developing digital literacy in early years settings: professional development needs...
TRANSCRIPT
Developing Digital Literacy in Early Years Settings Professional Development Needs for Practitioners A White Paper for COST Action IS1410
Jackie Marsh Stavroula Kontovourki Eufimia Tafa and Saara Salomaa httpdigiliteyeu
Contents Page
1 Introduction 3
2 Barriers to Digital Literacy Practice in Early Years Settings 4
3 Digital Literacy CPD for Early Years Practitioners 11
4 Conclusion 16
References 17
2
To cite this paper
Marsh J Kontovourki S Tafa E and Salomaa S (2017) Developing Digital Literacy in Early Years Settings Professional Development Needs for Practitioners A White Paper for COST Action IS1410 [Accessed httpdigiliteyeu]
Images on cover and page 9 from httpspixabaycomenworkplace-team-business-meeting-1245776 and httpspixabaycomencoffee-break-conference-women-1177540 CC0 Public Domain
Image on page 15 From httpspixabaycomenworkplace-team-business-meeting-1245776 CDC Dawn Arlotta CC0 Public Domain
1
Introduction
Technological developments over the last 30 years have led to significant changes in
young childrens communicative practices Traditional literacy practices are still
prevalent but now children have access to multiple modes and media in order to
convey their messages In this multimedia world they read on-screen and
communicate with both known and unknown others in online environments These
developments have important implications for the early years curriculum not only on
literacy but also in other learning areas as mathematics (Papadakis Kalogiannakis amp
Zaranis 2016) There is a need to develop childrens skills and knowledge so that
they can operate effectively being able to create and express themselves within a
digital environment
There has been much debate in the early childhood education field with regard to the
use of technology in the curriculum but there is now general consensus that children
need some access in order to become familiar with a range of hardware and software
(NAEYC 2012) Nevertheless there is still a general lack of progress with regard to
early years practitionersrsquo use of technology in the curriculum (Lui 2016 Thorpe
Hansen Danby et al 2015) The reasons for this are complex but relate to a number
of barriers that are presented by technological personal or other reasons These
barriers are discussed in the next section before a review of issues relating to the
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) needs of early years practitioners are
outlined
3
2
Barriers to Digital Literacy Practice in Early Years Settings
There have been few studies that have looked specifically at barriers in relation to
digital literacy practice therefore this review focuses on barriers to the use of
technology in early childhood settings given that this is a closely related topic Ertmer
(1999) identified the barriers to practitionersrsquo use of technology being of an extrinsic or
intrinsic nature Extrinsic or first-order barriers as Ertmer (1999) identifies them
include lack of resources limited time lack of technical support or not having access
to appropriate training whilst intrinsic second-order barriers are related to the beliefs
and value-systems of individuals Similar extrinsic and intrinsic barriers have been also
identified by Blackwell Lauricella amp Wartella (2014) Plumb and Kautz (2015)
undertook a review of research on the barriers to the integration of information
technology within early childhood education and care institutions They drew on
Nikolopoulou and Gialamasrsquos (20133) observation that there is no lsquosingle accepted
classification of barriersrsquo and they therefore developed their own set of barriers
based on a careful review of 19 articles The barriers they identified are discussed
separately below
Educator beliefs and attitudes These were one of the most frequently cited
barriers in the papers reviewed by Plumb and Kautz (2015) Concerns have been
expressed by early years educators about the perceived negative impact of children
on learning and socials skills (Li 2006) Some feel that young children are too young
to access technologies (Wood et al 2008) Others draw on traditional theories of
early childhood practice which emphasise non-digital activities including the need to
focus on basic numeracy and literacy (Lindahl and Folkesson 2012 McDougall
4
2010) Research has indicated previously that beliefs and attitudes are two of the
strongest internal factors on teachersrsquo practice (Clandinin 1986 Nespor 1987
Pajares 1992) and this is also the case in relation to their use of technology (Inan and
Lowther 2010) In addition teachersrsquo own life-history experiences impact on their
practice (Britzman 1989 Grossman 1990 Lortie 1975) Friedrichs-Liesenkoumltter
(2011-2012) theorises the persistence of teachersrsquo beliefs and attitudes through the
notion of habitus and uses it to explain that even young future educators with
extensive experience with digital media in their daily lives share the same negative
attitudes of practising teachers towards the use of digital media in early childhood
educational settings Given that some practitioners may well have had little
experience of meaningful use of technology in their own schooling this could impact
on their beliefs and attitudes Early childhood teacher education programmes can
play a crucial role in formulating student teachersrsquo views and intentions and also in
providing pedagogical learning experiences so that future teachers will be able to
judge when it is appropriate to integrate ICT in their classes and how (Nikolopoulou amp
Gialamas 2009) Teachers can also be encouraged to pedagogically experiment and
explore digital practices together with children with all participants being involved in
the process of teaching and learning (Lafton 2012)
Lack of knowledge and skills Plumb and Kautz (2015) identify that many of the
studies they reviewed outlined early years practitionersrsquo lack of IT knowledge and
related skills as being a key barrier to enhancing practice (eg Ihmeideh 2010
Plowman and Stephen 2005) Mishra and Koehler (2006) drawing on Lee Shulmanrsquos
work on Pedagogical Content Knowledge (the knowledge required to teach a
particular subject) introduced the concept of lsquoTechnological Pedagogical Content
Knowledgersquo (TPACK) This refers specifically to the knowledge required to embed the
use of technology in subject teaching or as Kildan and Incikabi (2015) put it
knowledge that centres on the triple intersection of technology pedagogy and
content It is not sufficient to be able to use technology practitioners need to be able
to understand how technology can be used pedagogically in ways that are
appropriate to the subject(s) being taught (Koehler Mishra Kereluik et al 2014)
There is therefore an identified need to enhance early yearsrsquo practitionersrsquo TPACK
5
(Voogt and McKenney 2016) as well as expand it to include their understanding of
the ways particular technology tools are important to young children (Parette
Quesenberry amp Blum 2010) There is also a need for teachers to be knowledgable
about digital media cultures that are important for children (Edwards 2013 Mertala
2016) This does not mean that teachers should know everything that children do and
use in the digital world as that would not be possible Rather having some familiarity
with the landscape is useful as teachers can then let pupils be the experts about their
own digital practices and inform teachers about these (Parry 2013)
Lack of equipment resources Plumb and Kautz (2015) report that numerous
studies identified that early years settings often lacked ICT equipment and or access
to broadband or wireless (eg Fenty and McKendry Anderson 2014 Nikolopoulou
and Gialamas 2013) This is particularly important given that teachers are found to
report the availability of resources or lack thereof as the precondition for considering
further issues relating to technology integration in teaching (Hesterman 2011 Thorpe
et al 2015) Alongside having sufficient resources practitioners should be
encouraged to develop such educational understanding that allows them to
pedagogically examine digital cultures together with children drawing from childrenrsquos
everyday experiences even without using concrete digital equipment (eg Mertala
2016)
Lack of training Studies reviewed by Plumb and Kautz (2015) indicated that many
early years practitioners identified that they had insufficient training on technologies to
be able to use them effectively in their settings (Blackwell et al 2013 Parette et al
2013) This is a point that holds across practices and sectors in relation to early years
practitionersrsquo development given that there are studies on both teacher education
(eg Gruszczynska Merchant amp Pountney 2013) and teachersrsquo in-service training
(eg Ihmeideh 2009) Problems included early years settings having insufficient
resources to pay for staff to attend training (Ihmeideh 2009) and training being of
questionable quality (Plowman and Stephen 2005)
6
Classroom condition constraints Plumb and Kautz (2015) outline a number of
challenges which impact on the use of technology in settings including large class
sizes (Nikolopoulou and Gialamas 2013) and technology being located in places
external to the classroom such as an office (Fenty and McKendry Anderson 2014)
Educator lack of confidence The studies drawn upon by Plumb and Kautz (2015)
such as Blackwell et al (2014) and Nikolopoulou and Gialamas (2013) point to the
way in which early years practitioners sometimes lack confidence in their own abilities
to use technologies Such an attitude has been found to be directly linked to skill and
classroom practice and to be shaped by varied factors including the practitionersrsquo
number of years teaching (Inan and Lowther 2010) their role in an educational
setting their home computer access and their training (Chen amp Chang 2006)
Research also indicates that early years teachersrsquo capabilities of using ICT for
personal purposes or their positive attitudes towards personal ICT use do not
automatically transfer into professional confidence or relevant ECE practices
(Palailogou 2016) This implies that it is essential to focus on ECE pedagogical use of
ICT in professional training not only on general ICT competences
Lack of appropriate educational software Plumb and Kautz (2015) identify a
range of studies that indicate that many teachers feel they do not have sufficient
access to appropriate software (eg Ihmeideh 2009)
Lack of support In a review of the barriers to effective use of ICT Becta (2004)
identified the presence of high-level support as being important in enabling teachers
to overcome issues relating to lack of confidence Blackwell et al (2014) identify
support as key to utilising technology even in educational settings where
technological resources are available Plumb and Kautz (2015) in their review of
literature point to the way in which a lack of support limits early yearsrsquo practitionersrsquo
practice in the use of technology For example Nikolopoulou and Gialamasrsquo (2013)
study identified a lack of technical support as a key problem whilst a lack of support
from administrators and parents is also an important barrier to use (Fenty and
McKendry Anderson 2014 Li 2006) Lack of support might also refer to the lack of
7
follow-up sessions to validate and assess teachersrsquo efforts to integrate technology in
their teaching (Keengwe amp Onchwari 2009)
IT technical problems Plumb and Kautz (2015) note that outdated equipment is a
key barrier to extending use of technology in early years settings (Fenty and
McKendry Andersonrsquos 2014) In addition breakdowns of equipment frustrate
practitioners and children alike (Blackwell et al 2013)
Lack of funding In Plumb and Kautzrsquos (20156) review they note that a number of
studies lsquoexplicitly identified funding or budget limitations as a barrier to IT integration in
ECEC organisationsrsquo such as Ihmeidehrsquos (2009) study of Jordanian pre-schools This
of course links to the previous points with regards to the barriers created by lack of
access to equipment and software Goktas Gedik and Baydas (2013) argue that the
provision of funding should ameloriate this problem but their study was conducted in
Turkey which points to the uneven distribution of technology-related funding in
schools across Europe
Physical environment constraints Plumb and Kautz (2015) identify studies that
have reported such issues as a lack of physical space (Ihmeideh 2009) and too few
electrical sockets (Wood et al 2008) which prevented some practitioners using
technology However physical barriers were only reported in some countries (eg
Greece and Turkey) and not others
Lack of time Time is recurrent trope in the literature on the barriers to the use of
technology in education as eductators report a lack of time to develop their own
expertise or a lack of time available in the curriculum (Goktas et al 2013 Hew and
Brush 2006) As Plumb and Kautz (2015 7) point out early childhood educators
have additional responsibilities such as lsquotoileting and assisting at meal times
supervising play-time liaising with parents and undertaking administrative dutiesrsquo
and these time constrains have been found to mitigate against the use of technology
(Li 2006 Wood et al 2008)
8
Early childhood curriculum and guidelines Plumb and Kautz (2015) suggest that
whilst some countries do recognise the place of technology in their early years
curriculum others do not which offers a key barrier to progress in this area As the
DigiLitEY report by Kontovourki and Tafa (2015) suggests whilst many countries in
Europe do attend to issues related to the use of technology there is less consistency
with regard to references to digital literacy in early years curricula Edwards (2013)
also points out that regardless of the importance of digital play in childrenrsquos lives
curricula tend to neglect digital technologies when attending to play and playful
learning
Nature of the early childhood educational sector The final barrier identified by
Plumb and Kautz (2015) relates to the cultural issues There is a lack of a tradition of
research and development in relation to new literacies particular within early years
settings with an emphasis on natural first-hand experiential learning which
sometimes creates attitudinal barriers (Parette et al 2013) This is also implied in
early years practitionersrsquo concerns about their competing responsibilities and their
technology integration efforts (Keengwe amp Onchwari 2009) Such assertions reveal
the conceptualisation of early years pedagogy as distinct from technology use or
conversely of technology as irrelevant to what would be considered as early
childhood education Research indicates that whilst early years teachers value
promoting childrenrsquos socio-emotional skills more than academic skills they also
consider ICT as a tool for learning academic skills not socio-emotional skills (Mertala
2017) Strategies need to be developed that will enable educators to address some of
the challenges faced in this area In training it could be beneficial to highlight the
pedagogical implications of ICT for developing childrenrsquos social skills participation
creativity (eg Leinonen amp Sintonen 2015 Onnismaa Rintakorpi amp Rusanen 2014)
and other aspects valued within the early childhood education sector at the same
time as it develops early literacy thus helping practitioners to meaningfully include
digital media in early years pedagogies This way ICT pedagogical competence
becomes an extension of educatorsrsquo existing proficiency rather than being a new and
peripheral area of expertise (Mertala 2017)
9
The enablers that promote the use of technology are directly related to the barriers in
that addressing some of the issues above ensures that they no longer prevent
technology integration but foster it So for example Gotkas Yildirim and Yildirim
(2009) identify the following as enablers (i) having clear plans and policies (ii) having
access to training (iii) finance (iv) support (v) providing educators with time (vi) having
appropriate curricula
One of the key ways in which early years practitionersrsquo greater use of digital literacy in
early years classrooms might be promoted is through the use of effective continuing
development professional development (CPD) as in point (ii) of Gotkas et alrsquos
recommendations As Blackwell et al (2013) noted in a study of 1329 teachers of 0-4
year olds the level of frequency of engagement in CPD predicted increased use of
computers and tablet computers In the next section the key aspects of CPD that
need to be considered in the development of any such programme are considered
10
3
Digital literacy CPD for early years practitioners
As noted above one of the key barriers to furthering practice is early years
practitionersrsquo knowledge specifically TPACK In a systematic review of interventions
aimed at developing teachersrsquo knowledge in this area Evens Elen and Depaepe
(2015) identified that there were certain elements of programmes that were important
if they were to be effective The first is reflection reflection that fosters higher-order
thinking in particular is essential There should also be opportunities for practitioners
to try out approaches that they have been introduced to through an intervention (Van
Driel and Berry 2012) and to have opportunities to reflect critically on these
experiences This kind of risk-taking and experimentation is important and needs to
take place in a supportive environment Second the development of relevant
knowledge is also key but it is important to link content knowledge to pedagogical
knowledge That is understanding what digital literacies are and how they develop is
important but practitioners need also to be introduced to how those concepts and
processes can be embedded in classroom practice (Gruszczynska Merchant amp
Pountney 2013) Third practitioners should be introduced to the TPACK model at the
beginning of any programme so that they are clear about its nature and how the
programme addresses their related needs Finally having contact with other
educators in the programme so they can learn together is important This point
relates to literature that emphasises the need to develop communities of practice
(CoP) in CPD programmes
The CoP concept was developed by Lave and Wenger (1991) to describe the
process of learning that operates within groups Lave and Wenger originally
11
developed the term to refer to the learning that operates between members of a
particular profession or people who share a craft In this context people who are
experienced and have long-established knowledge of the craft or profession share
their knowledge and experience with others They suggest that the process of
lsquolegitimate peripheral participationrsquo occurs in which apprentices learn from the edges
of a professional space by observing and learning from the more experienced
members of the group at the centre of the practice Through a process of learning
from being involved in this participatory action situated learning takes place Wenger
(1998) developed the concept further in his later publications He suggested that a
CoP involved three inter-related aspects mutual engagement joint enterprise and
shared repertoire (Wenger 1998 pp72-3) When members of the community are
mutually engaged in an activity strong relationships amongst members of the group
are formed The members of the group are mutually engaged in a joint enterprise
which binds the group together This aspect of learning appears to be important in
relation to educatorsrsquo CPD (Evens Elen and Depaepe 2015)
Having the opportunity to engage in action research is also a significant factor in
successful CPD programmes (Grace Reitdijk Garrett and Griffiths 2015) Action
research can enable practitioners to learn from looking at their practice carefully and
helps them to relate theory to practice (Cordingley 2015) It can impact on affect
enabling practitioners to feel proud and excited about their work and enhance their
sense of agency (Leat Reid and Lofthouse 2015) In terms of agency opportunities
to co-design professional development programmes is important so that they meet
the needs of individuals (Greany and Brown 2015) Whilst individual research is
valuable it is also helpful to offer opportunities for collaborative research Kennedy
(2014) developed a whole-school collaborative approach to practitioner researcher in
which teachers in a single school worked together to identify key challenges and
evaluate approaches to addressing these Her work provides a powerful model of
collaborative practice in relation to research
From a head teachersrsquo perspective Bates and Watt suggest that effective CPD
should include seven strategies as follows (i) offering CPD for all staff not just those
12
involved in teaching (ii) ensuring CPD is linked to school priorities (iii) staff mentoring
and peer-coaching (iv) the development of inter-school networks and partnerships
(which links to the concept of CoP) (v) team-teaching (vi) peer-review (viii) ongoing
assessment of the impact of CPD Other factors have also been identified as
important in relation to effective CPD Duration is important ndash more successful CPD is
sustained and long-term and programmes should also be coherent in relation to
educatorsrsquo beliefs and practices (Desimone 2009) Chen and Changrsquos (2006) also
summarise the following three issues as having key implications for early childhood
teacher training the support for teachers to make classroom implementation a
priority the provision of training that expands beyond the length of one week and
the need for training to match teachersrsquo varying degrees of confidence skill and
practice The possibility to personalise content is also key and it is also crucial to be
able to localise programmes which is of particular interest when considering a cross-
European approach (Lipowski Jorde Prenze and Seidel 2014)
Finally in considering the needs of any CPD programme that focuses on digital
literacy Rosaen and Terpstra (2012) argue that practitioners should have
opportunities to engage in reflecting on epistemological perspectives on literacy so
that they can consider how literacy is changing due to technological developments In
this way changes in beliefs and values can influence practice In addition they
promote the need to engage practitioners in hands-on design activities in which they
themselves are creating digital multimodal texts The teachers involved in their
intervention did this and Rosaen and Terpstra argue that as a result
hellipthe teacher candidates seemed to gain knowledge skill and
understanding of their new technology by designing a product for a real
audience (their peers) and blogging about their learning processes As they
learned about their new literacy they had to make strategic decisions about
how to represent ideas about topics such as visual or environmental literacy
and try to take advantage of the affordances of that technology as a medium
of communication
Rosaen and Terpstra (2012 46)
13
In addition some CPD programmes enable practitioners to collaboratively design
curriculum materials which has a positive impact on outcomes (Landerholm Gehrie
amp Hao 2004 Voogt Laferriegravere Breuleux et al 2015)
Therefore a review of the literature indicates that a successful approach to the CPD
of early years practitioners with regard to furthering their understanding of and
practice in the teaching and learning of digital literacy should contain the elements
outlined in Table 1
14
Table 1 Elements to be embedded in a digital literacy CPD programme
Practitioners have input into the design of the programme
Programme sustained over time
Practitioners are clear about the aims and objectives of the programme from the beginning the programme has coherence and it is clearly contributing to comprehensive goals of early education
Programme embeds opportunities for critical reflection
Programme embeds opportunities to explore the different epistemological understandings of literacy and consider how literacy is being transformed through technological developments
Risk-taking and experimentation are embedded
Designing and disseminating digital multimodal texts and artefacts are enabled
Technical content and pedagogical knowledge are developed in tandem
Practitioners are encouraged to observe discuss and pedagogically utilise those childrenrsquos media cultural interests that integrate both digital and non-digital practices
Practitioners are able to personalise content also create content together with children
Practitioners are able to localise content
Programme promotes the construction and maintenance of communities of practice networks
There are opportunities to relate theory to practice throughout the programme
Programme embeds opportunities to undertake (independent and or collaborative) action research
Opportunities for coaching peer-mentoring and team teaching are embedded
Practitioners are encouraged to assess the impact of the programme on a continuous basis to feed into its development
15
3
Conclusion
There is sustained evidence that there is a lack of opportunity for early years
practitioners to engage in professional development in relation to digital literacy to any
meaningful extent as outlined in this report A range of barriers exists in relation to the
furthering of practice (Plumb and Kautz 2015) A number of barriers relate to the early
years practitioners themselves such as their beliefs and attitudes their level of
confidence in using technologies and their level of technological and pedagogical
content knowledge Research reviewed in this report suggests that many of these
barriers emerge from or connect to teachersrsquo established understandings of the early
childhood sector and the curriculum therein Two binaries may identified there as key
in shaping teachersrsquo practices and beliefs the binary between ldquoconventionalrdquo and
new early childhood literacies and the binary between teachersrsquo own use and
integration of technology in the classroom To deconstruct such binaries one needs
to consider how CPD may offer early years practitioners opportunities to engage with
their own and othersrsquo epistemological understandings of literacy as well as
realisations of new literacies in (childrenrsquos and their own) everyday lives This would
ultimately necessitate and link to a shift in practitionersrsquo professional identities
There is also a recognised lack of training and support therefore the development of
a CPD programme that might impact positively on these elements is important It is of
course not in itself sufficient ndash there also needs to be a focus on other barriers to
progress such as a lack of resources and effective policies at a national level
Nevertheless the development of a CPD programme that embeds the effective
elements of such activities as outlined in Table 1 is required if young children are to
be offered early years education that is appropriate for twenty-first century demands
16
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Blackwell CK Lauricella AR Wartella E Robb M and Schomburg R
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Chen J-Q amp Chang C (2006) Using computers in early childhood classrooms
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Clandinin DJ (1986) Classroom Practice Teacher Images in Action London
Falmer Press
17
Cordingley P (2015) The contribution of research to teachersrsquo professional
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Desimone LM (2009) Improving Impact Studies of Teachersrsquo Professional
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Researcher Vol 38 (3) pp181-199
Edwards S (2013) Digital play in the early years a contextual response to the
problem of integrating technologies and play-based pedagogies in the early childhood
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212
Ertmer P (1999) Addressing first- and second-order barriers to change
Strategies for technology integration Educational Technology Research and
Development 47(4) 47-61 doi 101007bf02299597
Evens M Elen J amp Depaepe F (2015) Developing pedagogical content
knowledge Lessons learned from intervention studies Education Research
International doi1011552015790417
Fenty NS and McKendry Anderson EM (2014) Examining Educatorsrsquo
Knowledge Beliefs and Practices About Using Technology With Young Children
Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education 35 (2) pp 114-134
Friedrichs-Liesenkoumltter H (2015) Media-educational Habitus of Future Educators
in the Context of Education in Day-Care Centers Journal of Media Literacy
Education 7(1) 18-34
18
Goktas Y Gedik N amp Baydas O (2013) Enablers and barriers to the use of ICT
in primary schools in Turkey A comparative study of 2005ndash2011 Computers amp
Education 68 211-222 doi 101016jcompedu201305002
Goktas Y Yildirim S amp Yildirim Z (2009) Main Barriers and Possible Enablers
of ICTs Integration into Pre-service Teacher Education Programs Educational
Technology amp Society 12 (1) 193ndash204
Grace M Rietdijk W Garrett C amp Griffiths J (2015) Improving physics teaching
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programme Teacher Development 194 496-519 DOI
1010801366453020151073612
Greany T and Brown C (2015) Partnerships between teaching schools and
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Grossman P (1990) The Making of a Teacher Teacher Knowledge and Teacher
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Gruszczynska A Merchant G amp Pountney R (2013) Digital Futures in Teacher
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Hesterman S (2011) A Contested Space the dialogic intersection of ICT
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Hew K F amp Brush T (2006) Integrating technology into K-12 teaching and
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101007s11423-006-9022-5
Ihmeideh F M (2009) Barriers to the use of technology in Jordanian pre-school
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Ihmeideh FM (2010) The role of computer technology in teaching reading and
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Childhood Education 24 (1) pp 60-79
Inan F A amp Lowther D L (2010) Laptops in the K-12 classrooms exploring
factors impacting instructional use Computers amp Education 55 (3) 937ndash944
Keengwe J amp Onchwari G (2009) Technology and early childhood education A
technology integration professional development model for practicing teachers
Early Childhood Education Journal 37 209-218
Kennedy E (2014) Raising Literacy Achievement in High-Poverty Schools An
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Kildan A O amp Incikabi L (2015) Effects on the technological pedagogical
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(eds) Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology
Springer
Kontovourki S and Tafa E (2015) Draft Summary Report for Second DigiLitEY
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Leinonen J amp Sintonen S (2014) Productive participation ndash Children as active media
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Landerholm E Gehrie C amp Hao Y (2004) Educating early childhood teachers
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Lave J and Wenger E (1991) Situated Learning Legitimate Peripheral
