduate level and by subjects and disciplines. Online

education is an alternative for students’ learning (Wang, 2014), which is intended to

focus on critical thinking and creation. However, online courses are commonly

13
dictated by the technology (Callaway, 2012; Cole, Shelley, & Swartz, 2014) and are

designed more for the convenience of the online system and the technology. To

promote intellectual rigor and the development of informed and individual

perspectives, further investigation should explore how to use technology and

software to engage students in multiple and ongoing dialogues in a variety of online

formats. Further research is needed to investigate how group designs can impact

social interaction and the

sense of a learning community considering group members’ different personalities,

learning styles and levels of skill. Previous studies mainly examined postings sent by

participants. With the advancement of technology, researchers need to study the

roles that a variety of technological tools play in promoting more effective social

interaction and growth of a learning community, for example, audio and/or video

conferencing via Google Hangout and Skype, social network media, and virtual

reality environments.

In discussing the best practices of online education, Finch and Jacobs (2012)

stated these advantages: reducing the time and costs for travel; increasing

opportunities to access and collaborate with expert professionals in a global range;

providing students with flexibility to access courses at their convenience; and

allowing adjustments to subjects and content need. The fast development of the

Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW) has produced numerous benefits to

education. Online education provides potential opportunities to open up new markets

for higher education institutions. Many adult learners may enjoy the flexibility when

they have to balance work, study, and family responsibilities. The wide range of

various technology advancement used by universities’ online programs may enhance

the interaction between students and instructors, and among students at large (Bell &

Fedeman, 2013). In addition, the nature of the anonymity in the online environment

may allow more students, who otherwise do not want to

attend face-to-face classes because of their shy personality, to participate in online

14
education where they do not physically see each other. Finally, the upgraded

technology and software may allow instructors, students, and university

administrators to collect data, feedback, and evaluation regarding their online

experiences (Bell & Fedeman, 2013). In the research literature, online education is

variously termed as “distance education” “e-learning,” “online learning,” “blended

learning,” “computer-based learning,” “web-based learning,” “virtual learning,” “tele-

education,” “cyber learning,” “Internet-based learning,” “distributed learning,” etc. In

this study we considered all of these terms to be sufficiently synonymous and used

them interchangeably throughout this article.

Justification of the Present Study

Studies show that once students become familiar with technology, they

quickly develop proficiency in its use. This opens up an exciting new world of learning

possibilities for them, and their potential for achievement skyrockets. Students gain

new skills and become familiar with new technologies that will help prepare them for

future success in an increasingly technological world. Even the most basic tools can

help young learners become more productive. Researchers involved in the Apple

Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT) project revealed that third-grade students found it

easier to write with a keyboard than with a pencil or a pen. Because writing was

easier, they wrote more. By writing more, they learned to write better.1As the world

becomes more complex, the skills that students need to acquire and master are

quickly changing. The rise of the global economy, an increasingly multicultural

society, and rapid changes in technology require students to learn and apply new

skills in their

academic and career endeavors. Students need to learn to communicate more

effectively, both through speech and the written word. They need to learn how to

work with others to find new and better ways to solve problems and meet the

challenges of everyday life. They need to develop skills they can use in college or

15
the workforce. Perhaps most important, students need to discover the joy of learning.

If students are to function effectively in this ever-changing world, they must continue

to learn every day of their lives. Technology can help instill in students an eagerness

to learn that will follow them throughout life and better enable them to reach their

goals.

CHAPTER III

Methodology

Research Design and Procedure

The research methodology for this study was to review published studies and

research on online learning, the range of which included literature reviews prior to

2008 and empirical research after 2008. For purposes of this study, online education

is operationally defined as a format used in learning when learners do not need to be

in bricks-and-mortar classrooms. The terms online learning, online education, are

used interchangeably throughout the article.

Since the aim of this research is to find out what perceptions a teacher has

towards using ICT and what influence ICT has on the students from a teacher’s

16
perspective and experience, interviews have been chosen as a primary research

strategy. So the method used is the qualitative method and interviews play a central

role in this research. The main purpose of a qualitative study is not only to analyze

but also to interpret and understand obtained results. During the research qualitative

semi-structured interviews have been carried out, where interviewees and their own

thoughts and views were in focus and could be formulated and develop relatively free

During the research four standardized, semi-structured interviews with open-

ended questions have been performed. This amount of interview is sufficient to

achieve, given the researches limited extend, a relative high degree of what

Esaiasson calls the theoretical saturation point, which is the state in which the

researcher no longer believes that some distinctive new aspects can be found by

conducting more interviews.

