Barriers to the use of technology in Jordanian pre‐school settings

Technology has increasingly become an important and accepted tool in early childhood education classrooms. Despite its power and significance in supporting children's development, early childhood educators still struggle with using technology in their teaching practice. This study investigated the barriers to the use of technology in Jordanian pre‐school education. Interviews with pre‐school teachers (n = 30) and principals (n = 15) were conducted. Results indicated that the lack of software, funds, time and technology skills were found to be the main barriers to using technology in most Jordanian pre‐school settings. Moreover, the results revealed that most pre‐school teachers were aware of the value of using technology for learning and teaching, whereas principals were not certain about its benefits for children. The study concludes with putting forward a number of practical and theoretical recommendations for the field of study.

[1]  Mark O'Hara,et al.  Young children, learning and ICT: a case study in the UK maintained sector , 2008 .

[2]  Alonzo E. Hannaford Microcomputers in Special Education: Some New Opportunities, Some Old Problems. , 1983 .

[3]  Michael Kalinowski,et al.  National Association for the Education of Young Children , 1991 .

[4]  Joyce Johanson,et al.  Implementing and Maintaining an Effective Early Childhood Comprehensive Technology System , 2000 .

[5]  John Castellani,et al.  Cross-Cultural Reactions to Using Computers in the Early Childhood Education Classroom , 2002 .

[6]  Michele Knobel,et al.  New Technologies in Early Childhood Literacy Research: A Review of Research , 2003 .

[7]  Patrick Kariuki,et al.  The Effects of Teacher Mediation on Kindergarten Students' Computer-Assisted Mathematics Learning , 2007 .

[8]  D. Clements Computers in Early Childhood Mathematics , 2002 .

[9]  Ed Smeets,et al.  Does ICT contribute to powerful learning environments in primary education? , 2005, Comput. Educ..

[10]  A. Paterson Costs of information and communication technology in developing country school systems: the experience of Botswana, Namibia and Seychelles , 2007 .

[11]  James R. Layton,et al.  Teaching with the Internet: Lessons from the Classroom , 1999, J. Educ. Technol. Soc..

[12]  J. Sarama,et al.  Young Children and Technology: What Does the Research Say? , 2003 .

[13]  John Castellani,et al.  Emerging Reading and Writing Strategies Using Technology , 2001 .

[14]  Christine Stephen,et al.  Enhancing learning with information and communication technologies in pre‐school , 2008 .

[15]  R. Nasser A formative assessment of information communication technology in Lebanese schools , 2008 .

[16]  Paul C. Burnett,et al.  ICT Integration and Teachers' Confidence in Using ICT for Teaching and Learning in Queensland State Schools. , 2006 .

[17]  Lesley Mandel Morrow,et al.  Literacy Development in the Early Years: Helping Children Read and Write , 1989 .

[18]  Christine Stephen,et al.  Children, play, and computers in pre-school education , 2005, Br. J. Educ. Technol..

[19]  Julie Sarama,et al.  The Role of Technology in Early Childhood Learning , 2002 .

[20]  Russell K. Schutt,et al.  Research Methods in Education , 2011 .

[21]  Giuliana Dettori,et al.  Supporting information and communications technology in the early years , 2004, Br. J. Educ. Technol..

[22]  Harriet K. Cuffaro Microcomputers in Education: Why is Earlier Better? , 1984, Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education.

[23]  Susan W. Haugland Computers and Young Children. ERIC Digest. , 2000 .

[24]  William Sugar,et al.  Examining Teachers' Decisions To Adopt New Technology , 2004, J. Educ. Technol. Soc..

[25]  Chung Wai Christina 韓重惠 Han,et al.  Leadership Roles of a Pre-School Principal in the Use of Information and Communication Technology: A Hong Kong Experience , 2002 .

[26]  S. Bredekamp Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8 , 1987 .

[27]  Suzy Edwards,et al.  Identifying the factors that influence computer use in the early childhood classroom , 2005 .

[28]  Marie-Gráinne Boyhan,et al.  Computers and young children , 1984 .

[29]  Anette Sandberg,et al.  Preschool Teacher’s Conceptions of Computers and Play , 2002 .

[30]  Graham Hitchcock,et al.  Research and the teacher , 1989 .

[31]  Nicola Yelland,et al.  A Study of Pre-School Teachers' Thoughts about Computer-Assisted Instruction , 2002 .

[32]  Michael Busler,et al.  Adoption and usage of ICT in developing countries: Case of Ugandan firms , 2007 .

[33]  Jan Turbill,et al.  A Researcher Goes to School: Using Technology in the Kindergarten Literacy Curriculum , 2001 .

[34]  T. Downes Children's and Families' Use of Computers in Australian Homes , 2002 .

[35]  Mark Lawler,et al.  Investing in ICTs in educational institutions in developing countries: An evaluation of their impact in Kenya , 2007 .

[36]  Sue Bredekamp,et al.  Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs , 1997 .

[37]  J. Ziviani,et al.  Barriers to the use of assistive technology for children with multiple disabilities. , 2004, Occupational therapy international.

[38]  P. Klein,et al.  Computers for Cognitive Development in Early Childhood—The Teacher’s Role in the Computer Learning Environment , 2004 .