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Leat D Reid A amp Lofthouse R (2015) Teachersrsquo experiences of engagement
with and in educational research what can be learned from teachersrsquo views
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Li H (2006) Integrating Information and Communication Technologies Into the
Early Childhood Curriculum Chinese Principalsrsquo Views of the Challenges and
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Lindahl MG and Folkesson A-M (2012) Can we let computers change
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Lipowski K Jorde D Prenze M and Seidel T (2014) Expert views on the
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Liu P (2016) Technology Integration in Elementary Classrooms Teaching
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McDougall J (2010) A crisis of professional identity How primary teachers are
coming to terms with changing views of literacy Teaching and Teacher Education
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Mertala P (2017) Wag the dog - The nature and foundations of preschool educators
positive ICT pedagogical beliefs Computers in Human Behavior Vol 69 197-206
Mishra P amp Koehler MJ (2006) Technological pedagogical content knowledge
A framework for integrating technology in teacher knowledge Teachers College
Record 108(6) 1017-1054
NAEYC (2012) Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood
Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8 NAEYC Joint Position
Statement with the Fred Rogers Center Accessed at httpwwwnaeycorgfiles
naeycPS_technology_WEBpdf
Nespor J (1987) The role of beliefs in the practice of teaching Journal of
Curriculum Studies (19) 4 317ndash28
22
Nikolopoulou K and Gialamas V (2013) Barriers to the integration of computers
in early childhood settings Teachersrsquo perceptions Education and Information
Technologies pp 1-17
Onnismaa E-L Rintakorpi K amp Rusanen S (2014) ldquoTake a picturerdquo Children as
photographers and co-constructors of culture in an early childhood education
environment In H Ruismaumlki amp I Ruokonen (eds) Voices for Tomorrow Sixth
International Journal of Intercultural Arts Education University of Helsinki Research
Report 352
Palaiologou I (2016) Teachersrsquo dispositions towards the role of digital devices in play-
based pedagogy in early childhood education Early Years Vol 36 (3) 305-321 DOI
1010800957514620161174816
Pajares M (1992) Teachersrsquo beliefs and educational research cleaning up a
messy construct Review of Educational Research (62)3 307ndash32
Papadakis S Kalogiannakis M amp Zaranis N (2016) Comparing tablets and
PCs in teaching mathematics An attempt to improve mathematics competence in
early childhood education Preschool amp Primary Education 4(2) 241-253
Parette HP Blum C and Quesenberry AC (2013) The role of technology for
young children in the 21st century in HP Parette and C Blum (eds)
Instructional technology in early childhood (pp 1-28) Brookes Publishing
Parette H P Quesenberry A C amp Blum C (2010) Missing the boat with
technology usage in early childhood settings A 21st century view of
developmentally appropriate practice Early Childhood Education Journal 37(5)
335-343
Parry RL (2013) Children Film and Literacy Basingstoke Palgrave Macmillan
23
Plowman L and Stephen C (2005) Children play and computers in pre-school
education British Journal of Educational Technology 36 (2) pp 145-157
Plumb M and Kautz K (2015) Barriers to the Integration of Information
Technology within Early Childhood Education and Care Organisations A Review of
the Literature Presented at the Australasian Conference on Information Systems
2015
Rosaen C and Terpstra M (2012) Widening worlds understanding and teaching
new literaciesrsquo Studying Teacher Education A Journal of Self-study of Teacher
Education Practices 8(1) 35ndash49
Thorpe K Hansen J Danby S Davidson C Zaki F M Grant S and Given
L M (2015) Teachers teaching and digital technologies reports from the early
childhood classroom Early Childhood Research Quarterly 32 httpdxdoiorg
101016jecresq201504001
Van Driel JH and Berry A (2012) Teacher Professional Development Focusing
on Pedagogical Content Knowledge Educational Researcher Vol 41 (1) pp26
-28
Voogt J Laferriegravere T Breuleux A Itow R C Hickey DT and McKenney S
(2015) Collaborative design as a form of professional development Instructional
Science 43 259 doi101007s11251-014-9340-7
Voogt J and McKnney S (2016) TPACK in teacher education are we preparing
teachers to use technology for early literacy Technology Pedagogy and
Education Published online ahead of print 4th May 2016 httpdxdoiorg
1010801475939X20161174730
Wenger E (1998) Communities of Practice Learning Meaning and Identity
Cambridge Cambridge University Press
24
Wood E Specht J Willoughby T and Mueller J (2008) Integrating Computer
Technology in Early Childhood Education Environments Issues Raised by Early
Childhood Educators Alberta Journal of Educational Research 54 (2) pp
210-226
25
Contents Page
1 Introduction 3
2 Barriers to Digital Literacy Practice in Early Years Settings 4
3 Digital Literacy CPD for Early Years Practitioners 11
4 Conclusion 16
References 17
2
To cite this paper
Marsh J Kontovourki S Tafa E and Salomaa S (2017) Developing Digital Literacy in Early Years Settings Professional Development Needs for Practitioners A White Paper for COST Action IS1410 [Accessed httpdigiliteyeu]
Images on cover and page 9 from httpspixabaycomenworkplace-team-business-meeting-1245776 and httpspixabaycomencoffee-break-conference-women-1177540 CC0 Public Domain
Image on page 15 From httpspixabaycomenworkplace-team-business-meeting-1245776 CDC Dawn Arlotta CC0 Public Domain
1
Introduction
Technological developments over the last 30 years have led to significant changes in
young childrens communicative practices Traditional literacy practices are still
prevalent but now children have access to multiple modes and media in order to
convey their messages In this multimedia world they read on-screen and
communicate with both known and unknown others in online environments These
developments have important implications for the early years curriculum not only on
literacy but also in other learning areas as mathematics (Papadakis Kalogiannakis amp
Zaranis 2016) There is a need to develop childrens skills and knowledge so that
they can operate effectively being able to create and express themselves within a
digital environment
There has been much debate in the early childhood education field with regard to the
use of technology in the curriculum but there is now general consensus that children
need some access in order to become familiar with a range of hardware and software
(NAEYC 2012) Nevertheless there is still a general lack of progress with regard to
early years practitionersrsquo use of technology in the curriculum (Lui 2016 Thorpe
Hansen Danby et al 2015) The reasons for this are complex but relate to a number
of barriers that are presented by technological personal or other reasons These
barriers are discussed in the next section before a review of issues relating to the
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) needs of early years practitioners are
outlined
3
2
Barriers to Digital Literacy Practice in Early Years Settings
There have been few studies that have looked specifically at barriers in relation to
digital literacy practice therefore this review focuses on barriers to the use of
technology in early childhood settings given that this is a closely related topic Ertmer
(1999) identified the barriers to practitionersrsquo use of technology being of an extrinsic or
intrinsic nature Extrinsic or first-order barriers as Ertmer (1999) identifies them
include lack of resources limited time lack of technical support or not having access
to appropriate training whilst intrinsic second-order barriers are related to the beliefs
and value-systems of individuals Similar extrinsic and intrinsic barriers have been also
identified by Blackwell Lauricella amp Wartella (2014) Plumb and Kautz (2015)
undertook a review of research on the barriers to the integration of information
technology within early childhood education and care institutions They drew on
Nikolopoulou and Gialamasrsquos (20133) observation that there is no lsquosingle accepted
classification of barriersrsquo and they therefore developed their own set of barriers
based on a careful review of 19 articles The barriers they identified are discussed
separately below
Educator beliefs and attitudes These were one of the most frequently cited
barriers in the papers reviewed by Plumb and Kautz (2015) Concerns have been
expressed by early years educators about the perceived negative impact of children
on learning and socials skills (Li 2006) Some feel that young children are too young
to access technologies (Wood et al 2008) Others draw on traditional theories of
early childhood practice which emphasise non-digital activities including the need to
focus on basic numeracy and literacy (Lindahl and Folkesson 2012 McDougall
4
2010) Research has indicated previously that beliefs and attitudes are two of the
strongest internal factors on teachersrsquo practice (Clandinin 1986 Nespor 1987
Pajares 1992) and this is also the case in relation to their use of technology (Inan and
Lowther 2010) In addition teachersrsquo own life-history experiences impact on their
practice (Britzman 1989 Grossman 1990 Lortie 1975) Friedrichs-Liesenkoumltter
(2011-2012) theorises the persistence of teachersrsquo beliefs and attitudes through the
notion of habitus and uses it to explain that even young future educators with
extensive experience with digital media in their daily lives share the same negative
attitudes of practising teachers towards the use of digital media in early childhood
educational settings Given that some practitioners may well have had little
experience of meaningful use of technology in their own schooling this could impact
on their beliefs and attitudes Early childhood teacher education programmes can
play a crucial role in formulating student teachersrsquo views and intentions and also in
providing pedagogical learning experiences so that future teachers will be able to
judge when it is appropriate to integrate ICT in their classes and how (Nikolopoulou amp
Gialamas 2009) Teachers can also be encouraged to pedagogically experiment and
explore digital practices together with children with all participants being involved in
the process of teaching and learning (Lafton 2012)
Lack of knowledge and skills Plumb and Kautz (2015) identify that many of the
studies they reviewed outlined early years practitionersrsquo lack of IT knowledge and
related skills as being a key barrier to enhancing practice (eg Ihmeideh 2010
Plowman and Stephen 2005) Mishra and Koehler (2006) drawing on Lee Shulmanrsquos
work on Pedagogical Content Knowledge (the knowledge required to teach a
particular subject) introduced the concept of lsquoTechnological Pedagogical Content
Knowledgersquo (TPACK) This refers specifically to the knowledge required to embed the
use of technology in subject teaching or as Kildan and Incikabi (2015) put it
knowledge that centres on the triple intersection of technology pedagogy and
content It is not sufficient to be able to use technology practitioners need to be able
to understand how technology can be used pedagogically in ways that are
appropriate to the subject(s) being taught (Koehler Mishra Kereluik et al 2014)
There is therefore an identified need to enhance early yearsrsquo practitionersrsquo TPACK
5
(Voogt and McKenney 2016) as well as expand it to include their understanding of
the ways particular technology tools are important to young children (Parette
Quesenberry amp Blum 2010) There is also a need for teachers to be knowledgable
about digital media cultures that are important for children (Edwards 2013 Mertala
2016) This does not mean that teachers should know everything that children do and
use in the digital world as that would not be possible Rather having some familiarity
with the landscape is useful as teachers can then let pupils be the experts about their
own digital practices and inform teachers about these (Parry 2013)
Lack of equipment resources Plumb and Kautz (2015) report that numerous
studies identified that early years settings often lacked ICT equipment and or access
to broadband or wireless (eg Fenty and McKendry Anderson 2014 Nikolopoulou
and Gialamas 2013) This is particularly important given that teachers are found to
report the availability of resources or lack thereof as the precondition for considering
further issues relating to technology integration in teaching (Hesterman 2011 Thorpe
et al 2015) Alongside having sufficient resources practitioners should be
encouraged to develop such educational understanding that allows them to
pedagogically examine digital cultures together with children drawing from childrenrsquos
everyday experiences even without using concrete digital equipment (eg Mertala
2016)
Lack of training Studies reviewed by Plumb and Kautz (2015) indicated that many
early years practitioners identified that they had insufficient training on technologies to
be able to use them effectively in their settings (Blackwell et al 2013 Parette et al
2013) This is a point that holds across practices and sectors in relation to early years
practitionersrsquo development given that there are studies on both teacher education
(eg Gruszczynska Merchant amp Pountney 2013) and teachersrsquo in-service training
(eg Ihmeideh 2009) Problems included early years settings having insufficient
resources to pay for staff to attend training (Ihmeideh 2009) and training being of
questionable quality (Plowman and Stephen 2005)
6
Classroom condition constraints Plumb and Kautz (2015) outline a number of
challenges which impact on the use of technology in settings including large class
sizes (Nikolopoulou and Gialamas 2013) and technology being located in places
external to the classroom such as an office (Fenty and McKendry Anderson 2014)
Educator lack of confidence The studies drawn upon by Plumb and Kautz (2015)
such as Blackwell et al (2014) and Nikolopoulou and Gialamas (2013) point to the
way in which early years practitioners sometimes lack confidence in their own abilities
to use technologies Such an attitude has been found to be directly linked to skill and
classroom practice and to be shaped by varied factors including the practitionersrsquo
number of years teaching (Inan and Lowther 2010) their role in an educational
setting their home computer access and their training (Chen amp Chang 2006)
Research also indicates that early years teachersrsquo capabilities of using ICT for
personal purposes or their positive attitudes towards personal ICT use do not
automatically transfer into professional confidence or relevant ECE practices
(Palailogou 2016) This implies that it is essential to focus on ECE pedagogical use of
ICT in professional training not only on general ICT competences
Lack of appropriate educational software Plumb and Kautz (2015) identify a
range of studies that indicate that many teachers feel they do not have sufficient
access to appropriate software (eg Ihmeideh 2009)
Lack of support In a review of the barriers to effective use of ICT Becta (2004)
identified the presence of high-level support as being important in enabling teachers
to overcome issues relating to lack of confidence Blackwell et al (2014) identify
support as key to utilising technology even in educational settings where
technological resources are available Plumb and Kautz (2015) in their review of
literature point to the way in which a lack of support limits early yearsrsquo practitionersrsquo
practice in the use of technology For example Nikolopoulou and Gialamasrsquo (2013)
study identified a lack of technical support as a key problem whilst a lack of support
from administrators and parents is also an important barrier to use (Fenty and
McKendry Anderson 2014 Li 2006) Lack of support might also refer to the lack of
7
follow-up sessions to validate and assess teachersrsquo efforts to integrate technology in
their teaching (Keengwe amp Onchwari 2009)
IT technical problems Plumb and Kautz (2015) note that outdated equipment is a
key barrier to extending use of technology in early years settings (Fenty and
McKendry Andersonrsquos 2014) In addition breakdowns of equipment frustrate
practitioners and children alike (Blackwell et al 2013)
Lack of funding In Plumb and Kautzrsquos (20156) review they note that a number of
studies lsquoexplicitly identified funding or budget limitations as a barrier to IT integration in
ECEC organisationsrsquo such as Ihmeidehrsquos (2009) study of Jordanian pre-schools This
of course links to the previous points with regards to the barriers created by lack of
access to equipment and software Goktas Gedik and Baydas (2013) argue that the
provision of funding should ameloriate this problem but their study was conducted in
Turkey which points to the uneven distribution of technology-related funding in
schools across Europe
Physical environment constraints Plumb and Kautz (2015) identify studies that
have reported such issues as a lack of physical space (Ihmeideh 2009) and too few
electrical sockets (Wood et al 2008) which prevented some practitioners using
technology However physical barriers were only reported in some countries (eg
Greece and Turkey) and not others
Lack of time Time is recurrent trope in the literature on the barriers to the use of
technology in education as eductators report a lack of time to develop their own
expertise or a lack of time available in the curriculum (Goktas et al 2013 Hew and
Brush 2006) As Plumb and Kautz (2015 7) point out early childhood educators
have additional responsibilities such as lsquotoileting and assisting at meal times
supervising play-time liaising with parents and undertaking administrative dutiesrsquo
and these time constrains have been found to mitigate against the use of technology
(Li 2006 Wood et al 2008)
8
Early childhood curriculum and guidelines Plumb and Kautz (2015) suggest that
whilst some countries do recognise the place of technology in their early years
curriculum others do not which offers a key barrier to progress in this area As the
DigiLitEY report by Kontovourki and Tafa (2015) suggests whilst many countries in
Europe do attend to issues related to the use of technology there is less consistency
with regard to references to digital literacy in early years curricula Edwards (2013)
also points out that regardless of the importance of digital play in childrenrsquos lives
curricula tend to neglect digital technologies when attending to play and playful
learning
Nature of the early childhood educational sector The final barrier identified by
Plumb and Kautz (2015) relates to the cultural issues There is a lack of a tradition of
research and development in relation to new literacies particular within early years
settings with an emphasis on natural first-hand experiential learning which
sometimes creates attitudinal barriers (Parette et al 2013) This is also implied in
early years practitionersrsquo concerns about their competing responsibilities and their
technology integration efforts (Keengwe amp Onchwari 2009) Such assertions reveal
the conceptualisation of early years pedagogy as distinct from technology use or
conversely of technology as irrelevant to what would be considered as early
childhood education Research indicates that whilst early years teachers value
promoting childrenrsquos socio-emotional skills more than academic skills they also
consider ICT as a tool for learning academic skills not socio-emotional skills (Mertala
2017) Strategies need to be developed that will enable educators to address some of
the challenges faced in this area In training it could be beneficial to highlight the
pedagogical implications of ICT for developing childrenrsquos social skills participation
creativity (eg Leinonen amp Sintonen 2015 Onnismaa Rintakorpi amp Rusanen 2014)
and other aspects valued within the early childhood education sector at the same
time as it develops early literacy thus helping practitioners to meaningfully include
digital media in early years pedagogies This way ICT pedagogical competence
becomes an extension of educatorsrsquo existing proficiency rather than being a new and
peripheral area of expertise (Mertala 2017)
9
The enablers that promote the use of technology are directly related to the barriers in
that addressing some of the issues above ensures that they no longer prevent
technology integration but foster it So for example Gotkas Yildirim and Yildirim
(2009) identify the following as enablers (i) having clear plans and policies (ii) having
access to training (iii) finance (iv) support (v) providing educators with time (vi) having
appropriate curricula
One of the key ways in which early years practitionersrsquo greater use of digital literacy in
early years classrooms might be promoted is through the use of effective continuing
development professional development (CPD) as in point (ii) of Gotkas et alrsquos
recommendations As Blackwell et al (2013) noted in a study of 1329 teachers of 0-4
year olds the level of frequency of engagement in CPD predicted increased use of
computers and tablet computers In the next section the key aspects of CPD that
need to be considered in the development of any such programme are considered
10
3
Digital literacy CPD for early years practitioners
As noted above one of the key barriers to furthering practice is early years
practitionersrsquo knowledge specifically TPACK In a systematic review of interventions
aimed at developing teachersrsquo knowledge in this area Evens Elen and Depaepe
(2015) identified that there were certain elements of programmes that were important
if they were to be effective The first is reflection reflection that fosters higher-order
thinking in particular is essential There should also be opportunities for practitioners
to try out approaches that they have been introduced to through an intervention (Van
Driel and Berry 2012) and to have opportunities to reflect critically on these
experiences This kind of risk-taking and experimentation is important and needs to
take place in a supportive environment Second the development of relevant
knowledge is also key but it is important to link content knowledge to pedagogical
knowledge That is understanding what digital literacies are and how they develop is
important but practitioners need also to be introduced to how those concepts and
processes can be embedded in classroom practice (Gruszczynska Merchant amp
Pountney 2013) Third practitioners should be introduced to the TPACK model at the
beginning of any programme so that they are clear about its nature and how the
programme addresses their related needs Finally having contact with other
educators in the programme so they can learn together is important This point
relates to literature that emphasises the need to develop communities of practice
(CoP) in CPD programmes
The CoP concept was developed by Lave and Wenger (1991) to describe the
process of learning that operates within groups Lave and Wenger originally
11
developed the term to refer to the learning that operates between members of a
particular profession or people who share a craft In this context people who are
experienced and have long-established knowledge of the craft or profession share
their knowledge and experience with others They suggest that the process of
lsquolegitimate peripheral participationrsquo occurs in which apprentices learn from the edges
of a professional space by observing and learning from the more experienced
members of the group at the centre of the practice Through a process of learning
from being involved in this participatory action situated learning takes place Wenger
(1998) developed the concept further in his later publications He suggested that a
CoP involved three inter-related aspects mutual engagement joint enterprise and
shared repertoire (Wenger 1998 pp72-3) When members of the community are
mutually engaged in an activity strong relationships amongst members of the group
are formed The members of the group are mutually engaged in a joint enterprise
which binds the group together This aspect of learning appears to be important in
relation to educatorsrsquo CPD (Evens Elen and Depaepe 2015)
Having the opportunity to engage in action research is also a significant factor in
successful CPD programmes (Grace Reitdijk Garrett and Griffiths 2015) Action
research can enable practitioners to learn from looking at their practice carefully and
helps them to relate theory to practice (Cordingley 2015) It can impact on affect
enabling practitioners to feel proud and excited about their work and enhance their
sense of agency (Leat Reid and Lofthouse 2015) In terms of agency opportunities
to co-design professional development programmes is important so that they meet
the needs of individuals (Greany and Brown 2015) Whilst individual research is
valuable it is also helpful to offer opportunities for collaborative research Kennedy
(2014) developed a whole-school collaborative approach to practitioner researcher in
which teachers in a single school worked together to identify key challenges and
evaluate approaches to addressing these Her work provides a powerful model of
collaborative practice in relation to research
From a head teachersrsquo perspective Bates and Watt suggest that effective CPD
should include seven strategies as follows (i) offering CPD for all staff not just those
12
involved in teaching (ii) ensuring CPD is linked to school priorities (iii) staff mentoring
and peer-coaching (iv) the development of inter-school networks and partnerships
(which links to the concept of CoP) (v) team-teaching (vi) peer-review (viii) ongoing
assessment of the impact of CPD Other factors have also been identified as
important in relation to effective CPD Duration is important ndash more successful CPD is
sustained and long-term and programmes should also be coherent in relation to
educatorsrsquo beliefs and practices (Desimone 2009) Chen and Changrsquos (2006) also
summarise the following three issues as having key implications for early childhood
teacher training the support for teachers to make classroom implementation a
priority the provision of training that expands beyond the length of one week and
the need for training to match teachersrsquo varying degrees of confidence skill and
practice The possibility to personalise content is also key and it is also crucial to be
able to localise programmes which is of particular interest when considering a cross-
European approach (Lipowski Jorde Prenze and Seidel 2014)
Finally in considering the needs of any CPD programme that focuses on digital
literacy Rosaen and Terpstra (2012) argue that practitioners should have
opportunities to engage in reflecting on epistemological perspectives on literacy so
that they can consider how literacy is changing due to technological developments In
this way changes in beliefs and values can influence practice In addition they
promote the need to engage practitioners in hands-on design activities in which they
themselves are creating digital multimodal texts The teachers involved in their
intervention did this and Rosaen and Terpstra argue that as a result
hellipthe teacher candidates seemed to gain knowledge skill and
understanding of their new technology by designing a product for a real
audience (their peers) and blogging about their learning processes As they
learned about their new literacy they had to make strategic decisions about
how to represent ideas about topics such as visual or environmental literacy
and try to take advantage of the affordances of that technology as a medium
of communication
Rosaen and Terpstra (2012 46)
13
In addition some CPD programmes enable practitioners to collaboratively design
curriculum materials which has a positive impact on outcomes (Landerholm Gehrie
amp Hao 2004 Voogt Laferriegravere Breuleux et al 2015)
Therefore a review of the literature indicates that a successful approach to the CPD
of early years practitioners with regard to furthering their understanding of and
practice in the teaching and learning of digital literacy should contain the elements
outlined in Table 1
14
Table 1 Elements to be embedded in a digital literacy CPD programme
Practitioners have input into the design of the programme
Programme sustained over time
Practitioners are clear about the aims and objectives of the programme from the beginning the programme has coherence and it is clearly contributing to comprehensive goals of early education
Programme embeds opportunities for critical reflection
Programme embeds opportunities to explore the different epistemological understandings of literacy and consider how literacy is being transformed through technological developments
Risk-taking and experimentation are embedded
Designing and disseminating digital multimodal texts and artefacts are enabled
Technical content and pedagogical knowledge are developed in tandem
Practitioners are encouraged to observe discuss and pedagogically utilise those childrenrsquos media cultural interests that integrate both digital and non-digital practices
Practitioners are able to personalise content also create content together with children
Practitioners are able to localise content
Programme promotes the construction and maintenance of communities of practice networks
There are opportunities to relate theory to practice throughout the programme
Programme embeds opportunities to undertake (independent and or collaborative) action research
Opportunities for coaching peer-mentoring and team teaching are embedded
Practitioners are encouraged to assess the impact of the programme on a continuous basis to feed into its development
15
3
Conclusion
There is sustained evidence that there is a lack of opportunity for early years
practitioners to engage in professional development in relation to digital literacy to any
meaningful extent as outlined in this report A range of barriers exists in relation to the
furthering of practice (Plumb and Kautz 2015) A number of barriers relate to the early
years practitioners themselves such as their beliefs and attitudes their level of
confidence in using technologies and their level of technological and pedagogical
content knowledge Research reviewed in this report suggests that many of these
barriers emerge from or connect to teachersrsquo established understandings of the early
childhood sector and the curriculum therein Two binaries may identified there as key
in shaping teachersrsquo practices and beliefs the binary between ldquoconventionalrdquo and
new early childhood literacies and the binary between teachersrsquo own use and
integration of technology in the classroom To deconstruct such binaries one needs
to consider how CPD may offer early years practitioners opportunities to engage with
their own and othersrsquo epistemological understandings of literacy as well as
realisations of new literacies in (childrenrsquos and their own) everyday lives This would
ultimately necessitate and link to a shift in practitionersrsquo professional identities
There is also a recognised lack of training and support therefore the development of