Additionally, in order to achieve higher validity coefficient and support

reliability of the performed study, a survey has been carried out among teachers at

primary schools throughout Sweden. The survey contained both open-ended and

closed questions. This combination allows to obtain answers to questions both

simple as well as more complex, for which the divergence of opinion and the amount

of possible answers is too large. Simultaneously preventing respondents from

answering freely to some questions could result in a significant loss of reliability of

responses.

If the possibility existed an interview and survey study could be supplemented by an

additional observational study of the teacher’s use of ICT during class and

observation of how ICT affects the students. An observational study could create a

larger picture of the situation, which includes ICT as an object and student’s

reactions could be investigated from a different perspective than the teacher’s

perspective. Since the main interest of this study are the teacher’s thoughts and

reflections and considering the studies extent and limitations, an observation as a

method has been rejected.

17
Locale of the Study

When it comes to the survey study, the choice of the respondents could not

fully be controlled. The survey has been distributed over Internet via Facebook

groups addressed to teachers interested in ICT, as well as ordinary primary school

teachers’ groups on the Internet.

The respondents are active teachers at both the elementary and the middle

stages of various primary schools. The interview respondents have been selected

from both groups. The respondents, who participated in the study, use in different

ways actively ICT in their teaching, which made them suitable respondents for the

study. Because the information of the technological equipment and possibilities has

not been available publicly beforehand, the choice of similarly large primary schools

has been the priority in the choice of respondents. This makes the schools and the

results of the research comparable by assuring that a chosen facility is as similar in

as many aspects as possible. However, later on during the interviews it got clear that

each of the primary schools that respondents were working at, were similar, not only

as far as the number of students is concerned but also as far as the technological

possibilities of the schools were concerned.

Data Gathering Procedure

The data collection method used in this study has been qualitative interviews

with four respondents. As the aim of this study is to examine teacher’s perspective on

how ICT influences pupils, interviews seemed suitable as a data collection method.

Interviews give the opportunity to gain insight into teachers’ opinion and insight on

the asked questions. This method is justified since it allows to obtain the

respondent’s thoughts and perceptions. Esaiasson puts it in a similar way and

believes that an interview is one of the best available methods that allow to access

the respondent’s perceptions and opinion. During an interview, the respondent and

his thoughts serve as a study object. In carrying out the interviews, an interview

18
guide with pre-planned topics and issues has been used. Based on the Esaiasson

knowledge, in the design of the interview guide, it is important to consider its form

and content. This contributes to that the questions included in the interview guide

should have a clear connection to the study’s main focus. The questions, which act

as an interview guide’s content, should be formulated in a way that helps the

respondent to feel inspired to respond. In formulating the questions, one should avoid

the why-questions and academic formulations and focus mainly on using open and

short questions with the hope that those will provide long and informative answers.

The Interview guide’s questions used in this study are structured based on various

topics. The first topic begins with questions about basic personal data, followed by

themes related to the study’s purpose and issues. The goal with the interview guide’s

design is that it will lead to a lively, open conversation in which the respondents feel

motivated to share their experiences.

One of the advantages of qualitative methods in the form of interviews is that

it becomes a vibrant conversation that can take different directions. In a larger

survey, there is no opportunity to ask follow-up questions in the same way as during

an interview. Interviews give great freedom and flexibility; however, the survey is a

great way to support the interviews results with quantitative data.

Determination of the Sample

Since the survey was fully anonymous it is not possible to determine the

sources of origin of the responses. In order to be able to divide and judge the level of

maturity of the students that respondents base their answers on, the survey

contained the question of the grade (-s) and the subject (-s) that respondents are

responsible for. As mentioned before, the survey contains both open-ended and

closed questions. Such a mix of questions allows to create a survey which questions

in the highest extent possible, resemble questions and explore topics similar to those

in the interview guide. This allows an easier comparison of the result of the survey

19
and the answers of the interviews. The survey has provided also some quantitative

data that can be helpful for the validation and analysis of the results of the interviews.

During the survey response collection period over 50 respondents (in which 25

respondents are from elementary schools (years 1-3) and 29 teach at middle.

schools (years 4-6)) have granted answers to the survey, which seems sufficiently to

perform a quantitative analysis of responses. Gathered data has been analyzed with

division into two groups - one for data from teachers from elementary school and one

from teachers from middle schools.