a CPD programme that might impact positively on these elements is important It is of
course not in itself sufficient ndash there also needs to be a focus on other barriers to
progress such as a lack of resources and effective policies at a national level
Nevertheless the development of a CPD programme that embeds the effective
elements of such activities as outlined in Table 1 is required if young children are to
be offered early years education that is appropriate for twenty-first century demands
16
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Becta (2004) A Review of the Research Literature on Barriers to the Uptake
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Blackwell CK Lauricella AR and Wartella E (2014) Factors influencing digital
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Blackwell CK Lauricella AR Wartella E Robb M and Schomburg R
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Britzman DP (1989) Who Has the Floor Curriculum Teaching and the English
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Chen J-Q amp Chang C (2006) Using computers in early childhood classrooms
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Clandinin DJ (1986) Classroom Practice Teacher Images in Action London
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Cordingley P (2015) The contribution of research to teachersrsquo professional
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Desimone LM (2009) Improving Impact Studies of Teachersrsquo Professional
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Edwards S (2013) Digital play in the early years a contextual response to the
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Ertmer P (1999) Addressing first- and second-order barriers to change
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Fenty NS and McKendry Anderson EM (2014) Examining Educatorsrsquo
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Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education 35 (2) pp 114-134
Friedrichs-Liesenkoumltter H (2015) Media-educational Habitus of Future Educators
in the Context of Education in Day-Care Centers Journal of Media Literacy
Education 7(1) 18-34
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Goktas Y Gedik N amp Baydas O (2013) Enablers and barriers to the use of ICT
in primary schools in Turkey A comparative study of 2005ndash2011 Computers amp
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Goktas Y Yildirim S amp Yildirim Z (2009) Main Barriers and Possible Enablers
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Technology amp Society 12 (1) 193ndash204
Grace M Rietdijk W Garrett C amp Griffiths J (2015) Improving physics teaching
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Greany T and Brown C (2015) Partnerships between teaching schools and
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Grossman P (1990) The Making of a Teacher Teacher Knowledge and Teacher
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Gruszczynska A Merchant G amp Pountney R (2013) Digital Futures in Teacher
Education Exploring Open Approaches towards Digital Literacy Electronic
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Hesterman S (2011) A Contested Space the dialogic intersection of ICT
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Hew K F amp Brush T (2006) Integrating technology into K-12 teaching and
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101007s11423-006-9022-5
Ihmeideh F M (2009) Barriers to the use of technology in Jordanian pre-school
settings Technology Pedagogy and Education 18(3) 325-341
Ihmeideh FM (2010) The role of computer technology in teaching reading and
writing preschool teachersrsquo beliefs and practices Journal of Research in
Childhood Education 24 (1) pp 60-79
Inan F A amp Lowther D L (2010) Laptops in the K-12 classrooms exploring
factors impacting instructional use Computers amp Education 55 (3) 937ndash944
Keengwe J amp Onchwari G (2009) Technology and early childhood education A
technology integration professional development model for practicing teachers
Early Childhood Education Journal 37 209-218
Kennedy E (2014) Raising Literacy Achievement in High-Poverty Schools An
Evidence-Based Approach Abingdon Oxon New York Routledge
Kildan A O amp Incikabi L (2015) Effects on the technological pedagogical
content knowledge of early childhood teacher candidates using digital storytelling
to teach mathematics Education 3-13 43(3) 238-248
Koehler MJ Mishra P Kereluik K Shin T and Graham CR (2014) lsquoThe
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Frameworkrsquo in JM Spector et al
(eds) Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology
Springer
Kontovourki S and Tafa E (2015) Draft Summary Report for Second DigiLitEY
Project Meeting 19th-20th October Tallinn Estonia Accessed at httpdigiliteyeu
wp-contentuploads201509WG2_Objective2_DraftReport_October2015pdf
20
Lafton T (2012) How Early Childhood Practitioners build shape and construct their
digital practices the Search for an Analytical Space Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy
Vol 7 ( 3) 172-185
Leinonen J amp Sintonen S (2014) Productive participation ndash Children as active media
producers in kindergarten Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol 9 (3) 216-236
Landerholm E Gehrie C amp Hao Y (2004) Educating early childhood teachers
for the global world Early Child Development and Care 174(7-8) 593-606
Lave J and Wenger E (1991) Situated Learning Legitimate Peripheral
Participation Cambridge Cambridge University Press
Leat D Reid A amp Lofthouse R (2015) Teachersrsquo experiences of engagement
with and in educational research what can be learned from teachersrsquo views
Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 270-286 DOI
1010800305498520151021193
Li H (2006) Integrating Information and Communication Technologies Into the
Early Childhood Curriculum Chinese Principalsrsquo Views of the Challenges and
Opportunities Early Education and Development17 (3) pp 467-487
Lindahl MG and Folkesson A-M (2012) Can we let computers change
practice Educatorsrsquo interpretations of preschool tradition Computers in Human
Behavior 28 (5) pp 1728-1737
Lipowski K Jorde D Prenze M and Seidel T (2014) Expert views on the
implementation of teacher professional development in European countries
(pp41-56) In K Jones and J OrsquoBrien (eds) European Perspectives on Professional
Development in Teacher Education London Routledge
21
Liu P (2016) Technology Integration in Elementary Classrooms Teaching
Practices of Student Teachers Australian Journal of Teacher Education 41(3)
Published online March 11th 2016 at httpdxdoiorg1014221ajte
2016v41n36
Lortie D (1975) Schoolteacher A Sociological Study Chicago IL University of
Chicago Press
McDougall J (2010) A crisis of professional identity How primary teachers are
coming to terms with changing views of literacy Teaching and Teacher Education
26(3) 679-687
Mertala P (2016) Fun and Games ndash Finnish childrenrsquos ideas for the use of digital
media in preschool Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol11(4) pp 207-226
Mertala P (2017) Wag the dog - The nature and foundations of preschool educators
positive ICT pedagogical beliefs Computers in Human Behavior Vol 69 197-206
Mishra P amp Koehler MJ (2006) Technological pedagogical content knowledge
A framework for integrating technology in teacher knowledge Teachers College
Record 108(6) 1017-1054
NAEYC (2012) Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood
Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8 NAEYC Joint Position
Statement with the Fred Rogers Center Accessed at httpwwwnaeycorgfiles
naeycPS_technology_WEBpdf
Nespor J (1987) The role of beliefs in the practice of teaching Journal of
Curriculum Studies (19) 4 317ndash28
22
Nikolopoulou K and Gialamas V (2013) Barriers to the integration of computers
in early childhood settings Teachersrsquo perceptions Education and Information
Technologies pp 1-17
Onnismaa E-L Rintakorpi K amp Rusanen S (2014) ldquoTake a picturerdquo Children as
photographers and co-constructors of culture in an early childhood education
environment In H Ruismaumlki amp I Ruokonen (eds) Voices for Tomorrow Sixth
International Journal of Intercultural Arts Education University of Helsinki Research
Report 352
Palaiologou I (2016) Teachersrsquo dispositions towards the role of digital devices in play-
based pedagogy in early childhood education Early Years Vol 36 (3) 305-321 DOI
1010800957514620161174816
Pajares M (1992) Teachersrsquo beliefs and educational research cleaning up a
messy construct Review of Educational Research (62)3 307ndash32
Papadakis S Kalogiannakis M amp Zaranis N (2016) Comparing tablets and
PCs in teaching mathematics An attempt to improve mathematics competence in
early childhood education Preschool amp Primary Education 4(2) 241-253
Parette HP Blum C and Quesenberry AC (2013) The role of technology for
young children in the 21st century in HP Parette and C Blum (eds)
Instructional technology in early childhood (pp 1-28) Brookes Publishing
Parette H P Quesenberry A C amp Blum C (2010) Missing the boat with
technology usage in early childhood settings A 21st century view of
developmentally appropriate practice Early Childhood Education Journal 37(5)
335-343
Parry RL (2013) Children Film and Literacy Basingstoke Palgrave Macmillan
23
Plowman L and Stephen C (2005) Children play and computers in pre-school
education British Journal of Educational Technology 36 (2) pp 145-157
Plumb M and Kautz K (2015) Barriers to the Integration of Information
Technology within Early Childhood Education and Care Organisations A Review of
the Literature Presented at the Australasian Conference on Information Systems
2015
Rosaen C and Terpstra M (2012) Widening worlds understanding and teaching
new literaciesrsquo Studying Teacher Education A Journal of Self-study of Teacher
Education Practices 8(1) 35ndash49
Thorpe K Hansen J Danby S Davidson C Zaki F M Grant S and Given
L M (2015) Teachers teaching and digital technologies reports from the early
childhood classroom Early Childhood Research Quarterly 32 httpdxdoiorg
101016jecresq201504001
Van Driel JH and Berry A (2012) Teacher Professional Development Focusing
on Pedagogical Content Knowledge Educational Researcher Vol 41 (1) pp26
-28
Voogt J Laferriegravere T Breuleux A Itow R C Hickey DT and McKenney S
(2015) Collaborative design as a form of professional development Instructional
Science 43 259 doi101007s11251-014-9340-7
Voogt J and McKnney S (2016) TPACK in teacher education are we preparing
teachers to use technology for early literacy Technology Pedagogy and
Education Published online ahead of print 4th May 2016 httpdxdoiorg
1010801475939X20161174730
Wenger E (1998) Communities of Practice Learning Meaning and Identity
Cambridge Cambridge University Press
24
Wood E Specht J Willoughby T and Mueller J (2008) Integrating Computer
Technology in Early Childhood Education Environments Issues Raised by Early
Childhood Educators Alberta Journal of Educational Research 54 (2) pp
210-226
25
1
Introduction
Technological developments over the last 30 years have led to significant changes in
young childrens communicative practices Traditional literacy practices are still
prevalent but now children have access to multiple modes and media in order to
convey their messages In this multimedia world they read on-screen and
communicate with both known and unknown others in online environments These
developments have important implications for the early years curriculum not only on
literacy but also in other learning areas as mathematics (Papadakis Kalogiannakis amp
Zaranis 2016) There is a need to develop childrens skills and knowledge so that
they can operate effectively being able to create and express themselves within a
digital environment
There has been much debate in the early childhood education field with regard to the
use of technology in the curriculum but there is now general consensus that children
need some access in order to become familiar with a range of hardware and software
(NAEYC 2012) Nevertheless there is still a general lack of progress with regard to
early years practitionersrsquo use of technology in the curriculum (Lui 2016 Thorpe
Hansen Danby et al 2015) The reasons for this are complex but relate to a number
of barriers that are presented by technological personal or other reasons These
barriers are discussed in the next section before a review of issues relating to the
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) needs of early years practitioners are
outlined
3
2
Barriers to Digital Literacy Practice in Early Years Settings
There have been few studies that have looked specifically at barriers in relation to
digital literacy practice therefore this review focuses on barriers to the use of
technology in early childhood settings given that this is a closely related topic Ertmer
(1999) identified the barriers to practitionersrsquo use of technology being of an extrinsic or
intrinsic nature Extrinsic or first-order barriers as Ertmer (1999) identifies them
include lack of resources limited time lack of technical support or not having access
to appropriate training whilst intrinsic second-order barriers are related to the beliefs
and value-systems of individuals Similar extrinsic and intrinsic barriers have been also
identified by Blackwell Lauricella amp Wartella (2014) Plumb and Kautz (2015)
undertook a review of research on the barriers to the integration of information
technology within early childhood education and care institutions They drew on
Nikolopoulou and Gialamasrsquos (20133) observation that there is no lsquosingle accepted
classification of barriersrsquo and they therefore developed their own set of barriers
based on a careful review of 19 articles The barriers they identified are discussed
separately below
Educator beliefs and attitudes These were one of the most frequently cited
barriers in the papers reviewed by Plumb and Kautz (2015) Concerns have been
expressed by early years educators about the perceived negative impact of children
on learning and socials skills (Li 2006) Some feel that young children are too young
to access technologies (Wood et al 2008) Others draw on traditional theories of
early childhood practice which emphasise non-digital activities including the need to
focus on basic numeracy and literacy (Lindahl and Folkesson 2012 McDougall
4
2010) Research has indicated previously that beliefs and attitudes are two of the
strongest internal factors on teachersrsquo practice (Clandinin 1986 Nespor 1987
Pajares 1992) and this is also the case in relation to their use of technology (Inan and
Lowther 2010) In addition teachersrsquo own life-history experiences impact on their
practice (Britzman 1989 Grossman 1990 Lortie 1975) Friedrichs-Liesenkoumltter
(2011-2012) theorises the persistence of teachersrsquo beliefs and attitudes through the
notion of habitus and uses it to explain that even young future educators with
extensive experience with digital media in their daily lives share the same negative
attitudes of practising teachers towards the use of digital media in early childhood
educational settings Given that some practitioners may well have had little
experience of meaningful use of technology in their own schooling this could impact
on their beliefs and attitudes Early childhood teacher education programmes can
play a crucial role in formulating student teachersrsquo views and intentions and also in
providing pedagogical learning experiences so that future teachers will be able to
judge when it is appropriate to integrate ICT in their classes and how (Nikolopoulou amp
Gialamas 2009) Teachers can also be encouraged to pedagogically experiment and
explore digital practices together with children with all participants being involved in
the process of teaching and learning (Lafton 2012)
Lack of knowledge and skills Plumb and Kautz (2015) identify that many of the
studies they reviewed outlined early years practitionersrsquo lack of IT knowledge and
related skills as being a key barrier to enhancing practice (eg Ihmeideh 2010
Plowman and Stephen 2005) Mishra and Koehler (2006) drawing on Lee Shulmanrsquos
work on Pedagogical Content Knowledge (the knowledge required to teach a
particular subject) introduced the concept of lsquoTechnological Pedagogical Content
Knowledgersquo (TPACK) This refers specifically to the knowledge required to embed the
use of technology in subject teaching or as Kildan and Incikabi (2015) put it
knowledge that centres on the triple intersection of technology pedagogy and
content It is not sufficient to be able to use technology practitioners need to be able
to understand how technology can be used pedagogically in ways that are
appropriate to the subject(s) being taught (Koehler Mishra Kereluik et al 2014)
There is therefore an identified need to enhance early yearsrsquo practitionersrsquo TPACK
5
(Voogt and McKenney 2016) as well as expand it to include their understanding of
the ways particular technology tools are important to young children (Parette
Quesenberry amp Blum 2010) There is also a need for teachers to be knowledgable
about digital media cultures that are important for children (Edwards 2013 Mertala
2016) This does not mean that teachers should know everything that children do and
use in the digital world as that would not be possible Rather having some familiarity
with the landscape is useful as teachers can then let pupils be the experts about their
own digital practices and inform teachers about these (Parry 2013)
Lack of equipment resources Plumb and Kautz (2015) report that numerous
studies identified that early years settings often lacked ICT equipment and or access
to broadband or wireless (eg Fenty and McKendry Anderson 2014 Nikolopoulou
and Gialamas 2013) This is particularly important given that teachers are found to
report the availability of resources or lack thereof as the precondition for considering
further issues relating to technology integration in teaching (Hesterman 2011 Thorpe
et al 2015) Alongside having sufficient resources practitioners should be
encouraged to develop such educational understanding that allows them to
pedagogically examine digital cultures together with children drawing from childrenrsquos
everyday experiences even without using concrete digital equipment (eg Mertala
2016)
Lack of training Studies reviewed by Plumb and Kautz (2015) indicated that many
early years practitioners identified that they had insufficient training on technologies to
be able to use them effectively in their settings (Blackwell et al 2013 Parette et al
2013) This is a point that holds across practices and sectors in relation to early years
practitionersrsquo development given that there are studies on both teacher education
(eg Gruszczynska Merchant amp Pountney 2013) and teachersrsquo in-service training
(eg Ihmeideh 2009) Problems included early years settings having insufficient
resources to pay for staff to attend training (Ihmeideh 2009) and training being of
questionable quality (Plowman and Stephen 2005)
6
Classroom condition constraints Plumb and Kautz (2015) outline a number of
challenges which impact on the use of technology in settings including large class
sizes (Nikolopoulou and Gialamas 2013) and technology being located in places
external to the classroom such as an office (Fenty and McKendry Anderson 2014)
Educator lack of confidence The studies drawn upon by Plumb and Kautz (2015)
such as Blackwell et al (2014) and Nikolopoulou and Gialamas (2013) point to the
way in which early years practitioners sometimes lack confidence in their own abilities
to use technologies Such an attitude has been found to be directly linked to skill and
classroom practice and to be shaped by varied factors including the practitionersrsquo
number of years teaching (Inan and Lowther 2010) their role in an educational
setting their home computer access and their training (Chen amp Chang 2006)
Research also indicates that early years teachersrsquo capabilities of using ICT for
personal purposes or their positive attitudes towards personal ICT use do not
automatically transfer into professional confidence or relevant ECE practices
(Palailogou 2016) This implies that it is essential to focus on ECE pedagogical use of
ICT in professional training not only on general ICT competences
Lack of appropriate educational software Plumb and Kautz (2015) identify a
range of studies that indicate that many teachers feel they do not have sufficient
access to appropriate software (eg Ihmeideh 2009)
Lack of support In a review of the barriers to effective use of ICT Becta (2004)
identified the presence of high-level support as being important in enabling teachers
to overcome issues relating to lack of confidence Blackwell et al (2014) identify
support as key to utilising technology even in educational settings where
technological resources are available Plumb and Kautz (2015) in their review of
literature point to the way in which a lack of support limits early yearsrsquo practitionersrsquo
practice in the use of technology For example Nikolopoulou and Gialamasrsquo (2013)
study identified a lack of technical support as a key problem whilst a lack of support
from administrators and parents is also an important barrier to use (Fenty and
McKendry Anderson 2014 Li 2006) Lack of support might also refer to the lack of
7
follow-up sessions to validate and assess teachersrsquo efforts to integrate technology in
their teaching (Keengwe amp Onchwari 2009)
IT technical problems Plumb and Kautz (2015) note that outdated equipment is a
key barrier to extending use of technology in early years settings (Fenty and
McKendry Andersonrsquos 2014) In addition breakdowns of equipment frustrate
practitioners and children alike (Blackwell et al 2013)
Lack of funding In Plumb and Kautzrsquos (20156) review they note that a number of
studies lsquoexplicitly identified funding or budget limitations as a barrier to IT integration in
ECEC organisationsrsquo such as Ihmeidehrsquos (2009) study of Jordanian pre-schools This
of course links to the previous points with regards to the barriers created by lack of
access to equipment and software Goktas Gedik and Baydas (2013) argue that the
provision of funding should ameloriate this problem but their study was conducted in
Turkey which points to the uneven distribution of technology-related funding in
schools across Europe
Physical environment constraints Plumb and Kautz (2015) identify studies that
have reported such issues as a lack of physical space (Ihmeideh 2009) and too few
electrical sockets (Wood et al 2008) which prevented some practitioners using
technology However physical barriers were only reported in some countries (eg
Greece and Turkey) and not others
Lack of time Time is recurrent trope in the literature on the barriers to the use of
technology in education as eductators report a lack of time to develop their own
expertise or a lack of time available in the curriculum (Goktas et al 2013 Hew and
Brush 2006) As Plumb and Kautz (2015 7) point out early childhood educators
have additional responsibilities such as lsquotoileting and assisting at meal times
supervising play-time liaising with parents and undertaking administrative dutiesrsquo
and these time constrains have been found to mitigate against the use of technology
(Li 2006 Wood et al 2008)
8
Early childhood curriculum and guidelines Plumb and Kautz (2015) suggest that
whilst some countries do recognise the place of technology in their early years
curriculum others do not which offers a key barrier to progress in this area As the
DigiLitEY report by Kontovourki and Tafa (2015) suggests whilst many countries in
Europe do attend to issues related to the use of technology there is less consistency
with regard to references to digital literacy in early years curricula Edwards (2013)
also points out that regardless of the importance of digital play in childrenrsquos lives
curricula tend to neglect digital technologies when attending to play and playful
learning
Nature of the early childhood educational sector The final barrier identified by
Plumb and Kautz (2015) relates to the cultural issues There is a lack of a tradition of
research and development in relation to new literacies particular within early years
settings with an emphasis on natural first-hand experiential learning which
sometimes creates attitudinal barriers (Parette et al 2013) This is also implied in
early years practitionersrsquo concerns about their competing responsibilities and their
technology integration efforts (Keengwe amp Onchwari 2009) Such assertions reveal
the conceptualisation of early years pedagogy as distinct from technology use or
conversely of technology as irrelevant to what would be considered as early
childhood education Research indicates that whilst early years teachers value
promoting childrenrsquos socio-emotional skills more than academic skills they also
consider ICT as a tool for learning academic skills not socio-emotional skills (Mertala
2017) Strategies need to be developed that will enable educators to address some of
the challenges faced in this area In training it could be beneficial to highlight the
pedagogical implications of ICT for developing childrenrsquos social skills participation
creativity (eg Leinonen amp Sintonen 2015 Onnismaa Rintakorpi amp Rusanen 2014)
and other aspects valued within the early childhood education sector at the same
time as it develops early literacy thus helping practitioners to meaningfully include
digital media in early years pedagogies This way ICT pedagogical competence
becomes an extension of educatorsrsquo existing proficiency rather than being a new and
peripheral area of expertise (Mertala 2017)
9
The enablers that promote the use of technology are directly related to the barriers in
that addressing some of the issues above ensures that they no longer prevent
technology integration but foster it So for example Gotkas Yildirim and Yildirim
(2009) identify the following as enablers (i) having clear plans and policies (ii) having
access to training (iii) finance (iv) support (v) providing educators with time (vi) having
appropriate curricula
One of the key ways in which early years practitionersrsquo greater use of digital literacy in
early years classrooms might be promoted is through the use of effective continuing
development professional development (CPD) as in point (ii) of Gotkas et alrsquos
recommendations As Blackwell et al (2013) noted in a study of 1329 teachers of 0-4
year olds the level of frequency of engagement in CPD predicted increased use of
computers and tablet computers In the next section the key aspects of CPD that
need to be considered in the development of any such programme are considered
10
3
Digital literacy CPD for early years practitioners
As noted above one of the key barriers to furthering practice is early years
practitionersrsquo knowledge specifically TPACK In a systematic review of interventions
aimed at developing teachersrsquo knowledge in this area Evens Elen and Depaepe
(2015) identified that there were certain elements of programmes that were important
if they were to be effective The first is reflection reflection that fosters higher-order
thinking in particular is essential There should also be opportunities for practitioners
to try out approaches that they have been introduced to through an intervention (Van
Driel and Berry 2012) and to have opportunities to reflect critically on these
experiences This kind of risk-taking and experimentation is important and needs to
take place in a supportive environment Second the development of relevant
knowledge is also key but it is important to link content knowledge to pedagogical
knowledge That is understanding what digital literacies are and how they develop is
important but practitioners need also to be introduced to how those concepts and
processes can be embedded in classroom practice (Gruszczynska Merchant amp
Pountney 2013) Third practitioners should be introduced to the TPACK model at the
beginning of any programme so that they are clear about its nature and how the
programme addresses their related needs Finally having contact with other
educators in the programme so they can learn together is important This point
relates to literature that emphasises the need to develop communities of practice
(CoP) in CPD programmes
The CoP concept was developed by Lave and Wenger (1991) to describe the
process of learning that operates within groups Lave and Wenger originally
11
developed the term to refer to the learning that operates between members of a
particular profession or people who share a craft In this context people who are
experienced and have long-established knowledge of the craft or profession share
their knowledge and experience with others They suggest that the process of
lsquolegitimate peripheral participationrsquo occurs in which apprentices learn from the edges
of a professional space by observing and learning from the more experienced
members of the group at the centre of the practice Through a process of learning
from being involved in this participatory action situated learning takes place Wenger
(1998) developed the concept further in his later publications He suggested that a
CoP involved three inter-related aspects mutual engagement joint enterprise and
shared repertoire (Wenger 1998 pp72-3) When members of the community are
mutually engaged in an activity strong relationships amongst members of the group
are formed The members of the group are mutually engaged in a joint enterprise
which binds the group together This aspect of learning appears to be important in
relation to educatorsrsquo CPD (Evens Elen and Depaepe 2015)
Having the opportunity to engage in action research is also a significant factor in
successful CPD programmes (Grace Reitdijk Garrett and Griffiths 2015) Action
research can enable practitioners to learn from looking at their practice carefully and
helps them to relate theory to practice (Cordingley 2015) It can impact on affect
enabling practitioners to feel proud and excited about their work and enhance their
sense of agency (Leat Reid and Lofthouse 2015) In terms of agency opportunities
to co-design professional development programmes is important so that they meet
the needs of individuals (Greany and Brown 2015) Whilst individual research is
valuable it is also helpful to offer opportunities for collaborative research Kennedy
(2014) developed a whole-school collaborative approach to practitioner researcher in
which teachers in a single school worked together to identify key challenges and
evaluate approaches to addressing these Her work provides a powerful model of
collaborative practice in relation to research
From a head teachersrsquo perspective Bates and Watt suggest that effective CPD
should include seven strategies as follows (i) offering CPD for all staff not just those
12
involved in teaching (ii) ensuring CPD is linked to school priorities (iii) staff mentoring
and peer-coaching (iv) the development of inter-school networks and partnerships
(which links to the concept of CoP) (v) team-teaching (vi) peer-review (viii) ongoing
assessment of the impact of CPD Other factors have also been identified as
important in relation to effective CPD Duration is important ndash more successful CPD is
sustained and long-term and programmes should also be coherent in relation to
educatorsrsquo beliefs and practices (Desimone 2009) Chen and Changrsquos (2006) also
summarise the following three issues as having key implications for early childhood
teacher training the support for teachers to make classroom implementation a
priority the provision of training that expands beyond the length of one week and
the need for training to match teachersrsquo varying degrees of confidence skill and
practice The possibility to personalise content is also key and it is also crucial to be
able to localise programmes which is of particular interest when considering a cross-
European approach (Lipowski Jorde Prenze and Seidel 2014)
Finally in considering the needs of any CPD programme that focuses on digital
literacy Rosaen and Terpstra (2012) argue that practitioners should have
opportunities to engage in reflecting on epistemological perspectives on literacy so
that they can consider how literacy is changing due to technological developments In
this way changes in beliefs and values can influence practice In addition they
promote the need to engage practitioners in hands-on design activities in which they
themselves are creating digital multimodal texts The teachers involved in their
intervention did this and Rosaen and Terpstra argue that as a result
hellipthe teacher candidates seemed to gain knowledge skill and
understanding of their new technology by designing a product for a real
audience (their peers) and blogging about their learning processes As they
learned about their new literacy they had to make strategic decisions about
how to represent ideas about topics such as visual or environmental literacy
and try to take advantage of the affordances of that technology as a medium
of communication
Rosaen and Terpstra (2012 46)
13
In addition some CPD programmes enable practitioners to collaboratively design
curriculum materials which has a positive impact on outcomes (Landerholm Gehrie
amp Hao 2004 Voogt Laferriegravere Breuleux et al 2015)
Therefore a review of the literature indicates that a successful approach to the CPD
of early years practitioners with regard to furthering their understanding of and
practice in the teaching and learning of digital literacy should contain the elements
outlined in Table 1
14
Table 1 Elements to be embedded in a digital literacy CPD programme
Practitioners have input into the design of the programme
Programme sustained over time
Practitioners are clear about the aims and objectives of the programme from the beginning the programme has coherence and it is clearly contributing to comprehensive goals of early education
Programme embeds opportunities for critical reflection
Programme embeds opportunities to explore the different epistemological understandings of literacy and consider how literacy is being transformed through technological developments
Risk-taking and experimentation are embedded
Designing and disseminating digital multimodal texts and artefacts are enabled
Technical content and pedagogical knowledge are developed in tandem
Practitioners are encouraged to observe discuss and pedagogically utilise those childrenrsquos media cultural interests that integrate both digital and non-digital practices
Practitioners are able to personalise content also create content together with children
Practitioners are able to localise content
Programme promotes the construction and maintenance of communities of practice networks
There are opportunities to relate theory to practice throughout the programme
Programme embeds opportunities to undertake (independent and or collaborative) action research
Opportunities for coaching peer-mentoring and team teaching are embedded
Practitioners are encouraged to assess the impact of the programme on a continuous basis to feed into its development
15
3
Conclusion
There is sustained evidence that there is a lack of opportunity for early years
practitioners to engage in professional development in relation to digital literacy to any
meaningful extent as outlined in this report A range of barriers exists in relation to the
furthering of practice (Plumb and Kautz 2015) A number of barriers relate to the early
years practitioners themselves such as their beliefs and attitudes their level of
confidence in using technologies and their level of technological and pedagogical
content knowledge Research reviewed in this report suggests that many of these
barriers emerge from or connect to teachersrsquo established understandings of the early
childhood sector and the curriculum therein Two binaries may identified there as key
in shaping teachersrsquo practices and beliefs the binary between ldquoconventionalrdquo and
new early childhood literacies and the binary between teachersrsquo own use and
integration of technology in the classroom To deconstruct such binaries one needs
to consider how CPD may offer early years practitioners opportunities to engage with
their own and othersrsquo epistemological understandings of literacy as well as
realisations of new literacies in (childrenrsquos and their own) everyday lives This would
ultimately necessitate and link to a shift in practitionersrsquo professional identities
There is also a recognised lack of training and support therefore the development of
a CPD programme that might impact positively on these elements is important It is of
course not in itself sufficient ndash there also needs to be a focus on other barriers to
progress such as a lack of resources and effective policies at a national level
Nevertheless the development of a CPD programme that embeds the effective
elements of such activities as outlined in Table 1 is required if young children are to
be offered early years education that is appropriate for twenty-first century demands
16
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practitioners view of what works Education 3-13 Vol 44 (1) Published online
ahead of print 31st Dec 2015 httpdxdoiorg
1010800300427920151122317
Becta (2004) A Review of the Research Literature on Barriers to the Uptake
of ICT by Teachers HMSO Becta
Blackwell CK Lauricella AR and Wartella E (2014) Factors influencing digital
technology use in early childhood education Computers amp Education 77 (0) pp
82-90
Blackwell CK Lauricella AR Wartella E Robb M and Schomburg R
(2013) Adoption and use of technology in early education The interplay of
extrinsic barriers and teacher attitudes Computers amp Education 69 (0) pp
310-319
Britzman DP (1989) Who Has the Floor Curriculum Teaching and the English
Student Teachers Struggle for Voice Curriculum Inquiry 19 ( 2) pp 143-162
httpwwwjstororgstable1179406
Chen J-Q amp Chang C (2006) Using computers in early childhood classrooms
Teachersrsquo attitudes skills and practices Journal of Early Childhood Research
4(2) 169-188
Clandinin DJ (1986) Classroom Practice Teacher Images in Action London
Falmer Press
17
Cordingley P (2015) The contribution of research to teachersrsquo professional
learning and development Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 234-252 DOI
1010800305498520151020105
Desimone LM (2009) Improving Impact Studies of Teachersrsquo Professional
Development Toward Better Conceptualizations and Measures Educational
Researcher Vol 38 (3) pp181-199
Edwards S (2013) Digital play in the early years a contextual response to the
problem of integrating technologies and play-based pedagogies in the early childhood
curriculum European Early Childhood Education Research Journal Vol 21 (2) 199ndash
212
Ertmer P (1999) Addressing first- and second-order barriers to change
Strategies for technology integration Educational Technology Research and
Development 47(4) 47-61 doi 101007bf02299597
Evens M Elen J amp Depaepe F (2015) Developing pedagogical content
knowledge Lessons learned from intervention studies Education Research
International doi1011552015790417
Fenty NS and McKendry Anderson EM (2014) Examining Educatorsrsquo
Knowledge Beliefs and Practices About Using Technology With Young Children
Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education 35 (2) pp 114-134
Friedrichs-Liesenkoumltter H (2015) Media-educational Habitus of Future Educators
in the Context of Education in Day-Care Centers Journal of Media Literacy
Education 7(1) 18-34
18
Goktas Y Gedik N amp Baydas O (2013) Enablers and barriers to the use of ICT
in primary schools in Turkey A comparative study of 2005ndash2011 Computers amp
Education 68 211-222 doi 101016jcompedu201305002
Goktas Y Yildirim S amp Yildirim Z (2009) Main Barriers and Possible Enablers
of ICTs Integration into Pre-service Teacher Education Programs Educational
Technology amp Society 12 (1) 193ndash204
Grace M Rietdijk W Garrett C amp Griffiths J (2015) Improving physics teaching
through action research the impact of a nationwide professional development
programme Teacher Development 194 496-519 DOI
1010801366453020151073612
Greany T and Brown C (2015) Partnerships between teaching schools and
universities Research report London Institute of Education Accessed http
researchrichschoolsorgukuploadsresources14293009901Teaching-schools-
and-universities-research-reportpdf
Grossman P (1990) The Making of a Teacher Teacher Knowledge and Teacher
Education New York Teachers College Press
Gruszczynska A Merchant G amp Pountney R (2013) Digital Futures in Teacher
Education Exploring Open Approaches towards Digital Literacy Electronic
Journal of E-Learning 11(3) 193-206
Hesterman S (2011) A Contested Space the dialogic intersection of ICT
multiliteracies and early childhood Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood12(4)
349-361
Hew K F amp Brush T (2006) Integrating technology into K-12 teaching and
learning current knowledge gaps and recommendations for future research
19
Educational Technology Research and Development 55(3) 223-252 doi
101007s11423-006-9022-5
Ihmeideh F M (2009) Barriers to the use of technology in Jordanian pre-school
settings Technology Pedagogy and Education 18(3) 325-341
Ihmeideh FM (2010) The role of computer technology in teaching reading and
writing preschool teachersrsquo beliefs and practices Journal of Research in
Childhood Education 24 (1) pp 60-79
Inan F A amp Lowther D L (2010) Laptops in the K-12 classrooms exploring
factors impacting instructional use Computers amp Education 55 (3) 937ndash944
Keengwe J amp Onchwari G (2009) Technology and early childhood education A
technology integration professional development model for practicing teachers
Early Childhood Education Journal 37 209-218
Kennedy E (2014) Raising Literacy Achievement in High-Poverty Schools An
Evidence-Based Approach Abingdon Oxon New York Routledge
Kildan A O amp Incikabi L (2015) Effects on the technological pedagogical
content knowledge of early childhood teacher candidates using digital storytelling
to teach mathematics Education 3-13 43(3) 238-248
Koehler MJ Mishra P Kereluik K Shin T and Graham CR (2014) lsquoThe
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Frameworkrsquo in JM Spector et al
(eds) Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology
Springer
Kontovourki S and Tafa E (2015) Draft Summary Report for Second DigiLitEY
Project Meeting 19th-20th October Tallinn Estonia Accessed at httpdigiliteyeu
wp-contentuploads201509WG2_Objective2_DraftReport_October2015pdf
20
Lafton T (2012) How Early Childhood Practitioners build shape and construct their
digital practices the Search for an Analytical Space Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy
Vol 7 ( 3) 172-185
Leinonen J amp Sintonen S (2014) Productive participation ndash Children as active media
producers in kindergarten Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol 9 (3) 216-236
Landerholm E Gehrie C amp Hao Y (2004) Educating early childhood teachers
for the global world Early Child Development and Care 174(7-8) 593-606
Lave J and Wenger E (1991) Situated Learning Legitimate Peripheral
Participation Cambridge Cambridge University Press
Leat D Reid A amp Lofthouse R (2015) Teachersrsquo experiences of engagement
with and in educational research what can be learned from teachersrsquo views
Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 270-286 DOI
1010800305498520151021193
Li H (2006) Integrating Information and Communication Technologies Into the
Early Childhood Curriculum Chinese Principalsrsquo Views of the Challenges and
Opportunities Early Education and Development17 (3) pp 467-487
Lindahl MG and Folkesson A-M (2012) Can we let computers change
practice Educatorsrsquo interpretations of preschool tradition Computers in Human
Behavior 28 (5) pp 1728-1737
Lipowski K Jorde D Prenze M and Seidel T (2014) Expert views on the
implementation of teacher professional development in European countries
(pp41-56) In K Jones and J OrsquoBrien (eds) European Perspectives on Professional
Development in Teacher Education London Routledge
21
Liu P (2016) Technology Integration in Elementary Classrooms Teaching
Practices of Student Teachers Australian Journal of Teacher Education 41(3)
Published online March 11th 2016 at httpdxdoiorg1014221ajte
2016v41n36
Lortie D (1975) Schoolteacher A Sociological Study Chicago IL University of
Chicago Press
McDougall J (2010) A crisis of professional identity How primary teachers are
coming to terms with changing views of literacy Teaching and Teacher Education
26(3) 679-687
Mertala P (2016) Fun and Games ndash Finnish childrenrsquos ideas for the use of digital
media in preschool Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol11(4) pp 207-226
Mertala P (2017) Wag the dog - The nature and foundations of preschool educators
positive ICT pedagogical beliefs Computers in Human Behavior Vol 69 197-206
Mishra P amp Koehler MJ (2006) Technological pedagogical content knowledge
A framework for integrating technology in teacher knowledge Teachers College
Record 108(6) 1017-1054
NAEYC (2012) Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood
Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8 NAEYC Joint Position
Statement with the Fred Rogers Center Accessed at httpwwwnaeycorgfiles
naeycPS_technology_WEBpdf
Nespor J (1987) The role of beliefs in the practice of teaching Journal of
Curriculum Studies (19) 4 317ndash28
22
Nikolopoulou K and Gialamas V (2013) Barriers to the integration of computers
in early childhood settings Teachersrsquo perceptions Education and Information
Technologies pp 1-17
Onnismaa E-L Rintakorpi K amp Rusanen S (2014) ldquoTake a picturerdquo Children as
photographers and co-constructors of culture in an early childhood education
environment In H Ruismaumlki amp I Ruokonen (eds) Voices for Tomorrow Sixth
International Journal of Intercultural Arts Education University of Helsinki Research
Report 352
Palaiologou I (2016) Teachersrsquo dispositions towards the role of digital devices in play-
based pedagogy in early childhood education Early Years Vol 36 (3) 305-321 DOI
1010800957514620161174816
Pajares M (1992) Teachersrsquo beliefs and educational research cleaning up a
messy construct Review of Educational Research (62)3 307ndash32
Papadakis S Kalogiannakis M amp Zaranis N (2016) Comparing tablets and
PCs in teaching mathematics An attempt to improve mathematics competence in
early childhood education Preschool amp Primary Education 4(2) 241-253
Parette HP Blum C and Quesenberry AC (2013) The role of technology for
young children in the 21st century in HP Parette and C Blum (eds)
Instructional technology in early childhood (pp 1-28) Brookes Publishing
Parette H P Quesenberry A C amp Blum C (2010) Missing the boat with
technology usage in early childhood settings A 21st century view of
developmentally appropriate practice Early Childhood Education Journal 37(5)
335-343
Parry RL (2013) Children Film and Literacy Basingstoke Palgrave Macmillan
23
Plowman L and Stephen C (2005) Children play and computers in pre-school
education British Journal of Educational Technology 36 (2) pp 145-157
Plumb M and Kautz K (2015) Barriers to the Integration of Information
Technology within Early Childhood Education and Care Organisations A Review of
the Literature Presented at the Australasian Conference on Information Systems
2015
Rosaen C and Terpstra M (2012) Widening worlds understanding and teaching
new literaciesrsquo Studying Teacher Education A Journal of Self-study of Teacher
Education Practices 8(1) 35ndash49
Thorpe K Hansen J Danby S Davidson C Zaki F M Grant S and Given
L M (2015) Teachers teaching and digital technologies reports from the early
childhood classroom Early Childhood Research Quarterly 32 httpdxdoiorg
101016jecresq201504001
Van Driel JH and Berry A (2012) Teacher Professional Development Focusing
on Pedagogical Content Knowledge Educational Researcher Vol 41 (1) pp26
-28
Voogt J Laferriegravere T Breuleux A Itow R C Hickey DT and McKenney S
(2015) Collaborative design as a form of professional development Instructional
Science 43 259 doi101007s11251-014-9340-7
Voogt J and McKnney S (2016) TPACK in teacher education are we preparing
teachers to use technology for early literacy Technology Pedagogy and
Education Published online ahead of print 4th May 2016 httpdxdoiorg
1010801475939X20161174730
Wenger E (1998) Communities of Practice Learning Meaning and Identity
Cambridge Cambridge University Press
24
Wood E Specht J Willoughby T and Mueller J (2008) Integrating Computer
Technology in Early Childhood Education Environments Issues Raised by Early
Childhood Educators Alberta Journal of Educational Research 54 (2) pp
210-226
25
2
Barriers to Digital Literacy Practice in Early Years Settings
There have been few studies that have looked specifically at barriers in relation to
digital literacy practice therefore this review focuses on barriers to the use of
technology in early childhood settings given that this is a closely related topic Ertmer
(1999) identified the barriers to practitionersrsquo use of technology being of an extrinsic or
intrinsic nature Extrinsic or first-order barriers as Ertmer (1999) identifies them
include lack of resources limited time lack of technical support or not having access
to appropriate training whilst intrinsic second-order barriers are related to the beliefs
and value-systems of individuals Similar extrinsic and intrinsic barriers have been also
identified by Blackwell Lauricella amp Wartella (2014) Plumb and Kautz (2015)
undertook a review of research on the barriers to the integration of information
technology within early childhood education and care institutions They drew on
Nikolopoulou and Gialamasrsquos (20133) observation that there is no lsquosingle accepted
classification of barriersrsquo and they therefore developed their own set of barriers
based on a careful review of 19 articles The barriers they identified are discussed
separately below
Educator beliefs and attitudes These were one of the most frequently cited
barriers in the papers reviewed by Plumb and Kautz (2015) Concerns have been
expressed by early years educators about the perceived negative impact of children
on learning and socials skills (Li 2006) Some feel that young children are too young
to access technologies (Wood et al 2008) Others draw on traditional theories of
early childhood practice which emphasise non-digital activities including the need to
focus on basic numeracy and literacy (Lindahl and Folkesson 2012 McDougall
4
2010) Research has indicated previously that beliefs and attitudes are two of the
strongest internal factors on teachersrsquo practice (Clandinin 1986 Nespor 1987
Pajares 1992) and this is also the case in relation to their use of technology (Inan and
Lowther 2010) In addition teachersrsquo own life-history experiences impact on their
practice (Britzman 1989 Grossman 1990 Lortie 1975) Friedrichs-Liesenkoumltter
(2011-2012) theorises the persistence of teachersrsquo beliefs and attitudes through the
notion of habitus and uses it to explain that even young future educators with
extensive experience with digital media in their daily lives share the same negative
attitudes of practising teachers towards the use of digital media in early childhood
educational settings Given that some practitioners may well have had little
experience of meaningful use of technology in their own schooling this could impact
on their beliefs and attitudes Early childhood teacher education programmes can
play a crucial role in formulating student teachersrsquo views and intentions and also in
providing pedagogical learning experiences so that future teachers will be able to
judge when it is appropriate to integrate ICT in their classes and how (Nikolopoulou amp
Gialamas 2009) Teachers can also be encouraged to pedagogically experiment and
explore digital practices together with children with all participants being involved in
the process of teaching and learning (Lafton 2012)
Lack of knowledge and skills Plumb and Kautz (2015) identify that many of the
studies they reviewed outlined early years practitionersrsquo lack of IT knowledge and
related skills as being a key barrier to enhancing practice (eg Ihmeideh 2010
Plowman and Stephen 2005) Mishra and Koehler (2006) drawing on Lee Shulmanrsquos
work on Pedagogical Content Knowledge (the knowledge required to teach a
particular subject) introduced the concept of lsquoTechnological Pedagogical Content
Knowledgersquo (TPACK) This refers specifically to the knowledge required to embed the
use of technology in subject teaching or as Kildan and Incikabi (2015) put it
knowledge that centres on the triple intersection of technology pedagogy and
content It is not sufficient to be able to use technology practitioners need to be able
to understand how technology can be used pedagogically in ways that are
appropriate to the subject(s) being taught (Koehler Mishra Kereluik et al 2014)
There is therefore an identified need to enhance early yearsrsquo practitionersrsquo TPACK
5
(Voogt and McKenney 2016) as well as expand it to include their understanding of
the ways particular technology tools are important to young children (Parette
Quesenberry amp Blum 2010) There is also a need for teachers to be knowledgable
about digital media cultures that are important for children (Edwards 2013 Mertala
2016) This does not mean that teachers should know everything that children do and
use in the digital world as that would not be possible Rather having some familiarity
with the landscape is useful as teachers can then let pupils be the experts about their
own digital practices and inform teachers about these (Parry 2013)
Lack of equipment resources Plumb and Kautz (2015) report that numerous
studies identified that early years settings often lacked ICT equipment and or access
to broadband or wireless (eg Fenty and McKendry Anderson 2014 Nikolopoulou
and Gialamas 2013) This is particularly important given that teachers are found to
report the availability of resources or lack thereof as the precondition for considering
further issues relating to technology integration in teaching (Hesterman 2011 Thorpe
et al 2015) Alongside having sufficient resources practitioners should be
encouraged to develop such educational understanding that allows them to
pedagogically examine digital cultures together with children drawing from childrenrsquos
everyday experiences even without using concrete digital equipment (eg Mertala
2016)
Lack of training Studies reviewed by Plumb and Kautz (2015) indicated that many
early years practitioners identified that they had insufficient training on technologies to
be able to use them effectively in their settings (Blackwell et al 2013 Parette et al
2013) This is a point that holds across practices and sectors in relation to early years
practitionersrsquo development given that there are studies on both teacher education
(eg Gruszczynska Merchant amp Pountney 2013) and teachersrsquo in-service training
(eg Ihmeideh 2009) Problems included early years settings having insufficient
resources to pay for staff to attend training (Ihmeideh 2009) and training being of
questionable quality (Plowman and Stephen 2005)
6
Classroom condition constraints Plumb and Kautz (2015) outline a number of
challenges which impact on the use of technology in settings including large class
sizes (Nikolopoulou and Gialamas 2013) and technology being located in places
external to the classroom such as an office (Fenty and McKendry Anderson 2014)
Educator lack of confidence The studies drawn upon by Plumb and Kautz (2015)
such as Blackwell et al (2014) and Nikolopoulou and Gialamas (2013) point to the
way in which early years practitioners sometimes lack confidence in their own abilities
to use technologies Such an attitude has been found to be directly linked to skill and
classroom practice and to be shaped by varied factors including the practitionersrsquo
number of years teaching (Inan and Lowther 2010) their role in an educational
setting their home computer access and their training (Chen amp Chang 2006)
Research also indicates that early years teachersrsquo capabilities of using ICT for
personal purposes or their positive attitudes towards personal ICT use do not
automatically transfer into professional confidence or relevant ECE practices
(Palailogou 2016) This implies that it is essential to focus on ECE pedagogical use of
ICT in professional training not only on general ICT competences
Lack of appropriate educational software Plumb and Kautz (2015) identify a
range of studies that indicate that many teachers feel they do not have sufficient
access to appropriate software (eg Ihmeideh 2009)
Lack of support In a review of the barriers to effective use of ICT Becta (2004)
identified the presence of high-level support as being important in enabling teachers
to overcome issues relating to lack of confidence Blackwell et al (2014) identify
support as key to utilising technology even in educational settings where
technological resources are available Plumb and Kautz (2015) in their review of
literature point to the way in which a lack of support limits early yearsrsquo practitionersrsquo
practice in the use of technology For example Nikolopoulou and Gialamasrsquo (2013)
study identified a lack of technical support as a key problem whilst a lack of support
from administrators and parents is also an important barrier to use (Fenty and
McKendry Anderson 2014 Li 2006) Lack of support might also refer to the lack of
7
follow-up sessions to validate and assess teachersrsquo efforts to integrate technology in
their teaching (Keengwe amp Onchwari 2009)
IT technical problems Plumb and Kautz (2015) note that outdated equipment is a
key barrier to extending use of technology in early years settings (Fenty and
McKendry Andersonrsquos 2014) In addition breakdowns of equipment frustrate
practitioners and children alike (Blackwell et al 2013)
Lack of funding In Plumb and Kautzrsquos (20156) review they note that a number of
studies lsquoexplicitly identified funding or budget limitations as a barrier to IT integration in
ECEC organisationsrsquo such as Ihmeidehrsquos (2009) study of Jordanian pre-schools This
of course links to the previous points with regards to the barriers created by lack of
access to equipment and software Goktas Gedik and Baydas (2013) argue that the
provision of funding should ameloriate this problem but their study was conducted in
Turkey which points to the uneven distribution of technology-related funding in
schools across Europe
Physical environment constraints Plumb and Kautz (2015) identify studies that
have reported such issues as a lack of physical space (Ihmeideh 2009) and too few
electrical sockets (Wood et al 2008) which prevented some practitioners using
technology However physical barriers were only reported in some countries (eg
Greece and Turkey) and not others
Lack of time Time is recurrent trope in the literature on the barriers to the use of
technology in education as eductators report a lack of time to develop their own
expertise or a lack of time available in the curriculum (Goktas et al 2013 Hew and
Brush 2006) As Plumb and Kautz (2015 7) point out early childhood educators
have additional responsibilities such as lsquotoileting and assisting at meal times
supervising play-time liaising with parents and undertaking administrative dutiesrsquo
and these time constrains have been found to mitigate against the use of technology
(Li 2006 Wood et al 2008)
8
Early childhood curriculum and guidelines Plumb and Kautz (2015) suggest that
whilst some countries do recognise the place of technology in their early years
curriculum others do not which offers a key barrier to progress in this area As the
DigiLitEY report by Kontovourki and Tafa (2015) suggests whilst many countries in
Europe do attend to issues related to the use of technology there is less consistency
with regard to references to digital literacy in early years curricula Edwards (2013)
also points out that regardless of the importance of digital play in childrenrsquos lives
curricula tend to neglect digital technologies when attending to play and playful
learning
Nature of the early childhood educational sector The final barrier identified by
Plumb and Kautz (2015) relates to the cultural issues There is a lack of a tradition of
research and development in relation to new literacies particular within early years
settings with an emphasis on natural first-hand experiential learning which
sometimes creates attitudinal barriers (Parette et al 2013) This is also implied in
early years practitionersrsquo concerns about their competing responsibilities and their
technology integration efforts (Keengwe amp Onchwari 2009) Such assertions reveal
the conceptualisation of early years pedagogy as distinct from technology use or
conversely of technology as irrelevant to what would be considered as early
childhood education Research indicates that whilst early years teachers value
promoting childrenrsquos socio-emotional skills more than academic skills they also
consider ICT as a tool for learning academic skills not socio-emotional skills (Mertala
2017) Strategies need to be developed that will enable educators to address some of
the challenges faced in this area In training it could be beneficial to highlight the
pedagogical implications of ICT for developing childrenrsquos social skills participation
creativity (eg Leinonen amp Sintonen 2015 Onnismaa Rintakorpi amp Rusanen 2014)
and other aspects valued within the early childhood education sector at the same
time as it develops early literacy thus helping practitioners to meaningfully include
digital media in early years pedagogies This way ICT pedagogical competence
becomes an extension of educatorsrsquo existing proficiency rather than being a new and
peripheral area of expertise (Mertala 2017)
9
The enablers that promote the use of technology are directly related to the barriers in
that addressing some of the issues above ensures that they no longer prevent
technology integration but foster it So for example Gotkas Yildirim and Yildirim
(2009) identify the following as enablers (i) having clear plans and policies (ii) having
access to training (iii) finance (iv) support (v) providing educators with time (vi) having
appropriate curricula
One of the key ways in which early years practitionersrsquo greater use of digital literacy in
early years classrooms might be promoted is through the use of effective continuing
development professional development (CPD) as in point (ii) of Gotkas et alrsquos