Statistical Treatment

Reliability is a measure of the extent to which an instrument or approach

gives the same results in different occasions under equal circumstances. The

individual main factor that can cause reliability problems in this study are the result of

conducted interviews. The reason these could have a strong impact on the reliability

is that the main part of the obtained results is based on the performed interviews and

their results. It is common that people, asked for their opinions and perceptions, have

different experience and a range of factors that cannot be excluded during the

research, may affect the response. Recording the interviews helps the interviewer

and contributes to make the obtained data more credible, because the researcher is

not occupied and distracted with making the transcription of the interview during the

conversation, but can make it afterwards, as well as it is possible to listen to answers

again and if relevant, examine if leading questions have been asked. Since all of the

interviews have been recorded with the respondent’s permission, the reliability of this

study increases.

The validity of a study indicates whether the empirical observations are valid

in the reality that researcher wants to highlight. The main problem in this study that

can

influence the validity of the research are the interviews. An interviewee can easily be

20
affected by external factors as well by the interviewer and the interview location.

While

internal factors such as misunderstanding of the questions or a desire to appear in an

as good light as possible can affect the answers, it is not possible to eliminate the

distortion that can occur in interviews, but instead the researcher may be aware of

those factors and try to reduce the negative effects they produce.

The reliability and validity of the survey results may be lower than those collected

during interviews, since all data are obtained via the Internet and all answers are

anonymous. Even though the distribution of the survey has been to some extent

controlled and no answers should come from not qualified respondents, the collected

data of the survey should be taken into consideration as a secondary data source.

Bibliography

Skolverket. Curriculum for the compulsory school, preschool and the recreation
centre, . URL http://www.skolverket.se/publikationer?id=2687. [Accessed October
1st, 2013].

Skolverket. It i skolan, . URL http://www.skolverket.se/skolutveckling/resurser-for-

larande/itiskolan. [Accessed October 1st, 2013].

Swedish Institute. Education in sweden. URL http://sweden.se/society/education-in-

sweden/. [Accessed 2nd April, 2014].

The Independent ICT in Schools Commission. Information and communications

technology in uk schools: An independent inquiry. URL
http://rubble.heppell.net/stevenson/ICT.pdf. [Accessed October 1st, 2013].

Riss U. It i skolan mellan vision och praktik { en forsknings¨oversikt. URL http:

//www.skolverket.se/publikationer?id=660. [Accessed October 1st, 2013].

Gamification Wiki. Gamification. URL http://gamification.org/. [Accessed 23rd

January, 2014].

Inc. ClassTwist. Behavior management software - class dojo. URL http://www.

classdojo.com/. [Accessed 23rd January, 2014].

21
The Martin Institute for Teaching Excellence. World peace game foundation. URL
https://worldpeacegame.org/. [Accessed 23rd January, 2014].

Simatwa W. Enose M. Piaget’s theory of intellectual development and its implication

for instructional management at presecondary school level. Educational Research
and Reviews, 5(7):366{371, 2010.

Hoepfl M. Choosing qualitative research: A primer for technology education

researchers. Journal of Technology Education, 9(1):47{63, 1997.

Pritchard D. Knowledge, understanding and epistemic value., . URL

http://www.philosophy.ed.ac.uk/people/full-academic/documents/
KnowledgeandUnderstanding.pdf. [Accessed October 1st, 2013].

Chai CS. Teachers’ epistemic beliefs and their pedagogical beliefs: a qualitative case
study among singaporean teachers in the context of ict-supported reforms. TOJET:
The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 9(4):128{139, 2010.

Punie Y. Ferrari A, Cachia R. Ict as a driver for creative learning and innovative
teaching. institute for prospective technological studies. URL
http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/doc/
creativity/report/ict.pdf. [Accessed October 1st, 2013].

Kalaˇs I. Recognizing the potential of ICT in early childhood education. UNESCO

Institute for Information Technologies in Education.

Pelgrum H. Voogt J. Ict and curriculum change. An Interdisciplinary Journal on

Humans in ICT Environments, 1(2):157{175, 2005.

Peacock G. Jesson J. The Really Useful ICT Book: A practical guide to using
technology across the primary curriculum. Routledge, 1st edition.

Eurydice. Key Data on Learning and Innovation through ICT at School in Europe
2011. Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency.

European Commission. URL http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/

ict-policy-support-programme. [Accessed October 1st, 2013].

Siraj-Blatchford I. Siraj-Blatchford J. A Guide to Developing the ICT Curriculum

for Early Childhood Education. Trentham Books Ltd.

22
QKLG Professional development. Understanding emergent curriculum in
practice.Queensland Studies Authority.

Board of Trustees of Northern Illinois University. Emergent curriculum. URL

http://www.niu.edu/ccc/curriculum/curriculum.shtml. [Accessed October 1st, 2013].