recommendations As Blackwell et al (2013) noted in a study of 1329 teachers of 0-4
year olds the level of frequency of engagement in CPD predicted increased use of
computers and tablet computers In the next section the key aspects of CPD that
need to be considered in the development of any such programme are considered
10
3
Digital literacy CPD for early years practitioners
As noted above one of the key barriers to furthering practice is early years
practitionersrsquo knowledge specifically TPACK In a systematic review of interventions
aimed at developing teachersrsquo knowledge in this area Evens Elen and Depaepe
(2015) identified that there were certain elements of programmes that were important
if they were to be effective The first is reflection reflection that fosters higher-order
thinking in particular is essential There should also be opportunities for practitioners
to try out approaches that they have been introduced to through an intervention (Van
Driel and Berry 2012) and to have opportunities to reflect critically on these
experiences This kind of risk-taking and experimentation is important and needs to
take place in a supportive environment Second the development of relevant
knowledge is also key but it is important to link content knowledge to pedagogical
knowledge That is understanding what digital literacies are and how they develop is
important but practitioners need also to be introduced to how those concepts and
processes can be embedded in classroom practice (Gruszczynska Merchant amp
Pountney 2013) Third practitioners should be introduced to the TPACK model at the
beginning of any programme so that they are clear about its nature and how the
programme addresses their related needs Finally having contact with other
educators in the programme so they can learn together is important This point
relates to literature that emphasises the need to develop communities of practice
(CoP) in CPD programmes
The CoP concept was developed by Lave and Wenger (1991) to describe the
process of learning that operates within groups Lave and Wenger originally
11
developed the term to refer to the learning that operates between members of a
particular profession or people who share a craft In this context people who are
experienced and have long-established knowledge of the craft or profession share
their knowledge and experience with others They suggest that the process of
lsquolegitimate peripheral participationrsquo occurs in which apprentices learn from the edges
of a professional space by observing and learning from the more experienced
members of the group at the centre of the practice Through a process of learning
from being involved in this participatory action situated learning takes place Wenger
(1998) developed the concept further in his later publications He suggested that a
CoP involved three inter-related aspects mutual engagement joint enterprise and
shared repertoire (Wenger 1998 pp72-3) When members of the community are
mutually engaged in an activity strong relationships amongst members of the group
are formed The members of the group are mutually engaged in a joint enterprise
which binds the group together This aspect of learning appears to be important in
relation to educatorsrsquo CPD (Evens Elen and Depaepe 2015)
Having the opportunity to engage in action research is also a significant factor in
successful CPD programmes (Grace Reitdijk Garrett and Griffiths 2015) Action
research can enable practitioners to learn from looking at their practice carefully and
helps them to relate theory to practice (Cordingley 2015) It can impact on affect
enabling practitioners to feel proud and excited about their work and enhance their
sense of agency (Leat Reid and Lofthouse 2015) In terms of agency opportunities
to co-design professional development programmes is important so that they meet
the needs of individuals (Greany and Brown 2015) Whilst individual research is
valuable it is also helpful to offer opportunities for collaborative research Kennedy
(2014) developed a whole-school collaborative approach to practitioner researcher in
which teachers in a single school worked together to identify key challenges and
evaluate approaches to addressing these Her work provides a powerful model of
collaborative practice in relation to research
From a head teachersrsquo perspective Bates and Watt suggest that effective CPD
should include seven strategies as follows (i) offering CPD for all staff not just those
12
involved in teaching (ii) ensuring CPD is linked to school priorities (iii) staff mentoring
and peer-coaching (iv) the development of inter-school networks and partnerships
(which links to the concept of CoP) (v) team-teaching (vi) peer-review (viii) ongoing
assessment of the impact of CPD Other factors have also been identified as
important in relation to effective CPD Duration is important ndash more successful CPD is
sustained and long-term and programmes should also be coherent in relation to
educatorsrsquo beliefs and practices (Desimone 2009) Chen and Changrsquos (2006) also
summarise the following three issues as having key implications for early childhood
teacher training the support for teachers to make classroom implementation a
priority the provision of training that expands beyond the length of one week and
the need for training to match teachersrsquo varying degrees of confidence skill and
practice The possibility to personalise content is also key and it is also crucial to be
able to localise programmes which is of particular interest when considering a cross-
European approach (Lipowski Jorde Prenze and Seidel 2014)
Finally in considering the needs of any CPD programme that focuses on digital
literacy Rosaen and Terpstra (2012) argue that practitioners should have
opportunities to engage in reflecting on epistemological perspectives on literacy so
that they can consider how literacy is changing due to technological developments In
this way changes in beliefs and values can influence practice In addition they
promote the need to engage practitioners in hands-on design activities in which they
themselves are creating digital multimodal texts The teachers involved in their
intervention did this and Rosaen and Terpstra argue that as a result
hellipthe teacher candidates seemed to gain knowledge skill and
understanding of their new technology by designing a product for a real
audience (their peers) and blogging about their learning processes As they
learned about their new literacy they had to make strategic decisions about
how to represent ideas about topics such as visual or environmental literacy
and try to take advantage of the affordances of that technology as a medium
of communication
Rosaen and Terpstra (2012 46)
13
In addition some CPD programmes enable practitioners to collaboratively design
curriculum materials which has a positive impact on outcomes (Landerholm Gehrie
amp Hao 2004 Voogt Laferriegravere Breuleux et al 2015)
Therefore a review of the literature indicates that a successful approach to the CPD
of early years practitioners with regard to furthering their understanding of and
practice in the teaching and learning of digital literacy should contain the elements
outlined in Table 1
14
Table 1 Elements to be embedded in a digital literacy CPD programme
Practitioners have input into the design of the programme
Programme sustained over time
Practitioners are clear about the aims and objectives of the programme from the beginning the programme has coherence and it is clearly contributing to comprehensive goals of early education
Programme embeds opportunities for critical reflection
Programme embeds opportunities to explore the different epistemological understandings of literacy and consider how literacy is being transformed through technological developments
Risk-taking and experimentation are embedded
Designing and disseminating digital multimodal texts and artefacts are enabled
Technical content and pedagogical knowledge are developed in tandem
Practitioners are encouraged to observe discuss and pedagogically utilise those childrenrsquos media cultural interests that integrate both digital and non-digital practices
Practitioners are able to personalise content also create content together with children
Practitioners are able to localise content
Programme promotes the construction and maintenance of communities of practice networks
There are opportunities to relate theory to practice throughout the programme
Programme embeds opportunities to undertake (independent and or collaborative) action research
Opportunities for coaching peer-mentoring and team teaching are embedded
Practitioners are encouraged to assess the impact of the programme on a continuous basis to feed into its development
15
3
Conclusion
There is sustained evidence that there is a lack of opportunity for early years
practitioners to engage in professional development in relation to digital literacy to any
meaningful extent as outlined in this report A range of barriers exists in relation to the
furthering of practice (Plumb and Kautz 2015) A number of barriers relate to the early
years practitioners themselves such as their beliefs and attitudes their level of
confidence in using technologies and their level of technological and pedagogical
content knowledge Research reviewed in this report suggests that many of these
barriers emerge from or connect to teachersrsquo established understandings of the early
childhood sector and the curriculum therein Two binaries may identified there as key
in shaping teachersrsquo practices and beliefs the binary between ldquoconventionalrdquo and
new early childhood literacies and the binary between teachersrsquo own use and
integration of technology in the classroom To deconstruct such binaries one needs
to consider how CPD may offer early years practitioners opportunities to engage with
their own and othersrsquo epistemological understandings of literacy as well as
realisations of new literacies in (childrenrsquos and their own) everyday lives This would
ultimately necessitate and link to a shift in practitionersrsquo professional identities
There is also a recognised lack of training and support therefore the development of
a CPD programme that might impact positively on these elements is important It is of
course not in itself sufficient ndash there also needs to be a focus on other barriers to
progress such as a lack of resources and effective policies at a national level
Nevertheless the development of a CPD programme that embeds the effective
elements of such activities as outlined in Table 1 is required if young children are to
be offered early years education that is appropriate for twenty-first century demands
16
References Bates S and Watt L (2015) Staff development for raising attainment a
practitioners view of what works Education 3-13 Vol 44 (1) Published online
ahead of print 31st Dec 2015 httpdxdoiorg
1010800300427920151122317
Becta (2004) A Review of the Research Literature on Barriers to the Uptake
of ICT by Teachers HMSO Becta
Blackwell CK Lauricella AR and Wartella E (2014) Factors influencing digital
technology use in early childhood education Computers amp Education 77 (0) pp
82-90
Blackwell CK Lauricella AR Wartella E Robb M and Schomburg R
(2013) Adoption and use of technology in early education The interplay of
extrinsic barriers and teacher attitudes Computers amp Education 69 (0) pp
310-319
Britzman DP (1989) Who Has the Floor Curriculum Teaching and the English
Student Teachers Struggle for Voice Curriculum Inquiry 19 ( 2) pp 143-162
httpwwwjstororgstable1179406
Chen J-Q amp Chang C (2006) Using computers in early childhood classrooms
Teachersrsquo attitudes skills and practices Journal of Early Childhood Research
4(2) 169-188
Clandinin DJ (1986) Classroom Practice Teacher Images in Action London
Falmer Press
17
Cordingley P (2015) The contribution of research to teachersrsquo professional
learning and development Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 234-252 DOI
1010800305498520151020105
Desimone LM (2009) Improving Impact Studies of Teachersrsquo Professional
Development Toward Better Conceptualizations and Measures Educational
Researcher Vol 38 (3) pp181-199
Edwards S (2013) Digital play in the early years a contextual response to the
problem of integrating technologies and play-based pedagogies in the early childhood
curriculum European Early Childhood Education Research Journal Vol 21 (2) 199ndash
212
Ertmer P (1999) Addressing first- and second-order barriers to change
Strategies for technology integration Educational Technology Research and
Development 47(4) 47-61 doi 101007bf02299597
Evens M Elen J amp Depaepe F (2015) Developing pedagogical content
knowledge Lessons learned from intervention studies Education Research
International doi1011552015790417
Fenty NS and McKendry Anderson EM (2014) Examining Educatorsrsquo
Knowledge Beliefs and Practices About Using Technology With Young Children
Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education 35 (2) pp 114-134
Friedrichs-Liesenkoumltter H (2015) Media-educational Habitus of Future Educators
in the Context of Education in Day-Care Centers Journal of Media Literacy
Education 7(1) 18-34
18
Goktas Y Gedik N amp Baydas O (2013) Enablers and barriers to the use of ICT
in primary schools in Turkey A comparative study of 2005ndash2011 Computers amp
Education 68 211-222 doi 101016jcompedu201305002
Goktas Y Yildirim S amp Yildirim Z (2009) Main Barriers and Possible Enablers
of ICTs Integration into Pre-service Teacher Education Programs Educational
Technology amp Society 12 (1) 193ndash204
Grace M Rietdijk W Garrett C amp Griffiths J (2015) Improving physics teaching
through action research the impact of a nationwide professional development
programme Teacher Development 194 496-519 DOI
1010801366453020151073612
Greany T and Brown C (2015) Partnerships between teaching schools and
universities Research report London Institute of Education Accessed http
researchrichschoolsorgukuploadsresources14293009901Teaching-schools-
and-universities-research-reportpdf
Grossman P (1990) The Making of a Teacher Teacher Knowledge and Teacher
Education New York Teachers College Press
Gruszczynska A Merchant G amp Pountney R (2013) Digital Futures in Teacher
Education Exploring Open Approaches towards Digital Literacy Electronic
Journal of E-Learning 11(3) 193-206
Hesterman S (2011) A Contested Space the dialogic intersection of ICT
multiliteracies and early childhood Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood12(4)
349-361
Hew K F amp Brush T (2006) Integrating technology into K-12 teaching and
learning current knowledge gaps and recommendations for future research
19
Educational Technology Research and Development 55(3) 223-252 doi
101007s11423-006-9022-5
Ihmeideh F M (2009) Barriers to the use of technology in Jordanian pre-school
settings Technology Pedagogy and Education 18(3) 325-341
Ihmeideh FM (2010) The role of computer technology in teaching reading and
writing preschool teachersrsquo beliefs and practices Journal of Research in
Childhood Education 24 (1) pp 60-79
Inan F A amp Lowther D L (2010) Laptops in the K-12 classrooms exploring
factors impacting instructional use Computers amp Education 55 (3) 937ndash944
Keengwe J amp Onchwari G (2009) Technology and early childhood education A
technology integration professional development model for practicing teachers
Early Childhood Education Journal 37 209-218
Kennedy E (2014) Raising Literacy Achievement in High-Poverty Schools An
Evidence-Based Approach Abingdon Oxon New York Routledge
Kildan A O amp Incikabi L (2015) Effects on the technological pedagogical
content knowledge of early childhood teacher candidates using digital storytelling
to teach mathematics Education 3-13 43(3) 238-248
Koehler MJ Mishra P Kereluik K Shin T and Graham CR (2014) lsquoThe
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Frameworkrsquo in JM Spector et al
(eds) Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology
Springer
Kontovourki S and Tafa E (2015) Draft Summary Report for Second DigiLitEY
Project Meeting 19th-20th October Tallinn Estonia Accessed at httpdigiliteyeu
wp-contentuploads201509WG2_Objective2_DraftReport_October2015pdf
20
Lafton T (2012) How Early Childhood Practitioners build shape and construct their
digital practices the Search for an Analytical Space Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy
Vol 7 ( 3) 172-185
Leinonen J amp Sintonen S (2014) Productive participation ndash Children as active media
producers in kindergarten Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol 9 (3) 216-236
Landerholm E Gehrie C amp Hao Y (2004) Educating early childhood teachers
for the global world Early Child Development and Care 174(7-8) 593-606
Lave J and Wenger E (1991) Situated Learning Legitimate Peripheral
Participation Cambridge Cambridge University Press
Leat D Reid A amp Lofthouse R (2015) Teachersrsquo experiences of engagement
with and in educational research what can be learned from teachersrsquo views
Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 270-286 DOI
1010800305498520151021193
Li H (2006) Integrating Information and Communication Technologies Into the
Early Childhood Curriculum Chinese Principalsrsquo Views of the Challenges and
Opportunities Early Education and Development17 (3) pp 467-487
Lindahl MG and Folkesson A-M (2012) Can we let computers change
practice Educatorsrsquo interpretations of preschool tradition Computers in Human
Behavior 28 (5) pp 1728-1737
Lipowski K Jorde D Prenze M and Seidel T (2014) Expert views on the
implementation of teacher professional development in European countries
(pp41-56) In K Jones and J OrsquoBrien (eds) European Perspectives on Professional
Development in Teacher Education London Routledge
21
Liu P (2016) Technology Integration in Elementary Classrooms Teaching
Practices of Student Teachers Australian Journal of Teacher Education 41(3)
Published online March 11th 2016 at httpdxdoiorg1014221ajte
2016v41n36
Lortie D (1975) Schoolteacher A Sociological Study Chicago IL University of
Chicago Press
McDougall J (2010) A crisis of professional identity How primary teachers are
coming to terms with changing views of literacy Teaching and Teacher Education
26(3) 679-687
Mertala P (2016) Fun and Games ndash Finnish childrenrsquos ideas for the use of digital
media in preschool Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol11(4) pp 207-226
Mertala P (2017) Wag the dog - The nature and foundations of preschool educators
positive ICT pedagogical beliefs Computers in Human Behavior Vol 69 197-206
Mishra P amp Koehler MJ (2006) Technological pedagogical content knowledge
A framework for integrating technology in teacher knowledge Teachers College
Record 108(6) 1017-1054
NAEYC (2012) Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood
Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8 NAEYC Joint Position
Statement with the Fred Rogers Center Accessed at httpwwwnaeycorgfiles
naeycPS_technology_WEBpdf
Nespor J (1987) The role of beliefs in the practice of teaching Journal of
Curriculum Studies (19) 4 317ndash28
22
Nikolopoulou K and Gialamas V (2013) Barriers to the integration of computers
in early childhood settings Teachersrsquo perceptions Education and Information
Technologies pp 1-17
Onnismaa E-L Rintakorpi K amp Rusanen S (2014) ldquoTake a picturerdquo Children as
photographers and co-constructors of culture in an early childhood education
environment In H Ruismaumlki amp I Ruokonen (eds) Voices for Tomorrow Sixth
International Journal of Intercultural Arts Education University of Helsinki Research
Report 352
Palaiologou I (2016) Teachersrsquo dispositions towards the role of digital devices in play-
based pedagogy in early childhood education Early Years Vol 36 (3) 305-321 DOI
1010800957514620161174816
Pajares M (1992) Teachersrsquo beliefs and educational research cleaning up a
messy construct Review of Educational Research (62)3 307ndash32
Papadakis S Kalogiannakis M amp Zaranis N (2016) Comparing tablets and
PCs in teaching mathematics An attempt to improve mathematics competence in
early childhood education Preschool amp Primary Education 4(2) 241-253
Parette HP Blum C and Quesenberry AC (2013) The role of technology for
young children in the 21st century in HP Parette and C Blum (eds)
Instructional technology in early childhood (pp 1-28) Brookes Publishing
Parette H P Quesenberry A C amp Blum C (2010) Missing the boat with
technology usage in early childhood settings A 21st century view of
developmentally appropriate practice Early Childhood Education Journal 37(5)
335-343
Parry RL (2013) Children Film and Literacy Basingstoke Palgrave Macmillan
23
Plowman L and Stephen C (2005) Children play and computers in pre-school
education British Journal of Educational Technology 36 (2) pp 145-157
Plumb M and Kautz K (2015) Barriers to the Integration of Information
Technology within Early Childhood Education and Care Organisations A Review of
the Literature Presented at the Australasian Conference on Information Systems
2015
Rosaen C and Terpstra M (2012) Widening worlds understanding and teaching
new literaciesrsquo Studying Teacher Education A Journal of Self-study of Teacher
Education Practices 8(1) 35ndash49
Thorpe K Hansen J Danby S Davidson C Zaki F M Grant S and Given
L M (2015) Teachers teaching and digital technologies reports from the early
childhood classroom Early Childhood Research Quarterly 32 httpdxdoiorg
101016jecresq201504001
Van Driel JH and Berry A (2012) Teacher Professional Development Focusing
on Pedagogical Content Knowledge Educational Researcher Vol 41 (1) pp26
-28
Voogt J Laferriegravere T Breuleux A Itow R C Hickey DT and McKenney S
(2015) Collaborative design as a form of professional development Instructional
Science 43 259 doi101007s11251-014-9340-7
Voogt J and McKnney S (2016) TPACK in teacher education are we preparing
teachers to use technology for early literacy Technology Pedagogy and
Education Published online ahead of print 4th May 2016 httpdxdoiorg
1010801475939X20161174730
Wenger E (1998) Communities of Practice Learning Meaning and Identity
Cambridge Cambridge University Press
24
Wood E Specht J Willoughby T and Mueller J (2008) Integrating Computer
Technology in Early Childhood Education Environments Issues Raised by Early
Childhood Educators Alberta Journal of Educational Research 54 (2) pp
210-226
25
2010) Research has indicated previously that beliefs and attitudes are two of the
strongest internal factors on teachersrsquo practice (Clandinin 1986 Nespor 1987
Pajares 1992) and this is also the case in relation to their use of technology (Inan and
Lowther 2010) In addition teachersrsquo own life-history experiences impact on their
practice (Britzman 1989 Grossman 1990 Lortie 1975) Friedrichs-Liesenkoumltter
(2011-2012) theorises the persistence of teachersrsquo beliefs and attitudes through the
notion of habitus and uses it to explain that even young future educators with
extensive experience with digital media in their daily lives share the same negative
attitudes of practising teachers towards the use of digital media in early childhood
educational settings Given that some practitioners may well have had little
experience of meaningful use of technology in their own schooling this could impact
on their beliefs and attitudes Early childhood teacher education programmes can
play a crucial role in formulating student teachersrsquo views and intentions and also in
providing pedagogical learning experiences so that future teachers will be able to
judge when it is appropriate to integrate ICT in their classes and how (Nikolopoulou amp
Gialamas 2009) Teachers can also be encouraged to pedagogically experiment and
explore digital practices together with children with all participants being involved in
the process of teaching and learning (Lafton 2012)
Lack of knowledge and skills Plumb and Kautz (2015) identify that many of the
studies they reviewed outlined early years practitionersrsquo lack of IT knowledge and
related skills as being a key barrier to enhancing practice (eg Ihmeideh 2010
Plowman and Stephen 2005) Mishra and Koehler (2006) drawing on Lee Shulmanrsquos
work on Pedagogical Content Knowledge (the knowledge required to teach a
particular subject) introduced the concept of lsquoTechnological Pedagogical Content
Knowledgersquo (TPACK) This refers specifically to the knowledge required to embed the
use of technology in subject teaching or as Kildan and Incikabi (2015) put it
knowledge that centres on the triple intersection of technology pedagogy and
content It is not sufficient to be able to use technology practitioners need to be able
to understand how technology can be used pedagogically in ways that are
appropriate to the subject(s) being taught (Koehler Mishra Kereluik et al 2014)
There is therefore an identified need to enhance early yearsrsquo practitionersrsquo TPACK
5
(Voogt and McKenney 2016) as well as expand it to include their understanding of
the ways particular technology tools are important to young children (Parette
Quesenberry amp Blum 2010) There is also a need for teachers to be knowledgable
about digital media cultures that are important for children (Edwards 2013 Mertala
2016) This does not mean that teachers should know everything that children do and
use in the digital world as that would not be possible Rather having some familiarity
with the landscape is useful as teachers can then let pupils be the experts about their
own digital practices and inform teachers about these (Parry 2013)
Lack of equipment resources Plumb and Kautz (2015) report that numerous
studies identified that early years settings often lacked ICT equipment and or access
to broadband or wireless (eg Fenty and McKendry Anderson 2014 Nikolopoulou
and Gialamas 2013) This is particularly important given that teachers are found to
report the availability of resources or lack thereof as the precondition for considering
further issues relating to technology integration in teaching (Hesterman 2011 Thorpe
et al 2015) Alongside having sufficient resources practitioners should be
encouraged to develop such educational understanding that allows them to
pedagogically examine digital cultures together with children drawing from childrenrsquos
everyday experiences even without using concrete digital equipment (eg Mertala
2016)
Lack of training Studies reviewed by Plumb and Kautz (2015) indicated that many
early years practitioners identified that they had insufficient training on technologies to
be able to use them effectively in their settings (Blackwell et al 2013 Parette et al
2013) This is a point that holds across practices and sectors in relation to early years
practitionersrsquo development given that there are studies on both teacher education
(eg Gruszczynska Merchant amp Pountney 2013) and teachersrsquo in-service training
(eg Ihmeideh 2009) Problems included early years settings having insufficient
resources to pay for staff to attend training (Ihmeideh 2009) and training being of
questionable quality (Plowman and Stephen 2005)
6
Classroom condition constraints Plumb and Kautz (2015) outline a number of
challenges which impact on the use of technology in settings including large class
sizes (Nikolopoulou and Gialamas 2013) and technology being located in places
external to the classroom such as an office (Fenty and McKendry Anderson 2014)
Educator lack of confidence The studies drawn upon by Plumb and Kautz (2015)
such as Blackwell et al (2014) and Nikolopoulou and Gialamas (2013) point to the
way in which early years practitioners sometimes lack confidence in their own abilities
to use technologies Such an attitude has been found to be directly linked to skill and
classroom practice and to be shaped by varied factors including the practitionersrsquo
number of years teaching (Inan and Lowther 2010) their role in an educational
setting their home computer access and their training (Chen amp Chang 2006)
Research also indicates that early years teachersrsquo capabilities of using ICT for
personal purposes or their positive attitudes towards personal ICT use do not
automatically transfer into professional confidence or relevant ECE practices
(Palailogou 2016) This implies that it is essential to focus on ECE pedagogical use of
ICT in professional training not only on general ICT competences
Lack of appropriate educational software Plumb and Kautz (2015) identify a
range of studies that indicate that many teachers feel they do not have sufficient
access to appropriate software (eg Ihmeideh 2009)
Lack of support In a review of the barriers to effective use of ICT Becta (2004)
identified the presence of high-level support as being important in enabling teachers
to overcome issues relating to lack of confidence Blackwell et al (2014) identify
support as key to utilising technology even in educational settings where
technological resources are available Plumb and Kautz (2015) in their review of
literature point to the way in which a lack of support limits early yearsrsquo practitionersrsquo
practice in the use of technology For example Nikolopoulou and Gialamasrsquo (2013)
study identified a lack of technical support as a key problem whilst a lack of support
from administrators and parents is also an important barrier to use (Fenty and
McKendry Anderson 2014 Li 2006) Lack of support might also refer to the lack of
7
follow-up sessions to validate and assess teachersrsquo efforts to integrate technology in
their teaching (Keengwe amp Onchwari 2009)
IT technical problems Plumb and Kautz (2015) note that outdated equipment is a
key barrier to extending use of technology in early years settings (Fenty and
McKendry Andersonrsquos 2014) In addition breakdowns of equipment frustrate
practitioners and children alike (Blackwell et al 2013)
Lack of funding In Plumb and Kautzrsquos (20156) review they note that a number of
studies lsquoexplicitly identified funding or budget limitations as a barrier to IT integration in
ECEC organisationsrsquo such as Ihmeidehrsquos (2009) study of Jordanian pre-schools This
of course links to the previous points with regards to the barriers created by lack of
access to equipment and software Goktas Gedik and Baydas (2013) argue that the
provision of funding should ameloriate this problem but their study was conducted in
Turkey which points to the uneven distribution of technology-related funding in
schools across Europe
Physical environment constraints Plumb and Kautz (2015) identify studies that
have reported such issues as a lack of physical space (Ihmeideh 2009) and too few
electrical sockets (Wood et al 2008) which prevented some practitioners using
technology However physical barriers were only reported in some countries (eg
Greece and Turkey) and not others
Lack of time Time is recurrent trope in the literature on the barriers to the use of
technology in education as eductators report a lack of time to develop their own
expertise or a lack of time available in the curriculum (Goktas et al 2013 Hew and
Brush 2006) As Plumb and Kautz (2015 7) point out early childhood educators
have additional responsibilities such as lsquotoileting and assisting at meal times
supervising play-time liaising with parents and undertaking administrative dutiesrsquo
and these time constrains have been found to mitigate against the use of technology
(Li 2006 Wood et al 2008)
8
Early childhood curriculum and guidelines Plumb and Kautz (2015) suggest that
whilst some countries do recognise the place of technology in their early years
curriculum others do not which offers a key barrier to progress in this area As the
DigiLitEY report by Kontovourki and Tafa (2015) suggests whilst many countries in
Europe do attend to issues related to the use of technology there is less consistency
with regard to references to digital literacy in early years curricula Edwards (2013)
also points out that regardless of the importance of digital play in childrenrsquos lives
curricula tend to neglect digital technologies when attending to play and playful
learning
Nature of the early childhood educational sector The final barrier identified by
Plumb and Kautz (2015) relates to the cultural issues There is a lack of a tradition of
research and development in relation to new literacies particular within early years
settings with an emphasis on natural first-hand experiential learning which
sometimes creates attitudinal barriers (Parette et al 2013) This is also implied in
early years practitionersrsquo concerns about their competing responsibilities and their
technology integration efforts (Keengwe amp Onchwari 2009) Such assertions reveal
the conceptualisation of early years pedagogy as distinct from technology use or
conversely of technology as irrelevant to what would be considered as early
childhood education Research indicates that whilst early years teachers value
promoting childrenrsquos socio-emotional skills more than academic skills they also
consider ICT as a tool for learning academic skills not socio-emotional skills (Mertala
2017) Strategies need to be developed that will enable educators to address some of
the challenges faced in this area In training it could be beneficial to highlight the
pedagogical implications of ICT for developing childrenrsquos social skills participation
creativity (eg Leinonen amp Sintonen 2015 Onnismaa Rintakorpi amp Rusanen 2014)
and other aspects valued within the early childhood education sector at the same
time as it develops early literacy thus helping practitioners to meaningfully include
digital media in early years pedagogies This way ICT pedagogical competence
becomes an extension of educatorsrsquo existing proficiency rather than being a new and
peripheral area of expertise (Mertala 2017)
9
The enablers that promote the use of technology are directly related to the barriers in
that addressing some of the issues above ensures that they no longer prevent
technology integration but foster it So for example Gotkas Yildirim and Yildirim
(2009) identify the following as enablers (i) having clear plans and policies (ii) having
access to training (iii) finance (iv) support (v) providing educators with time (vi) having
appropriate curricula
One of the key ways in which early years practitionersrsquo greater use of digital literacy in
early years classrooms might be promoted is through the use of effective continuing
development professional development (CPD) as in point (ii) of Gotkas et alrsquos
recommendations As Blackwell et al (2013) noted in a study of 1329 teachers of 0-4
year olds the level of frequency of engagement in CPD predicted increased use of
computers and tablet computers In the next section the key aspects of CPD that
need to be considered in the development of any such programme are considered
10
3
Digital literacy CPD for early years practitioners
As noted above one of the key barriers to furthering practice is early years
practitionersrsquo knowledge specifically TPACK In a systematic review of interventions
aimed at developing teachersrsquo knowledge in this area Evens Elen and Depaepe
(2015) identified that there were certain elements of programmes that were important
if they were to be effective The first is reflection reflection that fosters higher-order
thinking in particular is essential There should also be opportunities for practitioners
to try out approaches that they have been introduced to through an intervention (Van
Driel and Berry 2012) and to have opportunities to reflect critically on these
experiences This kind of risk-taking and experimentation is important and needs to
take place in a supportive environment Second the development of relevant
knowledge is also key but it is important to link content knowledge to pedagogical
knowledge That is understanding what digital literacies are and how they develop is
important but practitioners need also to be introduced to how those concepts and
processes can be embedded in classroom practice (Gruszczynska Merchant amp
Pountney 2013) Third practitioners should be introduced to the TPACK model at the
beginning of any programme so that they are clear about its nature and how the
programme addresses their related needs Finally having contact with other
educators in the programme so they can learn together is important This point
relates to literature that emphasises the need to develop communities of practice
(CoP) in CPD programmes
The CoP concept was developed by Lave and Wenger (1991) to describe the
process of learning that operates within groups Lave and Wenger originally
11
developed the term to refer to the learning that operates between members of a
particular profession or people who share a craft In this context people who are
experienced and have long-established knowledge of the craft or profession share
their knowledge and experience with others They suggest that the process of
lsquolegitimate peripheral participationrsquo occurs in which apprentices learn from the edges
of a professional space by observing and learning from the more experienced
members of the group at the centre of the practice Through a process of learning
from being involved in this participatory action situated learning takes place Wenger
(1998) developed the concept further in his later publications He suggested that a
CoP involved three inter-related aspects mutual engagement joint enterprise and
shared repertoire (Wenger 1998 pp72-3) When members of the community are
mutually engaged in an activity strong relationships amongst members of the group
are formed The members of the group are mutually engaged in a joint enterprise
which binds the group together This aspect of learning appears to be important in
relation to educatorsrsquo CPD (Evens Elen and Depaepe 2015)
Having the opportunity to engage in action research is also a significant factor in
successful CPD programmes (Grace Reitdijk Garrett and Griffiths 2015) Action
research can enable practitioners to learn from looking at their practice carefully and
helps them to relate theory to practice (Cordingley 2015) It can impact on affect
enabling practitioners to feel proud and excited about their work and enhance their
sense of agency (Leat Reid and Lofthouse 2015) In terms of agency opportunities
to co-design professional development programmes is important so that they meet
the needs of individuals (Greany and Brown 2015) Whilst individual research is
valuable it is also helpful to offer opportunities for collaborative research Kennedy
(2014) developed a whole-school collaborative approach to practitioner researcher in
which teachers in a single school worked together to identify key challenges and
evaluate approaches to addressing these Her work provides a powerful model of
collaborative practice in relation to research
From a head teachersrsquo perspective Bates and Watt suggest that effective CPD
should include seven strategies as follows (i) offering CPD for all staff not just those
12
involved in teaching (ii) ensuring CPD is linked to school priorities (iii) staff mentoring
and peer-coaching (iv) the development of inter-school networks and partnerships
(which links to the concept of CoP) (v) team-teaching (vi) peer-review (viii) ongoing
assessment of the impact of CPD Other factors have also been identified as
important in relation to effective CPD Duration is important ndash more successful CPD is
sustained and long-term and programmes should also be coherent in relation to
educatorsrsquo beliefs and practices (Desimone 2009) Chen and Changrsquos (2006) also
summarise the following three issues as having key implications for early childhood
teacher training the support for teachers to make classroom implementation a
priority the provision of training that expands beyond the length of one week and
the need for training to match teachersrsquo varying degrees of confidence skill and
practice The possibility to personalise content is also key and it is also crucial to be
able to localise programmes which is of particular interest when considering a cross-
European approach (Lipowski Jorde Prenze and Seidel 2014)
Finally in considering the needs of any CPD programme that focuses on digital
literacy Rosaen and Terpstra (2012) argue that practitioners should have
opportunities to engage in reflecting on epistemological perspectives on literacy so
that they can consider how literacy is changing due to technological developments In
this way changes in beliefs and values can influence practice In addition they
promote the need to engage practitioners in hands-on design activities in which they
themselves are creating digital multimodal texts The teachers involved in their
intervention did this and Rosaen and Terpstra argue that as a result
hellipthe teacher candidates seemed to gain knowledge skill and
understanding of their new technology by designing a product for a real
audience (their peers) and blogging about their learning processes As they
learned about their new literacy they had to make strategic decisions about
how to represent ideas about topics such as visual or environmental literacy
and try to take advantage of the affordances of that technology as a medium
of communication
Rosaen and Terpstra (2012 46)
13
In addition some CPD programmes enable practitioners to collaboratively design
curriculum materials which has a positive impact on outcomes (Landerholm Gehrie
amp Hao 2004 Voogt Laferriegravere Breuleux et al 2015)
Therefore a review of the literature indicates that a successful approach to the CPD
of early years practitioners with regard to furthering their understanding of and
practice in the teaching and learning of digital literacy should contain the elements
outlined in Table 1
14
Table 1 Elements to be embedded in a digital literacy CPD programme
Practitioners have input into the design of the programme
Programme sustained over time
Practitioners are clear about the aims and objectives of the programme from the beginning the programme has coherence and it is clearly contributing to comprehensive goals of early education
Programme embeds opportunities for critical reflection
Programme embeds opportunities to explore the different epistemological understandings of literacy and consider how literacy is being transformed through technological developments
Risk-taking and experimentation are embedded
Designing and disseminating digital multimodal texts and artefacts are enabled
Technical content and pedagogical knowledge are developed in tandem
Practitioners are encouraged to observe discuss and pedagogically utilise those childrenrsquos media cultural interests that integrate both digital and non-digital practices
Practitioners are able to personalise content also create content together with children
Practitioners are able to localise content
Programme promotes the construction and maintenance of communities of practice networks
There are opportunities to relate theory to practice throughout the programme
Programme embeds opportunities to undertake (independent and or collaborative) action research
Opportunities for coaching peer-mentoring and team teaching are embedded
Practitioners are encouraged to assess the impact of the programme on a continuous basis to feed into its development
15
3
Conclusion
There is sustained evidence that there is a lack of opportunity for early years
practitioners to engage in professional development in relation to digital literacy to any
meaningful extent as outlined in this report A range of barriers exists in relation to the
furthering of practice (Plumb and Kautz 2015) A number of barriers relate to the early
years practitioners themselves such as their beliefs and attitudes their level of
confidence in using technologies and their level of technological and pedagogical
content knowledge Research reviewed in this report suggests that many of these
barriers emerge from or connect to teachersrsquo established understandings of the early
childhood sector and the curriculum therein Two binaries may identified there as key
in shaping teachersrsquo practices and beliefs the binary between ldquoconventionalrdquo and
new early childhood literacies and the binary between teachersrsquo own use and
integration of technology in the classroom To deconstruct such binaries one needs
to consider how CPD may offer early years practitioners opportunities to engage with
their own and othersrsquo epistemological understandings of literacy as well as
realisations of new literacies in (childrenrsquos and their own) everyday lives This would
ultimately necessitate and link to a shift in practitionersrsquo professional identities
There is also a recognised lack of training and support therefore the development of
a CPD programme that might impact positively on these elements is important It is of
course not in itself sufficient ndash there also needs to be a focus on other barriers to
progress such as a lack of resources and effective policies at a national level
Nevertheless the development of a CPD programme that embeds the effective
elements of such activities as outlined in Table 1 is required if young children are to
be offered early years education that is appropriate for twenty-first century demands
16
References Bates S and Watt L (2015) Staff development for raising attainment a
practitioners view of what works Education 3-13 Vol 44 (1) Published online
ahead of print 31st Dec 2015 httpdxdoiorg
1010800300427920151122317
Becta (2004) A Review of the Research Literature on Barriers to the Uptake
of ICT by Teachers HMSO Becta
Blackwell CK Lauricella AR and Wartella E (2014) Factors influencing digital
technology use in early childhood education Computers amp Education 77 (0) pp
82-90
Blackwell CK Lauricella AR Wartella E Robb M and Schomburg R
(2013) Adoption and use of technology in early education The interplay of
extrinsic barriers and teacher attitudes Computers amp Education 69 (0) pp
310-319
Britzman DP (1989) Who Has the Floor Curriculum Teaching and the English
Student Teachers Struggle for Voice Curriculum Inquiry 19 ( 2) pp 143-162
httpwwwjstororgstable1179406
Chen J-Q amp Chang C (2006) Using computers in early childhood classrooms
Teachersrsquo attitudes skills and practices Journal of Early Childhood Research
4(2) 169-188
Clandinin DJ (1986) Classroom Practice Teacher Images in Action London
Falmer Press
17
Cordingley P (2015) The contribution of research to teachersrsquo professional
learning and development Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 234-252 DOI
1010800305498520151020105
Desimone LM (2009) Improving Impact Studies of Teachersrsquo Professional
Development Toward Better Conceptualizations and Measures Educational
Researcher Vol 38 (3) pp181-199
Edwards S (2013) Digital play in the early years a contextual response to the
problem of integrating technologies and play-based pedagogies in the early childhood
curriculum European Early Childhood Education Research Journal Vol 21 (2) 199ndash
212
Ertmer P (1999) Addressing first- and second-order barriers to change
Strategies for technology integration Educational Technology Research and
Development 47(4) 47-61 doi 101007bf02299597
Evens M Elen J amp Depaepe F (2015) Developing pedagogical content
knowledge Lessons learned from intervention studies Education Research
International doi1011552015790417
Fenty NS and McKendry Anderson EM (2014) Examining Educatorsrsquo
Knowledge Beliefs and Practices About Using Technology With Young Children
Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education 35 (2) pp 114-134
Friedrichs-Liesenkoumltter H (2015) Media-educational Habitus of Future Educators
in the Context of Education in Day-Care Centers Journal of Media Literacy
Education 7(1) 18-34
18
Goktas Y Gedik N amp Baydas O (2013) Enablers and barriers to the use of ICT
in primary schools in Turkey A comparative study of 2005ndash2011 Computers amp
Education 68 211-222 doi 101016jcompedu201305002
Goktas Y Yildirim S amp Yildirim Z (2009) Main Barriers and Possible Enablers
of ICTs Integration into Pre-service Teacher Education Programs Educational
Technology amp Society 12 (1) 193ndash204
Grace M Rietdijk W Garrett C amp Griffiths J (2015) Improving physics teaching
through action research the impact of a nationwide professional development
programme Teacher Development 194 496-519 DOI
1010801366453020151073612
Greany T and Brown C (2015) Partnerships between teaching schools and
universities Research report London Institute of Education Accessed http
researchrichschoolsorgukuploadsresources14293009901Teaching-schools-
and-universities-research-reportpdf
Grossman P (1990) The Making of a Teacher Teacher Knowledge and Teacher
Education New York Teachers College Press
Gruszczynska A Merchant G amp Pountney R (2013) Digital Futures in Teacher
Education Exploring Open Approaches towards Digital Literacy Electronic
Journal of E-Learning 11(3) 193-206
Hesterman S (2011) A Contested Space the dialogic intersection of ICT
multiliteracies and early childhood Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood12(4)
349-361
Hew K F amp Brush T (2006) Integrating technology into K-12 teaching and
learning current knowledge gaps and recommendations for future research
19
Educational Technology Research and Development 55(3) 223-252 doi
101007s11423-006-9022-5
Ihmeideh F M (2009) Barriers to the use of technology in Jordanian pre-school
settings Technology Pedagogy and Education 18(3) 325-341
Ihmeideh FM (2010) The role of computer technology in teaching reading and
writing preschool teachersrsquo beliefs and practices Journal of Research in
Childhood Education 24 (1) pp 60-79
Inan F A amp Lowther D L (2010) Laptops in the K-12 classrooms exploring
factors impacting instructional use Computers amp Education 55 (3) 937ndash944
Keengwe J amp Onchwari G (2009) Technology and early childhood education A
technology integration professional development model for practicing teachers
Early Childhood Education Journal 37 209-218
Kennedy E (2014) Raising Literacy Achievement in High-Poverty Schools An
Evidence-Based Approach Abingdon Oxon New York Routledge
Kildan A O amp Incikabi L (2015) Effects on the technological pedagogical
content knowledge of early childhood teacher candidates using digital storytelling
to teach mathematics Education 3-13 43(3) 238-248
Koehler MJ Mishra P Kereluik K Shin T and Graham CR (2014) lsquoThe
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Frameworkrsquo in JM Spector et al
(eds) Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology
Springer
Kontovourki S and Tafa E (2015) Draft Summary Report for Second DigiLitEY
Project Meeting 19th-20th October Tallinn Estonia Accessed at httpdigiliteyeu
wp-contentuploads201509WG2_Objective2_DraftReport_October2015pdf
20
Lafton T (2012) How Early Childhood Practitioners build shape and construct their
digital practices the Search for an Analytical Space Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy
Vol 7 ( 3) 172-185
Leinonen J amp Sintonen S (2014) Productive participation ndash Children as active media
producers in kindergarten Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol 9 (3) 216-236
Landerholm E Gehrie C amp Hao Y (2004) Educating early childhood teachers
for the global world Early Child Development and Care 174(7-8) 593-606
Lave J and Wenger E (1991) Situated Learning Legitimate Peripheral
Participation Cambridge Cambridge University Press
Leat D Reid A amp Lofthouse R (2015) Teachersrsquo experiences of engagement
with and in educational research what can be learned from teachersrsquo views
Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 270-286 DOI
1010800305498520151021193
Li H (2006) Integrating Information and Communication Technologies Into the
Early Childhood Curriculum Chinese Principalsrsquo Views of the Challenges and
Opportunities Early Education and Development17 (3) pp 467-487
Lindahl MG and Folkesson A-M (2012) Can we let computers change
practice Educatorsrsquo interpretations of preschool tradition Computers in Human
Behavior 28 (5) pp 1728-1737
Lipowski K Jorde D Prenze M and Seidel T (2014) Expert views on the
implementation of teacher professional development in European countries
(pp41-56) In K Jones and J OrsquoBrien (eds) European Perspectives on Professional
Development in Teacher Education London Routledge
21
Liu P (2016) Technology Integration in Elementary Classrooms Teaching
Practices of Student Teachers Australian Journal of Teacher Education 41(3)
Published online March 11th 2016 at httpdxdoiorg1014221ajte
2016v41n36
Lortie D (1975) Schoolteacher A Sociological Study Chicago IL University of
Chicago Press
McDougall J (2010) A crisis of professional identity How primary teachers are
coming to terms with changing views of literacy Teaching and Teacher Education
26(3) 679-687
Mertala P (2016) Fun and Games ndash Finnish childrenrsquos ideas for the use of digital
media in preschool Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol11(4) pp 207-226
Mertala P (2017) Wag the dog - The nature and foundations of preschool educators
positive ICT pedagogical beliefs Computers in Human Behavior Vol 69 197-206
Mishra P amp Koehler MJ (2006) Technological pedagogical content knowledge
A framework for integrating technology in teacher knowledge Teachers College
Record 108(6) 1017-1054
NAEYC (2012) Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood
Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8 NAEYC Joint Position
Statement with the Fred Rogers Center Accessed at httpwwwnaeycorgfiles
naeycPS_technology_WEBpdf
Nespor J (1987) The role of beliefs in the practice of teaching Journal of
Curriculum Studies (19) 4 317ndash28
22
Nikolopoulou K and Gialamas V (2013) Barriers to the integration of computers
in early childhood settings Teachersrsquo perceptions Education and Information
Technologies pp 1-17
Onnismaa E-L Rintakorpi K amp Rusanen S (2014) ldquoTake a picturerdquo Children as
photographers and co-constructors of culture in an early childhood education
environment In H Ruismaumlki amp I Ruokonen (eds) Voices for Tomorrow Sixth
International Journal of Intercultural Arts Education University of Helsinki Research
Report 352
Palaiologou I (2016) Teachersrsquo dispositions towards the role of digital devices in play-
based pedagogy in early childhood education Early Years Vol 36 (3) 305-321 DOI
1010800957514620161174816
Pajares M (1992) Teachersrsquo beliefs and educational research cleaning up a
messy construct Review of Educational Research (62)3 307ndash32
Papadakis S Kalogiannakis M amp Zaranis N (2016) Comparing tablets and
PCs in teaching mathematics An attempt to improve mathematics competence in
early childhood education Preschool amp Primary Education 4(2) 241-253
Parette HP Blum C and Quesenberry AC (2013) The role of technology for
young children in the 21st century in HP Parette and C Blum (eds)
Instructional technology in early childhood (pp 1-28) Brookes Publishing
Parette H P Quesenberry A C amp Blum C (2010) Missing the boat with
technology usage in early childhood settings A 21st century view of
developmentally appropriate practice Early Childhood Education Journal 37(5)
335-343
Parry RL (2013) Children Film and Literacy Basingstoke Palgrave Macmillan
23
Plowman L and Stephen C (2005) Children play and computers in pre-school
education British Journal of Educational Technology 36 (2) pp 145-157
Plumb M and Kautz K (2015) Barriers to the Integration of Information
Technology within Early Childhood Education and Care Organisations A Review of
the Literature Presented at the Australasian Conference on Information Systems
2015
Rosaen C and Terpstra M (2012) Widening worlds understanding and teaching
new literaciesrsquo Studying Teacher Education A Journal of Self-study of Teacher
Education Practices 8(1) 35ndash49
Thorpe K Hansen J Danby S Davidson C Zaki F M Grant S and Given
L M (2015) Teachers teaching and digital technologies reports from the early
childhood classroom Early Childhood Research Quarterly 32 httpdxdoiorg
101016jecresq201504001
Van Driel JH and Berry A (2012) Teacher Professional Development Focusing
on Pedagogical Content Knowledge Educational Researcher Vol 41 (1) pp26
-28
Voogt J Laferriegravere T Breuleux A Itow R C Hickey DT and McKenney S
(2015) Collaborative design as a form of professional development Instructional
Science 43 259 doi101007s11251-014-9340-7
Voogt J and McKnney S (2016) TPACK in teacher education are we preparing
teachers to use technology for early literacy Technology Pedagogy and
Education Published online ahead of print 4th May 2016 httpdxdoiorg
1010801475939X20161174730
Wenger E (1998) Communities of Practice Learning Meaning and Identity
Cambridge Cambridge University Press
24
Wood E Specht J Willoughby T and Mueller J (2008) Integrating Computer
Technology in Early Childhood Education Environments Issues Raised by Early
Childhood Educators Alberta Journal of Educational Research 54 (2) pp
210-226
25
(Voogt and McKenney 2016) as well as expand it to include their understanding of
the ways particular technology tools are important to young children (Parette
Quesenberry amp Blum 2010) There is also a need for teachers to be knowledgable
about digital media cultures that are important for children (Edwards 2013 Mertala
2016) This does not mean that teachers should know everything that children do and
use in the digital world as that would not be possible Rather having some familiarity
with the landscape is useful as teachers can then let pupils be the experts about their
own digital practices and inform teachers about these (Parry 2013)
Lack of equipment resources Plumb and Kautz (2015) report that numerous
studies identified that early years settings often lacked ICT equipment and or access
to broadband or wireless (eg Fenty and McKendry Anderson 2014 Nikolopoulou
and Gialamas 2013) This is particularly important given that teachers are found to
report the availability of resources or lack thereof as the precondition for considering
further issues relating to technology integration in teaching (Hesterman 2011 Thorpe
et al 2015) Alongside having sufficient resources practitioners should be
encouraged to develop such educational understanding that allows them to
pedagogically examine digital cultures together with children drawing from childrenrsquos
everyday experiences even without using concrete digital equipment (eg Mertala
2016)
Lack of training Studies reviewed by Plumb and Kautz (2015) indicated that many
early years practitioners identified that they had insufficient training on technologies to
be able to use them effectively in their settings (Blackwell et al 2013 Parette et al
2013) This is a point that holds across practices and sectors in relation to early years
practitionersrsquo development given that there are studies on both teacher education
(eg Gruszczynska Merchant amp Pountney 2013) and teachersrsquo in-service training
(eg Ihmeideh 2009) Problems included early years settings having insufficient
resources to pay for staff to attend training (Ihmeideh 2009) and training being of
questionable quality (Plowman and Stephen 2005)
6
Classroom condition constraints Plumb and Kautz (2015) outline a number of
challenges which impact on the use of technology in settings including large class
sizes (Nikolopoulou and Gialamas 2013) and technology being located in places
external to the classroom such as an office (Fenty and McKendry Anderson 2014)
Educator lack of confidence The studies drawn upon by Plumb and Kautz (2015)
such as Blackwell et al (2014) and Nikolopoulou and Gialamas (2013) point to the
way in which early years practitioners sometimes lack confidence in their own abilities
to use technologies Such an attitude has been found to be directly linked to skill and
classroom practice and to be shaped by varied factors including the practitionersrsquo
number of years teaching (Inan and Lowther 2010) their role in an educational
setting their home computer access and their training (Chen amp Chang 2006)
Research also indicates that early years teachersrsquo capabilities of using ICT for
personal purposes or their positive attitudes towards personal ICT use do not
automatically transfer into professional confidence or relevant ECE practices
(Palailogou 2016) This implies that it is essential to focus on ECE pedagogical use of
ICT in professional training not only on general ICT competences
Lack of appropriate educational software Plumb and Kautz (2015) identify a
range of studies that indicate that many teachers feel they do not have sufficient
access to appropriate software (eg Ihmeideh 2009)
Lack of support In a review of the barriers to effective use of ICT Becta (2004)
identified the presence of high-level support as being important in enabling teachers
to overcome issues relating to lack of confidence Blackwell et al (2014) identify
support as key to utilising technology even in educational settings where
technological resources are available Plumb and Kautz (2015) in their review of
literature point to the way in which a lack of support limits early yearsrsquo practitionersrsquo
practice in the use of technology For example Nikolopoulou and Gialamasrsquo (2013)
study identified a lack of technical support as a key problem whilst a lack of support
from administrators and parents is also an important barrier to use (Fenty and
McKendry Anderson 2014 Li 2006) Lack of support might also refer to the lack of
7
follow-up sessions to validate and assess teachersrsquo efforts to integrate technology in
their teaching (Keengwe amp Onchwari 2009)
IT technical problems Plumb and Kautz (2015) note that outdated equipment is a
key barrier to extending use of technology in early years settings (Fenty and
McKendry Andersonrsquos 2014) In addition breakdowns of equipment frustrate
practitioners and children alike (Blackwell et al 2013)
Lack of funding In Plumb and Kautzrsquos (20156) review they note that a number of
studies lsquoexplicitly identified funding or budget limitations as a barrier to IT integration in
ECEC organisationsrsquo such as Ihmeidehrsquos (2009) study of Jordanian pre-schools This
of course links to the previous points with regards to the barriers created by lack of
access to equipment and software Goktas Gedik and Baydas (2013) argue that the
provision of funding should ameloriate this problem but their study was conducted in
Turkey which points to the uneven distribution of technology-related funding in
schools across Europe
Physical environment constraints Plumb and Kautz (2015) identify studies that
have reported such issues as a lack of physical space (Ihmeideh 2009) and too few
electrical sockets (Wood et al 2008) which prevented some practitioners using
technology However physical barriers were only reported in some countries (eg
Greece and Turkey) and not others