H¨using T. Korte W. Benchmarking access and use of ict in european schools 2006:
Results from head teacher and a classroom teacher surveys in 27 european
countries. URL http://empirica.biz/publikationen/documents/2006/Learnind_paper_
Korte_Huesing_Code_427_final.pdf. [Accessed October 1st, 2013].

Appendix I

Survey Questionnaire

1. I teach the following subjects: (Open question)

2. Are students allowed to use their personal computers/tablets during classes?

Possible answers: Yes, No

23
3. May the students use the computers etc. only with a teacher’s supervision?

Possible answers: Yes, No, Other

4. What forms of ICT do you use?

Possible answers: Computer, Data projector, Tablet, Interactive whiteboard,

Video camera, GPS, Smartphone, Dictaphone, Other

5. How do you use ICT as a teacher?

Possible answers: In the classroom, The preparations, During lessons, At

presentations, Communication with students, Communication with colleagues,

Homework, Other.

6. How good is the access to ICT materials?

Possible answers: Very bad, pretty bad, either good or bad, pretty good, very

good, do not know/not applicable

7. How well do you feel you are trained for the challenges that ICT brings?

Possible answers: Very bad, pretty bad, neither good nor bad, pretty good, very

good, do not know/not applicable

8. How would you rate the access to technical support?

Possible answers: Very bad, pretty bad, either good or bad, pretty good, very

good, do not know/not applicable

9. Has the role of the teacher changed with the introduction of technology in school?

Possible answers: not at all, partially, much, very much, do not know/not

Applicable

10. What is the extend of the use of ICT in the students’ school lives?

Possible answers: very low, relatively low, neither low nor high, pretty high, very

high, do not know/not applicable

11. How often do the students use computers in their school work?

Possible answers: not at all, rarely, often, very often, do not know/not applicable

24
12. How do you assess the students’ computer skills?

Possible answers: Very bad, pretty bad, either good or bad, pretty good, very

good, do not know/not applicable

13. What is the biggest problem students have in relation to ICT? (Open question)

14. What types of materials/ICT aids children consider as most exciting? (Open

question)

15. What kind of influence has ICT on the student’s motivation and focus?

Possible answers: strongly negative, slightly negative, neither negative nor

positive, moderate positive, strong positive, do not know/not applicable

16. Does technology help the students to become more communicative?

Possible answers: Yes, no, do not know/not applicable

17. How do you see the impact of ICT on the students’ learning?

Possible answers: No effects, slight effect, neither small nor great, quite large

effect, very large effect, do not know/not applicable

18. What form of ICT is best suited to support student learning? (Open question)

19. Does ICT affects the student’s academic performance?

Possible answers: Yes, Partially, No, do not know/not applicable

20. Has the role of the teacher changed with the introduction of technology in school?

21. Curriculum - What goals and visions does school have and how does it work in

reality?

22. What are your thoughts about rules that should apply?

23. How does technology and ICT aids work and in what situation is it used?

24. What kind of further education did you get when ICT was introduced into

schools?

25. What additional courses and further education possibilities do you believe is

needed?

26. How well do you feel you are trained for the challenges that ICT brings?

25
27. Is it easy to create your own material?

28. What form of ICT is best suited to support student learning?

29. Does ICT changed the way you teach?

30. Has ICT caused any problems or does it make your work easier?

31. How do you use ICT? (in the classroom, to preparations, during lessons, at

presentations, communication with students, communication with colleagues,

homework)

32. What forms of ICT do you use ? (Computer, Tablet, Interactive board, GPS, Data

projector, Camcorder, Voice Recorder ...)

33. Are students allowed to use their personal computers/tablets during classes?

34. How do students use computers in their school work?

35. What is the impact of ICT on pupil’s motivation and focus?

36. What types of materials/ICT aids children consider as most exciting?

37. How is technology used in the communicative context? Does it help the children

to become more active?

38. How do you assess the students’ computer skills? Are they curious or do they

prefer the usual "old" methods?

39. Do you believe that ICT helps or hinders the learning? Does it affect the students

negatively or positively?

40. If you look at your role as a teacher today - is it different from 5 years ago, 10

years ago?

41. Is it easier with ICT?

42. What do the students think about working with computers?

43. How do you and your students prefer to work?

44. What abilities do the students already have (chat, surfing, etc.)? What do they

have the biggest problem with? Is it the knowledge or the access (too few

computers, etc.)?

26
45. Do students learn faster, more, differently with the use of ICT?

46. Does ICT influence the students negatively according to you?

47. General advantages/disadvantages of ICT?

48. If something does not work or you do not understand something, is there any

support available?

49. To what extent is ethics in relation to the use of ICT subject of your teaching?

50. General comments. (Open question)

27