Lack of time Time is recurrent trope in the literature on the barriers to the use of
technology in education as eductators report a lack of time to develop their own
expertise or a lack of time available in the curriculum (Goktas et al 2013 Hew and
Brush 2006) As Plumb and Kautz (2015 7) point out early childhood educators
have additional responsibilities such as lsquotoileting and assisting at meal times
supervising play-time liaising with parents and undertaking administrative dutiesrsquo
and these time constrains have been found to mitigate against the use of technology
(Li 2006 Wood et al 2008)
8
Early childhood curriculum and guidelines Plumb and Kautz (2015) suggest that
whilst some countries do recognise the place of technology in their early years
curriculum others do not which offers a key barrier to progress in this area As the
DigiLitEY report by Kontovourki and Tafa (2015) suggests whilst many countries in
Europe do attend to issues related to the use of technology there is less consistency
with regard to references to digital literacy in early years curricula Edwards (2013)
also points out that regardless of the importance of digital play in childrenrsquos lives
curricula tend to neglect digital technologies when attending to play and playful
learning
Nature of the early childhood educational sector The final barrier identified by
Plumb and Kautz (2015) relates to the cultural issues There is a lack of a tradition of
research and development in relation to new literacies particular within early years
settings with an emphasis on natural first-hand experiential learning which
sometimes creates attitudinal barriers (Parette et al 2013) This is also implied in
early years practitionersrsquo concerns about their competing responsibilities and their
technology integration efforts (Keengwe amp Onchwari 2009) Such assertions reveal
the conceptualisation of early years pedagogy as distinct from technology use or
conversely of technology as irrelevant to what would be considered as early
childhood education Research indicates that whilst early years teachers value
promoting childrenrsquos socio-emotional skills more than academic skills they also
consider ICT as a tool for learning academic skills not socio-emotional skills (Mertala
2017) Strategies need to be developed that will enable educators to address some of
the challenges faced in this area In training it could be beneficial to highlight the
pedagogical implications of ICT for developing childrenrsquos social skills participation
creativity (eg Leinonen amp Sintonen 2015 Onnismaa Rintakorpi amp Rusanen 2014)
and other aspects valued within the early childhood education sector at the same
time as it develops early literacy thus helping practitioners to meaningfully include
digital media in early years pedagogies This way ICT pedagogical competence
becomes an extension of educatorsrsquo existing proficiency rather than being a new and
peripheral area of expertise (Mertala 2017)
9
The enablers that promote the use of technology are directly related to the barriers in
that addressing some of the issues above ensures that they no longer prevent
technology integration but foster it So for example Gotkas Yildirim and Yildirim
(2009) identify the following as enablers (i) having clear plans and policies (ii) having
access to training (iii) finance (iv) support (v) providing educators with time (vi) having
appropriate curricula
One of the key ways in which early years practitionersrsquo greater use of digital literacy in
early years classrooms might be promoted is through the use of effective continuing
development professional development (CPD) as in point (ii) of Gotkas et alrsquos
recommendations As Blackwell et al (2013) noted in a study of 1329 teachers of 0-4
year olds the level of frequency of engagement in CPD predicted increased use of
computers and tablet computers In the next section the key aspects of CPD that
need to be considered in the development of any such programme are considered
10
3
Digital literacy CPD for early years practitioners
As noted above one of the key barriers to furthering practice is early years
practitionersrsquo knowledge specifically TPACK In a systematic review of interventions
aimed at developing teachersrsquo knowledge in this area Evens Elen and Depaepe
(2015) identified that there were certain elements of programmes that were important
if they were to be effective The first is reflection reflection that fosters higher-order
thinking in particular is essential There should also be opportunities for practitioners
to try out approaches that they have been introduced to through an intervention (Van
Driel and Berry 2012) and to have opportunities to reflect critically on these
experiences This kind of risk-taking and experimentation is important and needs to
take place in a supportive environment Second the development of relevant
knowledge is also key but it is important to link content knowledge to pedagogical
knowledge That is understanding what digital literacies are and how they develop is
important but practitioners need also to be introduced to how those concepts and
processes can be embedded in classroom practice (Gruszczynska Merchant amp
Pountney 2013) Third practitioners should be introduced to the TPACK model at the
beginning of any programme so that they are clear about its nature and how the
programme addresses their related needs Finally having contact with other
educators in the programme so they can learn together is important This point
relates to literature that emphasises the need to develop communities of practice
(CoP) in CPD programmes
The CoP concept was developed by Lave and Wenger (1991) to describe the
process of learning that operates within groups Lave and Wenger originally
11
developed the term to refer to the learning that operates between members of a
particular profession or people who share a craft In this context people who are
experienced and have long-established knowledge of the craft or profession share
their knowledge and experience with others They suggest that the process of
lsquolegitimate peripheral participationrsquo occurs in which apprentices learn from the edges
of a professional space by observing and learning from the more experienced
members of the group at the centre of the practice Through a process of learning
from being involved in this participatory action situated learning takes place Wenger
(1998) developed the concept further in his later publications He suggested that a
CoP involved three inter-related aspects mutual engagement joint enterprise and
shared repertoire (Wenger 1998 pp72-3) When members of the community are
mutually engaged in an activity strong relationships amongst members of the group
are formed The members of the group are mutually engaged in a joint enterprise
which binds the group together This aspect of learning appears to be important in
relation to educatorsrsquo CPD (Evens Elen and Depaepe 2015)
Having the opportunity to engage in action research is also a significant factor in
successful CPD programmes (Grace Reitdijk Garrett and Griffiths 2015) Action
research can enable practitioners to learn from looking at their practice carefully and
helps them to relate theory to practice (Cordingley 2015) It can impact on affect
enabling practitioners to feel proud and excited about their work and enhance their
sense of agency (Leat Reid and Lofthouse 2015) In terms of agency opportunities
to co-design professional development programmes is important so that they meet
the needs of individuals (Greany and Brown 2015) Whilst individual research is
valuable it is also helpful to offer opportunities for collaborative research Kennedy
(2014) developed a whole-school collaborative approach to practitioner researcher in
which teachers in a single school worked together to identify key challenges and
evaluate approaches to addressing these Her work provides a powerful model of
collaborative practice in relation to research
From a head teachersrsquo perspective Bates and Watt suggest that effective CPD
should include seven strategies as follows (i) offering CPD for all staff not just those
12
involved in teaching (ii) ensuring CPD is linked to school priorities (iii) staff mentoring
and peer-coaching (iv) the development of inter-school networks and partnerships
(which links to the concept of CoP) (v) team-teaching (vi) peer-review (viii) ongoing
assessment of the impact of CPD Other factors have also been identified as
important in relation to effective CPD Duration is important ndash more successful CPD is
sustained and long-term and programmes should also be coherent in relation to
educatorsrsquo beliefs and practices (Desimone 2009) Chen and Changrsquos (2006) also
summarise the following three issues as having key implications for early childhood
teacher training the support for teachers to make classroom implementation a
priority the provision of training that expands beyond the length of one week and
the need for training to match teachersrsquo varying degrees of confidence skill and
practice The possibility to personalise content is also key and it is also crucial to be
able to localise programmes which is of particular interest when considering a cross-
European approach (Lipowski Jorde Prenze and Seidel 2014)
Finally in considering the needs of any CPD programme that focuses on digital
literacy Rosaen and Terpstra (2012) argue that practitioners should have
opportunities to engage in reflecting on epistemological perspectives on literacy so
that they can consider how literacy is changing due to technological developments In
this way changes in beliefs and values can influence practice In addition they
promote the need to engage practitioners in hands-on design activities in which they
themselves are creating digital multimodal texts The teachers involved in their
intervention did this and Rosaen and Terpstra argue that as a result
hellipthe teacher candidates seemed to gain knowledge skill and
understanding of their new technology by designing a product for a real
audience (their peers) and blogging about their learning processes As they
learned about their new literacy they had to make strategic decisions about
how to represent ideas about topics such as visual or environmental literacy
and try to take advantage of the affordances of that technology as a medium
of communication
Rosaen and Terpstra (2012 46)
13
In addition some CPD programmes enable practitioners to collaboratively design
curriculum materials which has a positive impact on outcomes (Landerholm Gehrie
amp Hao 2004 Voogt Laferriegravere Breuleux et al 2015)
Therefore a review of the literature indicates that a successful approach to the CPD
of early years practitioners with regard to furthering their understanding of and
practice in the teaching and learning of digital literacy should contain the elements
outlined in Table 1
14
Table 1 Elements to be embedded in a digital literacy CPD programme
Practitioners have input into the design of the programme
Programme sustained over time
Practitioners are clear about the aims and objectives of the programme from the beginning the programme has coherence and it is clearly contributing to comprehensive goals of early education
Programme embeds opportunities for critical reflection
Programme embeds opportunities to explore the different epistemological understandings of literacy and consider how literacy is being transformed through technological developments
Risk-taking and experimentation are embedded
Designing and disseminating digital multimodal texts and artefacts are enabled
Technical content and pedagogical knowledge are developed in tandem
Practitioners are encouraged to observe discuss and pedagogically utilise those childrenrsquos media cultural interests that integrate both digital and non-digital practices
Practitioners are able to personalise content also create content together with children
Practitioners are able to localise content
Programme promotes the construction and maintenance of communities of practice networks
There are opportunities to relate theory to practice throughout the programme
Programme embeds opportunities to undertake (independent and or collaborative) action research
Opportunities for coaching peer-mentoring and team teaching are embedded
Practitioners are encouraged to assess the impact of the programme on a continuous basis to feed into its development
15
3
Conclusion
There is sustained evidence that there is a lack of opportunity for early years
practitioners to engage in professional development in relation to digital literacy to any
meaningful extent as outlined in this report A range of barriers exists in relation to the
furthering of practice (Plumb and Kautz 2015) A number of barriers relate to the early
years practitioners themselves such as their beliefs and attitudes their level of
confidence in using technologies and their level of technological and pedagogical
content knowledge Research reviewed in this report suggests that many of these
barriers emerge from or connect to teachersrsquo established understandings of the early
childhood sector and the curriculum therein Two binaries may identified there as key
in shaping teachersrsquo practices and beliefs the binary between ldquoconventionalrdquo and
new early childhood literacies and the binary between teachersrsquo own use and
integration of technology in the classroom To deconstruct such binaries one needs
to consider how CPD may offer early years practitioners opportunities to engage with
their own and othersrsquo epistemological understandings of literacy as well as
realisations of new literacies in (childrenrsquos and their own) everyday lives This would
ultimately necessitate and link to a shift in practitionersrsquo professional identities
There is also a recognised lack of training and support therefore the development of
a CPD programme that might impact positively on these elements is important It is of
course not in itself sufficient ndash there also needs to be a focus on other barriers to
progress such as a lack of resources and effective policies at a national level
Nevertheless the development of a CPD programme that embeds the effective
elements of such activities as outlined in Table 1 is required if young children are to
be offered early years education that is appropriate for twenty-first century demands
16
References Bates S and Watt L (2015) Staff development for raising attainment a
practitioners view of what works Education 3-13 Vol 44 (1) Published online
ahead of print 31st Dec 2015 httpdxdoiorg
1010800300427920151122317
Becta (2004) A Review of the Research Literature on Barriers to the Uptake
of ICT by Teachers HMSO Becta
Blackwell CK Lauricella AR and Wartella E (2014) Factors influencing digital
technology use in early childhood education Computers amp Education 77 (0) pp
82-90
Blackwell CK Lauricella AR Wartella E Robb M and Schomburg R
(2013) Adoption and use of technology in early education The interplay of
extrinsic barriers and teacher attitudes Computers amp Education 69 (0) pp
310-319
Britzman DP (1989) Who Has the Floor Curriculum Teaching and the English
Student Teachers Struggle for Voice Curriculum Inquiry 19 ( 2) pp 143-162
httpwwwjstororgstable1179406
Chen J-Q amp Chang C (2006) Using computers in early childhood classrooms
Teachersrsquo attitudes skills and practices Journal of Early Childhood Research
4(2) 169-188
Clandinin DJ (1986) Classroom Practice Teacher Images in Action London
Falmer Press
17
Cordingley P (2015) The contribution of research to teachersrsquo professional
learning and development Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 234-252 DOI
1010800305498520151020105
Desimone LM (2009) Improving Impact Studies of Teachersrsquo Professional
Development Toward Better Conceptualizations and Measures Educational
Researcher Vol 38 (3) pp181-199
Edwards S (2013) Digital play in the early years a contextual response to the
problem of integrating technologies and play-based pedagogies in the early childhood
curriculum European Early Childhood Education Research Journal Vol 21 (2) 199ndash
212
Ertmer P (1999) Addressing first- and second-order barriers to change
Strategies for technology integration Educational Technology Research and
Development 47(4) 47-61 doi 101007bf02299597
Evens M Elen J amp Depaepe F (2015) Developing pedagogical content
knowledge Lessons learned from intervention studies Education Research
International doi1011552015790417
Fenty NS and McKendry Anderson EM (2014) Examining Educatorsrsquo
Knowledge Beliefs and Practices About Using Technology With Young Children
Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education 35 (2) pp 114-134
Friedrichs-Liesenkoumltter H (2015) Media-educational Habitus of Future Educators
in the Context of Education in Day-Care Centers Journal of Media Literacy
Education 7(1) 18-34
18
Goktas Y Gedik N amp Baydas O (2013) Enablers and barriers to the use of ICT
in primary schools in Turkey A comparative study of 2005ndash2011 Computers amp
Education 68 211-222 doi 101016jcompedu201305002
Goktas Y Yildirim S amp Yildirim Z (2009) Main Barriers and Possible Enablers
of ICTs Integration into Pre-service Teacher Education Programs Educational
Technology amp Society 12 (1) 193ndash204
Grace M Rietdijk W Garrett C amp Griffiths J (2015) Improving physics teaching
through action research the impact of a nationwide professional development
programme Teacher Development 194 496-519 DOI
1010801366453020151073612
Greany T and Brown C (2015) Partnerships between teaching schools and
universities Research report London Institute of Education Accessed http
researchrichschoolsorgukuploadsresources14293009901Teaching-schools-
and-universities-research-reportpdf
Grossman P (1990) The Making of a Teacher Teacher Knowledge and Teacher
Education New York Teachers College Press
Gruszczynska A Merchant G amp Pountney R (2013) Digital Futures in Teacher
Education Exploring Open Approaches towards Digital Literacy Electronic
Journal of E-Learning 11(3) 193-206
Hesterman S (2011) A Contested Space the dialogic intersection of ICT
multiliteracies and early childhood Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood12(4)
349-361
Hew K F amp Brush T (2006) Integrating technology into K-12 teaching and
learning current knowledge gaps and recommendations for future research
19
Educational Technology Research and Development 55(3) 223-252 doi
101007s11423-006-9022-5
Ihmeideh F M (2009) Barriers to the use of technology in Jordanian pre-school
settings Technology Pedagogy and Education 18(3) 325-341
Ihmeideh FM (2010) The role of computer technology in teaching reading and
writing preschool teachersrsquo beliefs and practices Journal of Research in
Childhood Education 24 (1) pp 60-79
Inan F A amp Lowther D L (2010) Laptops in the K-12 classrooms exploring
factors impacting instructional use Computers amp Education 55 (3) 937ndash944
Keengwe J amp Onchwari G (2009) Technology and early childhood education A
technology integration professional development model for practicing teachers
Early Childhood Education Journal 37 209-218
Kennedy E (2014) Raising Literacy Achievement in High-Poverty Schools An
Evidence-Based Approach Abingdon Oxon New York Routledge
Kildan A O amp Incikabi L (2015) Effects on the technological pedagogical
content knowledge of early childhood teacher candidates using digital storytelling
to teach mathematics Education 3-13 43(3) 238-248
Koehler MJ Mishra P Kereluik K Shin T and Graham CR (2014) lsquoThe
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Frameworkrsquo in JM Spector et al
(eds) Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology
Springer
Kontovourki S and Tafa E (2015) Draft Summary Report for Second DigiLitEY
Project Meeting 19th-20th October Tallinn Estonia Accessed at httpdigiliteyeu
wp-contentuploads201509WG2_Objective2_DraftReport_October2015pdf
20
Lafton T (2012) How Early Childhood Practitioners build shape and construct their
digital practices the Search for an Analytical Space Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy
Vol 7 ( 3) 172-185
Leinonen J amp Sintonen S (2014) Productive participation ndash Children as active media
producers in kindergarten Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol 9 (3) 216-236
Landerholm E Gehrie C amp Hao Y (2004) Educating early childhood teachers
for the global world Early Child Development and Care 174(7-8) 593-606
Lave J and Wenger E (1991) Situated Learning Legitimate Peripheral
Participation Cambridge Cambridge University Press
Leat D Reid A amp Lofthouse R (2015) Teachersrsquo experiences of engagement
with and in educational research what can be learned from teachersrsquo views
Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 270-286 DOI
1010800305498520151021193
Li H (2006) Integrating Information and Communication Technologies Into the
Early Childhood Curriculum Chinese Principalsrsquo Views of the Challenges and
Opportunities Early Education and Development17 (3) pp 467-487
Lindahl MG and Folkesson A-M (2012) Can we let computers change
practice Educatorsrsquo interpretations of preschool tradition Computers in Human
Behavior 28 (5) pp 1728-1737
Lipowski K Jorde D Prenze M and Seidel T (2014) Expert views on the
implementation of teacher professional development in European countries
(pp41-56) In K Jones and J OrsquoBrien (eds) European Perspectives on Professional
Development in Teacher Education London Routledge
21
Liu P (2016) Technology Integration in Elementary Classrooms Teaching
Practices of Student Teachers Australian Journal of Teacher Education 41(3)
Published online March 11th 2016 at httpdxdoiorg1014221ajte
2016v41n36
Lortie D (1975) Schoolteacher A Sociological Study Chicago IL University of
Chicago Press
McDougall J (2010) A crisis of professional identity How primary teachers are
coming to terms with changing views of literacy Teaching and Teacher Education
26(3) 679-687
Mertala P (2016) Fun and Games ndash Finnish childrenrsquos ideas for the use of digital
media in preschool Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol11(4) pp 207-226
Mertala P (2017) Wag the dog - The nature and foundations of preschool educators
positive ICT pedagogical beliefs Computers in Human Behavior Vol 69 197-206
Mishra P amp Koehler MJ (2006) Technological pedagogical content knowledge
A framework for integrating technology in teacher knowledge Teachers College
Record 108(6) 1017-1054
NAEYC (2012) Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood
Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8 NAEYC Joint Position
Statement with the Fred Rogers Center Accessed at httpwwwnaeycorgfiles
naeycPS_technology_WEBpdf
Nespor J (1987) The role of beliefs in the practice of teaching Journal of
Curriculum Studies (19) 4 317ndash28
22
Nikolopoulou K and Gialamas V (2013) Barriers to the integration of computers
in early childhood settings Teachersrsquo perceptions Education and Information
Technologies pp 1-17
Onnismaa E-L Rintakorpi K amp Rusanen S (2014) ldquoTake a picturerdquo Children as
photographers and co-constructors of culture in an early childhood education
environment In H Ruismaumlki amp I Ruokonen (eds) Voices for Tomorrow Sixth
International Journal of Intercultural Arts Education University of Helsinki Research
Report 352
Palaiologou I (2016) Teachersrsquo dispositions towards the role of digital devices in play-
based pedagogy in early childhood education Early Years Vol 36 (3) 305-321 DOI
1010800957514620161174816
Pajares M (1992) Teachersrsquo beliefs and educational research cleaning up a
messy construct Review of Educational Research (62)3 307ndash32
Papadakis S Kalogiannakis M amp Zaranis N (2016) Comparing tablets and
PCs in teaching mathematics An attempt to improve mathematics competence in
early childhood education Preschool amp Primary Education 4(2) 241-253
Parette HP Blum C and Quesenberry AC (2013) The role of technology for
young children in the 21st century in HP Parette and C Blum (eds)
Instructional technology in early childhood (pp 1-28) Brookes Publishing
Parette H P Quesenberry A C amp Blum C (2010) Missing the boat with
technology usage in early childhood settings A 21st century view of
developmentally appropriate practice Early Childhood Education Journal 37(5)
335-343
Parry RL (2013) Children Film and Literacy Basingstoke Palgrave Macmillan
23
Plowman L and Stephen C (2005) Children play and computers in pre-school
education British Journal of Educational Technology 36 (2) pp 145-157
Plumb M and Kautz K (2015) Barriers to the Integration of Information
Technology within Early Childhood Education and Care Organisations A Review of
the Literature Presented at the Australasian Conference on Information Systems
2015
Rosaen C and Terpstra M (2012) Widening worlds understanding and teaching
new literaciesrsquo Studying Teacher Education A Journal of Self-study of Teacher
Education Practices 8(1) 35ndash49
Thorpe K Hansen J Danby S Davidson C Zaki F M Grant S and Given
L M (2015) Teachers teaching and digital technologies reports from the early
childhood classroom Early Childhood Research Quarterly 32 httpdxdoiorg
101016jecresq201504001
Van Driel JH and Berry A (2012) Teacher Professional Development Focusing
on Pedagogical Content Knowledge Educational Researcher Vol 41 (1) pp26
-28
Voogt J Laferriegravere T Breuleux A Itow R C Hickey DT and McKenney S
(2015) Collaborative design as a form of professional development Instructional
Science 43 259 doi101007s11251-014-9340-7
Voogt J and McKnney S (2016) TPACK in teacher education are we preparing
teachers to use technology for early literacy Technology Pedagogy and
Education Published online ahead of print 4th May 2016 httpdxdoiorg
1010801475939X20161174730
Wenger E (1998) Communities of Practice Learning Meaning and Identity
Cambridge Cambridge University Press
24
Wood E Specht J Willoughby T and Mueller J (2008) Integrating Computer
Technology in Early Childhood Education Environments Issues Raised by Early
Childhood Educators Alberta Journal of Educational Research 54 (2) pp
210-226
25
Classroom condition constraints Plumb and Kautz (2015) outline a number of
challenges which impact on the use of technology in settings including large class
sizes (Nikolopoulou and Gialamas 2013) and technology being located in places
external to the classroom such as an office (Fenty and McKendry Anderson 2014)
Educator lack of confidence The studies drawn upon by Plumb and Kautz (2015)
such as Blackwell et al (2014) and Nikolopoulou and Gialamas (2013) point to the
way in which early years practitioners sometimes lack confidence in their own abilities
to use technologies Such an attitude has been found to be directly linked to skill and
classroom practice and to be shaped by varied factors including the practitionersrsquo
number of years teaching (Inan and Lowther 2010) their role in an educational
setting their home computer access and their training (Chen amp Chang 2006)
Research also indicates that early years teachersrsquo capabilities of using ICT for
personal purposes or their positive attitudes towards personal ICT use do not
automatically transfer into professional confidence or relevant ECE practices
(Palailogou 2016) This implies that it is essential to focus on ECE pedagogical use of
ICT in professional training not only on general ICT competences
Lack of appropriate educational software Plumb and Kautz (2015) identify a
range of studies that indicate that many teachers feel they do not have sufficient
access to appropriate software (eg Ihmeideh 2009)
Lack of support In a review of the barriers to effective use of ICT Becta (2004)
identified the presence of high-level support as being important in enabling teachers
to overcome issues relating to lack of confidence Blackwell et al (2014) identify
support as key to utilising technology even in educational settings where
technological resources are available Plumb and Kautz (2015) in their review of
literature point to the way in which a lack of support limits early yearsrsquo practitionersrsquo
practice in the use of technology For example Nikolopoulou and Gialamasrsquo (2013)
study identified a lack of technical support as a key problem whilst a lack of support
from administrators and parents is also an important barrier to use (Fenty and
McKendry Anderson 2014 Li 2006) Lack of support might also refer to the lack of
7
follow-up sessions to validate and assess teachersrsquo efforts to integrate technology in
their teaching (Keengwe amp Onchwari 2009)
IT technical problems Plumb and Kautz (2015) note that outdated equipment is a
key barrier to extending use of technology in early years settings (Fenty and
McKendry Andersonrsquos 2014) In addition breakdowns of equipment frustrate
practitioners and children alike (Blackwell et al 2013)
Lack of funding In Plumb and Kautzrsquos (20156) review they note that a number of
studies lsquoexplicitly identified funding or budget limitations as a barrier to IT integration in
ECEC organisationsrsquo such as Ihmeidehrsquos (2009) study of Jordanian pre-schools This
of course links to the previous points with regards to the barriers created by lack of
access to equipment and software Goktas Gedik and Baydas (2013) argue that the
provision of funding should ameloriate this problem but their study was conducted in
Turkey which points to the uneven distribution of technology-related funding in
schools across Europe
Physical environment constraints Plumb and Kautz (2015) identify studies that
have reported such issues as a lack of physical space (Ihmeideh 2009) and too few
electrical sockets (Wood et al 2008) which prevented some practitioners using
technology However physical barriers were only reported in some countries (eg
Greece and Turkey) and not others
Lack of time Time is recurrent trope in the literature on the barriers to the use of
technology in education as eductators report a lack of time to develop their own
expertise or a lack of time available in the curriculum (Goktas et al 2013 Hew and
Brush 2006) As Plumb and Kautz (2015 7) point out early childhood educators
have additional responsibilities such as lsquotoileting and assisting at meal times
supervising play-time liaising with parents and undertaking administrative dutiesrsquo
and these time constrains have been found to mitigate against the use of technology
(Li 2006 Wood et al 2008)
8
Early childhood curriculum and guidelines Plumb and Kautz (2015) suggest that
whilst some countries do recognise the place of technology in their early years
curriculum others do not which offers a key barrier to progress in this area As the
DigiLitEY report by Kontovourki and Tafa (2015) suggests whilst many countries in
Europe do attend to issues related to the use of technology there is less consistency
with regard to references to digital literacy in early years curricula Edwards (2013)
also points out that regardless of the importance of digital play in childrenrsquos lives
curricula tend to neglect digital technologies when attending to play and playful
learning
Nature of the early childhood educational sector The final barrier identified by
Plumb and Kautz (2015) relates to the cultural issues There is a lack of a tradition of
research and development in relation to new literacies particular within early years
settings with an emphasis on natural first-hand experiential learning which
sometimes creates attitudinal barriers (Parette et al 2013) This is also implied in
early years practitionersrsquo concerns about their competing responsibilities and their
technology integration efforts (Keengwe amp Onchwari 2009) Such assertions reveal
the conceptualisation of early years pedagogy as distinct from technology use or
conversely of technology as irrelevant to what would be considered as early
childhood education Research indicates that whilst early years teachers value
promoting childrenrsquos socio-emotional skills more than academic skills they also
consider ICT as a tool for learning academic skills not socio-emotional skills (Mertala
2017) Strategies need to be developed that will enable educators to address some of
the challenges faced in this area In training it could be beneficial to highlight the
pedagogical implications of ICT for developing childrenrsquos social skills participation
creativity (eg Leinonen amp Sintonen 2015 Onnismaa Rintakorpi amp Rusanen 2014)
and other aspects valued within the early childhood education sector at the same
time as it develops early literacy thus helping practitioners to meaningfully include
digital media in early years pedagogies This way ICT pedagogical competence
becomes an extension of educatorsrsquo existing proficiency rather than being a new and
peripheral area of expertise (Mertala 2017)
9
The enablers that promote the use of technology are directly related to the barriers in
that addressing some of the issues above ensures that they no longer prevent
technology integration but foster it So for example Gotkas Yildirim and Yildirim
(2009) identify the following as enablers (i) having clear plans and policies (ii) having
access to training (iii) finance (iv) support (v) providing educators with time (vi) having
appropriate curricula
One of the key ways in which early years practitionersrsquo greater use of digital literacy in
early years classrooms might be promoted is through the use of effective continuing
development professional development (CPD) as in point (ii) of Gotkas et alrsquos
recommendations As Blackwell et al (2013) noted in a study of 1329 teachers of 0-4
year olds the level of frequency of engagement in CPD predicted increased use of
computers and tablet computers In the next section the key aspects of CPD that
need to be considered in the development of any such programme are considered
10
3
Digital literacy CPD for early years practitioners
As noted above one of the key barriers to furthering practice is early years
practitionersrsquo knowledge specifically TPACK In a systematic review of interventions
aimed at developing teachersrsquo knowledge in this area Evens Elen and Depaepe
(2015) identified that there were certain elements of programmes that were important
if they were to be effective The first is reflection reflection that fosters higher-order
thinking in particular is essential There should also be opportunities for practitioners
to try out approaches that they have been introduced to through an intervention (Van
Driel and Berry 2012) and to have opportunities to reflect critically on these
experiences This kind of risk-taking and experimentation is important and needs to
take place in a supportive environment Second the development of relevant
knowledge is also key but it is important to link content knowledge to pedagogical
knowledge That is understanding what digital literacies are and how they develop is
important but practitioners need also to be introduced to how those concepts and
processes can be embedded in classroom practice (Gruszczynska Merchant amp
Pountney 2013) Third practitioners should be introduced to the TPACK model at the
beginning of any programme so that they are clear about its nature and how the
programme addresses their related needs Finally having contact with other
educators in the programme so they can learn together is important This point
relates to literature that emphasises the need to develop communities of practice
(CoP) in CPD programmes
The CoP concept was developed by Lave and Wenger (1991) to describe the
process of learning that operates within groups Lave and Wenger originally
11
developed the term to refer to the learning that operates between members of a
particular profession or people who share a craft In this context people who are
experienced and have long-established knowledge of the craft or profession share
their knowledge and experience with others They suggest that the process of
lsquolegitimate peripheral participationrsquo occurs in which apprentices learn from the edges
of a professional space by observing and learning from the more experienced
members of the group at the centre of the practice Through a process of learning
from being involved in this participatory action situated learning takes place Wenger
(1998) developed the concept further in his later publications He suggested that a
CoP involved three inter-related aspects mutual engagement joint enterprise and
shared repertoire (Wenger 1998 pp72-3) When members of the community are
mutually engaged in an activity strong relationships amongst members of the group
are formed The members of the group are mutually engaged in a joint enterprise
which binds the group together This aspect of learning appears to be important in
relation to educatorsrsquo CPD (Evens Elen and Depaepe 2015)
Having the opportunity to engage in action research is also a significant factor in
successful CPD programmes (Grace Reitdijk Garrett and Griffiths 2015) Action
research can enable practitioners to learn from looking at their practice carefully and
helps them to relate theory to practice (Cordingley 2015) It can impact on affect
enabling practitioners to feel proud and excited about their work and enhance their
sense of agency (Leat Reid and Lofthouse 2015) In terms of agency opportunities
to co-design professional development programmes is important so that they meet
the needs of individuals (Greany and Brown 2015) Whilst individual research is
valuable it is also helpful to offer opportunities for collaborative research Kennedy
(2014) developed a whole-school collaborative approach to practitioner researcher in
which teachers in a single school worked together to identify key challenges and
evaluate approaches to addressing these Her work provides a powerful model of
collaborative practice in relation to research
From a head teachersrsquo perspective Bates and Watt suggest that effective CPD
should include seven strategies as follows (i) offering CPD for all staff not just those
12
involved in teaching (ii) ensuring CPD is linked to school priorities (iii) staff mentoring
and peer-coaching (iv) the development of inter-school networks and partnerships
(which links to the concept of CoP) (v) team-teaching (vi) peer-review (viii) ongoing
assessment of the impact of CPD Other factors have also been identified as
important in relation to effective CPD Duration is important ndash more successful CPD is
sustained and long-term and programmes should also be coherent in relation to
educatorsrsquo beliefs and practices (Desimone 2009) Chen and Changrsquos (2006) also
summarise the following three issues as having key implications for early childhood
teacher training the support for teachers to make classroom implementation a
priority the provision of training that expands beyond the length of one week and
the need for training to match teachersrsquo varying degrees of confidence skill and
practice The possibility to personalise content is also key and it is also crucial to be
able to localise programmes which is of particular interest when considering a cross-
European approach (Lipowski Jorde Prenze and Seidel 2014)
Finally in considering the needs of any CPD programme that focuses on digital
literacy Rosaen and Terpstra (2012) argue that practitioners should have
opportunities to engage in reflecting on epistemological perspectives on literacy so
that they can consider how literacy is changing due to technological developments In
this way changes in beliefs and values can influence practice In addition they
promote the need to engage practitioners in hands-on design activities in which they
themselves are creating digital multimodal texts The teachers involved in their
intervention did this and Rosaen and Terpstra argue that as a result
hellipthe teacher candidates seemed to gain knowledge skill and
understanding of their new technology by designing a product for a real
audience (their peers) and blogging about their learning processes As they
learned about their new literacy they had to make strategic decisions about
how to represent ideas about topics such as visual or environmental literacy
and try to take advantage of the affordances of that technology as a medium
of communication
Rosaen and Terpstra (2012 46)
13
In addition some CPD programmes enable practitioners to collaboratively design
curriculum materials which has a positive impact on outcomes (Landerholm Gehrie
amp Hao 2004 Voogt Laferriegravere Breuleux et al 2015)
Therefore a review of the literature indicates that a successful approach to the CPD
of early years practitioners with regard to furthering their understanding of and
practice in the teaching and learning of digital literacy should contain the elements
outlined in Table 1
14
Table 1 Elements to be embedded in a digital literacy CPD programme
Practitioners have input into the design of the programme
Programme sustained over time
Practitioners are clear about the aims and objectives of the programme from the beginning the programme has coherence and it is clearly contributing to comprehensive goals of early education
Programme embeds opportunities for critical reflection
Programme embeds opportunities to explore the different epistemological understandings of literacy and consider how literacy is being transformed through technological developments
Risk-taking and experimentation are embedded
Designing and disseminating digital multimodal texts and artefacts are enabled
Technical content and pedagogical knowledge are developed in tandem
Practitioners are encouraged to observe discuss and pedagogically utilise those childrenrsquos media cultural interests that integrate both digital and non-digital practices
Practitioners are able to personalise content also create content together with children
Practitioners are able to localise content
Programme promotes the construction and maintenance of communities of practice networks
There are opportunities to relate theory to practice throughout the programme
Programme embeds opportunities to undertake (independent and or collaborative) action research
Opportunities for coaching peer-mentoring and team teaching are embedded
Practitioners are encouraged to assess the impact of the programme on a continuous basis to feed into its development
15
3
Conclusion
There is sustained evidence that there is a lack of opportunity for early years
practitioners to engage in professional development in relation to digital literacy to any
meaningful extent as outlined in this report A range of barriers exists in relation to the
furthering of practice (Plumb and Kautz 2015) A number of barriers relate to the early
years practitioners themselves such as their beliefs and attitudes their level of
confidence in using technologies and their level of technological and pedagogical
content knowledge Research reviewed in this report suggests that many of these
barriers emerge from or connect to teachersrsquo established understandings of the early
childhood sector and the curriculum therein Two binaries may identified there as key
in shaping teachersrsquo practices and beliefs the binary between ldquoconventionalrdquo and
new early childhood literacies and the binary between teachersrsquo own use and
integration of technology in the classroom To deconstruct such binaries one needs
to consider how CPD may offer early years practitioners opportunities to engage with
their own and othersrsquo epistemological understandings of literacy as well as
realisations of new literacies in (childrenrsquos and their own) everyday lives This would
ultimately necessitate and link to a shift in practitionersrsquo professional identities
There is also a recognised lack of training and support therefore the development of
a CPD programme that might impact positively on these elements is important It is of
course not in itself sufficient ndash there also needs to be a focus on other barriers to
progress such as a lack of resources and effective policies at a national level
Nevertheless the development of a CPD programme that embeds the effective
elements of such activities as outlined in Table 1 is required if young children are to
be offered early years education that is appropriate for twenty-first century demands
16
References Bates S and Watt L (2015) Staff development for raising attainment a
practitioners view of what works Education 3-13 Vol 44 (1) Published online
ahead of print 31st Dec 2015 httpdxdoiorg
1010800300427920151122317
Becta (2004) A Review of the Research Literature on Barriers to the Uptake
of ICT by Teachers HMSO Becta
Blackwell CK Lauricella AR and Wartella E (2014) Factors influencing digital
technology use in early childhood education Computers amp Education 77 (0) pp
82-90
Blackwell CK Lauricella AR Wartella E Robb M and Schomburg R
(2013) Adoption and use of technology in early education The interplay of
extrinsic barriers and teacher attitudes Computers amp Education 69 (0) pp
310-319
Britzman DP (1989) Who Has the Floor Curriculum Teaching and the English
Student Teachers Struggle for Voice Curriculum Inquiry 19 ( 2) pp 143-162
httpwwwjstororgstable1179406
Chen J-Q amp Chang C (2006) Using computers in early childhood classrooms
Teachersrsquo attitudes skills and practices Journal of Early Childhood Research
4(2) 169-188
Clandinin DJ (1986) Classroom Practice Teacher Images in Action London
Falmer Press
17
Cordingley P (2015) The contribution of research to teachersrsquo professional
learning and development Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 234-252 DOI
1010800305498520151020105
Desimone LM (2009) Improving Impact Studies of Teachersrsquo Professional
Development Toward Better Conceptualizations and Measures Educational
Researcher Vol 38 (3) pp181-199
Edwards S (2013) Digital play in the early years a contextual response to the
problem of integrating technologies and play-based pedagogies in the early childhood
curriculum European Early Childhood Education Research Journal Vol 21 (2) 199ndash
212
Ertmer P (1999) Addressing first- and second-order barriers to change
Strategies for technology integration Educational Technology Research and
Development 47(4) 47-61 doi 101007bf02299597
Evens M Elen J amp Depaepe F (2015) Developing pedagogical content
knowledge Lessons learned from intervention studies Education Research
International doi1011552015790417
Fenty NS and McKendry Anderson EM (2014) Examining Educatorsrsquo
Knowledge Beliefs and Practices About Using Technology With Young Children
Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education 35 (2) pp 114-134
Friedrichs-Liesenkoumltter H (2015) Media-educational Habitus of Future Educators
in the Context of Education in Day-Care Centers Journal of Media Literacy
Education 7(1) 18-34
18
Goktas Y Gedik N amp Baydas O (2013) Enablers and barriers to the use of ICT
in primary schools in Turkey A comparative study of 2005ndash2011 Computers amp
Education 68 211-222 doi 101016jcompedu201305002
Goktas Y Yildirim S amp Yildirim Z (2009) Main Barriers and Possible Enablers
of ICTs Integration into Pre-service Teacher Education Programs Educational
Technology amp Society 12 (1) 193ndash204
Grace M Rietdijk W Garrett C amp Griffiths J (2015) Improving physics teaching
through action research the impact of a nationwide professional development
programme Teacher Development 194 496-519 DOI
1010801366453020151073612
Greany T and Brown C (2015) Partnerships between teaching schools and
universities Research report London Institute of Education Accessed http
researchrichschoolsorgukuploadsresources14293009901Teaching-schools-
and-universities-research-reportpdf
Grossman P (1990) The Making of a Teacher Teacher Knowledge and Teacher
Education New York Teachers College Press
Gruszczynska A Merchant G amp Pountney R (2013) Digital Futures in Teacher
Education Exploring Open Approaches towards Digital Literacy Electronic
Journal of E-Learning 11(3) 193-206
Hesterman S (2011) A Contested Space the dialogic intersection of ICT
multiliteracies and early childhood Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood12(4)
349-361
Hew K F amp Brush T (2006) Integrating technology into K-12 teaching and
learning current knowledge gaps and recommendations for future research
19
Educational Technology Research and Development 55(3) 223-252 doi
101007s11423-006-9022-5
Ihmeideh F M (2009) Barriers to the use of technology in Jordanian pre-school
settings Technology Pedagogy and Education 18(3) 325-341
Ihmeideh FM (2010) The role of computer technology in teaching reading and
writing preschool teachersrsquo beliefs and practices Journal of Research in
Childhood Education 24 (1) pp 60-79
Inan F A amp Lowther D L (2010) Laptops in the K-12 classrooms exploring
factors impacting instructional use Computers amp Education 55 (3) 937ndash944
Keengwe J amp Onchwari G (2009) Technology and early childhood education A
technology integration professional development model for practicing teachers
Early Childhood Education Journal 37 209-218
Kennedy E (2014) Raising Literacy Achievement in High-Poverty Schools An
Evidence-Based Approach Abingdon Oxon New York Routledge
Kildan A O amp Incikabi L (2015) Effects on the technological pedagogical
content knowledge of early childhood teacher candidates using digital storytelling
to teach mathematics Education 3-13 43(3) 238-248
Koehler MJ Mishra P Kereluik K Shin T and Graham CR (2014) lsquoThe
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Frameworkrsquo in JM Spector et al
(eds) Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology
Springer
Kontovourki S and Tafa E (2015) Draft Summary Report for Second DigiLitEY
Project Meeting 19th-20th October Tallinn Estonia Accessed at httpdigiliteyeu
wp-contentuploads201509WG2_Objective2_DraftReport_October2015pdf
20
Lafton T (2012) How Early Childhood Practitioners build shape and construct their
digital practices the Search for an Analytical Space Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy
Vol 7 ( 3) 172-185
Leinonen J amp Sintonen S (2014) Productive participation ndash Children as active media
producers in kindergarten Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol 9 (3) 216-236
Landerholm E Gehrie C amp Hao Y (2004) Educating early childhood teachers
for the global world Early Child Development and Care 174(7-8) 593-606
Lave J and Wenger E (1991) Situated Learning Legitimate Peripheral
Participation Cambridge Cambridge University Press
Leat D Reid A amp Lofthouse R (2015) Teachersrsquo experiences of engagement
with and in educational research what can be learned from teachersrsquo views
Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 270-286 DOI
1010800305498520151021193
Li H (2006) Integrating Information and Communication Technologies Into the
Early Childhood Curriculum Chinese Principalsrsquo Views of the Challenges and
Opportunities Early Education and Development17 (3) pp 467-487
Lindahl MG and Folkesson A-M (2012) Can we let computers change
practice Educatorsrsquo interpretations of preschool tradition Computers in Human
Behavior 28 (5) pp 1728-1737
Lipowski K Jorde D Prenze M and Seidel T (2014) Expert views on the
implementation of teacher professional development in European countries
(pp41-56) In K Jones and J OrsquoBrien (eds) European Perspectives on Professional
Development in Teacher Education London Routledge
21
Liu P (2016) Technology Integration in Elementary Classrooms Teaching
Practices of Student Teachers Australian Journal of Teacher Education 41(3)
Published online March 11th 2016 at httpdxdoiorg1014221ajte
2016v41n36
Lortie D (1975) Schoolteacher A Sociological Study Chicago IL University of
Chicago Press
McDougall J (2010) A crisis of professional identity How primary teachers are
coming to terms with changing views of literacy Teaching and Teacher Education
26(3) 679-687
Mertala P (2016) Fun and Games ndash Finnish childrenrsquos ideas for the use of digital
media in preschool Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol11(4) pp 207-226
Mertala P (2017) Wag the dog - The nature and foundations of preschool educators
positive ICT pedagogical beliefs Computers in Human Behavior Vol 69 197-206
Mishra P amp Koehler MJ (2006) Technological pedagogical content knowledge
A framework for integrating technology in teacher knowledge Teachers College
Record 108(6) 1017-1054
NAEYC (2012) Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood
Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8 NAEYC Joint Position
Statement with the Fred Rogers Center Accessed at httpwwwnaeycorgfiles
naeycPS_technology_WEBpdf
Nespor J (1987) The role of beliefs in the practice of teaching Journal of
Curriculum Studies (19) 4 317ndash28
22
Nikolopoulou K and Gialamas V (2013) Barriers to the integration of computers
in early childhood settings Teachersrsquo perceptions Education and Information
Technologies pp 1-17
Onnismaa E-L Rintakorpi K amp Rusanen S (2014) ldquoTake a picturerdquo Children as
photographers and co-constructors of culture in an early childhood education
environment In H Ruismaumlki amp I Ruokonen (eds) Voices for Tomorrow Sixth
International Journal of Intercultural Arts Education University of Helsinki Research
Report 352
Palaiologou I (2016) Teachersrsquo dispositions towards the role of digital devices in play-
based pedagogy in early childhood education Early Years Vol 36 (3) 305-321 DOI
1010800957514620161174816
Pajares M (1992) Teachersrsquo beliefs and educational research cleaning up a
messy construct Review of Educational Research (62)3 307ndash32
Papadakis S Kalogiannakis M amp Zaranis N (2016) Comparing tablets and
PCs in teaching mathematics An attempt to improve mathematics competence in
early childhood education Preschool amp Primary Education 4(2) 241-253
Parette HP Blum C and Quesenberry AC (2013) The role of technology for
young children in the 21st century in HP Parette and C Blum (eds)
Instructional technology in early childhood (pp 1-28) Brookes Publishing
Parette H P Quesenberry A C amp Blum C (2010) Missing the boat with
technology usage in early childhood settings A 21st century view of
developmentally appropriate practice Early Childhood Education Journal 37(5)
335-343
Parry RL (2013) Children Film and Literacy Basingstoke Palgrave Macmillan
23
Plowman L and Stephen C (2005) Children play and computers in pre-school
education British Journal of Educational Technology 36 (2) pp 145-157
Plumb M and Kautz K (2015) Barriers to the Integration of Information
Technology within Early Childhood Education and Care Organisations A Review of
the Literature Presented at the Australasian Conference on Information Systems
2015
Rosaen C and Terpstra M (2012) Widening worlds understanding and teaching
new literaciesrsquo Studying Teacher Education A Journal of Self-study of Teacher
Education Practices 8(1) 35ndash49
Thorpe K Hansen J Danby S Davidson C Zaki F M Grant S and Given
L M (2015) Teachers teaching and digital technologies reports from the early
childhood classroom Early Childhood Research Quarterly 32 httpdxdoiorg
101016jecresq201504001
Van Driel JH and Berry A (2012) Teacher Professional Development Focusing
on Pedagogical Content Knowledge Educational Researcher Vol 41 (1) pp26
-28
Voogt J Laferriegravere T Breuleux A Itow R C Hickey DT and McKenney S
(2015) Collaborative design as a form of professional development Instructional
Science 43 259 doi101007s11251-014-9340-7
Voogt J and McKnney S (2016) TPACK in teacher education are we preparing
teachers to use technology for early literacy Technology Pedagogy and
Education Published online ahead of print 4th May 2016 httpdxdoiorg
1010801475939X20161174730
Wenger E (1998) Communities of Practice Learning Meaning and Identity
Cambridge Cambridge University Press
24
Wood E Specht J Willoughby T and Mueller J (2008) Integrating Computer
Technology in Early Childhood Education Environments Issues Raised by Early
Childhood Educators Alberta Journal of Educational Research 54 (2) pp
210-226
25
follow-up sessions to validate and assess teachersrsquo efforts to integrate technology in
their teaching (Keengwe amp Onchwari 2009)
IT technical problems Plumb and Kautz (2015) note that outdated equipment is a
key barrier to extending use of technology in early years settings (Fenty and
McKendry Andersonrsquos 2014) In addition breakdowns of equipment frustrate
practitioners and children alike (Blackwell et al 2013)
Lack of funding In Plumb and Kautzrsquos (20156) review they note that a number of
studies lsquoexplicitly identified funding or budget limitations as a barrier to IT integration in
ECEC organisationsrsquo such as Ihmeidehrsquos (2009) study of Jordanian pre-schools This
of course links to the previous points with regards to the barriers created by lack of
access to equipment and software Goktas Gedik and Baydas (2013) argue that the
provision of funding should ameloriate this problem but their study was conducted in
Turkey which points to the uneven distribution of technology-related funding in
schools across Europe
Physical environment constraints Plumb and Kautz (2015) identify studies that
have reported such issues as a lack of physical space (Ihmeideh 2009) and too few
electrical sockets (Wood et al 2008) which prevented some practitioners using
technology However physical barriers were only reported in some countries (eg
Greece and Turkey) and not others
Lack of time Time is recurrent trope in the literature on the barriers to the use of
technology in education as eductators report a lack of time to develop their own
expertise or a lack of time available in the curriculum (Goktas et al 2013 Hew and
Brush 2006) As Plumb and Kautz (2015 7) point out early childhood educators
have additional responsibilities such as lsquotoileting and assisting at meal times
supervising play-time liaising with parents and undertaking administrative dutiesrsquo
and these time constrains have been found to mitigate against the use of technology
(Li 2006 Wood et al 2008)
8
Early childhood curriculum and guidelines Plumb and Kautz (2015) suggest that
whilst some countries do recognise the place of technology in their early years
curriculum others do not which offers a key barrier to progress in this area As the
DigiLitEY report by Kontovourki and Tafa (2015) suggests whilst many countries in
Europe do attend to issues related to the use of technology there is less consistency
with regard to references to digital literacy in early years curricula Edwards (2013)
also points out that regardless of the importance of digital play in childrenrsquos lives
curricula tend to neglect digital technologies when attending to play and playful
learning
Nature of the early childhood educational sector The final barrier identified by
Plumb and Kautz (2015) relates to the cultural issues There is a lack of a tradition of
research and development in relation to new literacies particular within early years
settings with an emphasis on natural first-hand experiential learning which
sometimes creates attitudinal barriers (Parette et al 2013) This is also implied in
early years practitionersrsquo concerns about their competing responsibilities and their
technology integration efforts (Keengwe amp Onchwari 2009) Such assertions reveal
the conceptualisation of early years pedagogy as distinct from technology use or
conversely of technology as irrelevant to what would be considered as early
childhood education Research indicates that whilst early years teachers value
promoting childrenrsquos socio-emotional skills more than academic skills they also
consider ICT as a tool for learning academic skills not socio-emotional skills (Mertala
2017) Strategies need to be developed that will enable educators to address some of
the challenges faced in this area In training it could be beneficial to highlight the
pedagogical implications of ICT for developing childrenrsquos social skills participation
creativity (eg Leinonen amp Sintonen 2015 Onnismaa Rintakorpi amp Rusanen 2014)
and other aspects valued within the early childhood education sector at the same
time as it develops early literacy thus helping practitioners to meaningfully include
digital media in early years pedagogies This way ICT pedagogical competence
becomes an extension of educatorsrsquo existing proficiency rather than being a new and
peripheral area of expertise (Mertala 2017)
9
The enablers that promote the use of technology are directly related to the barriers in
that addressing some of the issues above ensures that they no longer prevent
technology integration but foster it So for example Gotkas Yildirim and Yildirim
(2009) identify the following as enablers (i) having clear plans and policies (ii) having
access to training (iii) finance (iv) support (v) providing educators with time (vi) having
appropriate curricula
One of the key ways in which early years practitionersrsquo greater use of digital literacy in
early years classrooms might be promoted is through the use of effective continuing
development professional development (CPD) as in point (ii) of Gotkas et alrsquos
recommendations As Blackwell et al (2013) noted in a study of 1329 teachers of 0-4
year olds the level of frequency of engagement in CPD predicted increased use of
computers and tablet computers In the next section the key aspects of CPD that
need to be considered in the development of any such programme are considered
10
3
Digital literacy CPD for early years practitioners
As noted above one of the key barriers to furthering practice is early years
practitionersrsquo knowledge specifically TPACK In a systematic review of interventions
aimed at developing teachersrsquo knowledge in this area Evens Elen and Depaepe
(2015) identified that there were certain elements of programmes that were important
if they were to be effective The first is reflection reflection that fosters higher-order
thinking in particular is essential There should also be opportunities for practitioners
to try out approaches that they have been introduced to through an intervention (Van
Driel and Berry 2012) and to have opportunities to reflect critically on these
experiences This kind of risk-taking and experimentation is important and needs to
take place in a supportive environment Second the development of relevant
knowledge is also key but it is important to link content knowledge to pedagogical
knowledge That is understanding what digital literacies are and how they develop is
important but practitioners need also to be introduced to how those concepts and
processes can be embedded in classroom practice (Gruszczynska Merchant amp
Pountney 2013) Third practitioners should be introduced to the TPACK model at the
beginning of any programme so that they are clear about its nature and how the
programme addresses their related needs Finally having contact with other
educators in the programme so they can learn together is important This point
relates to literature that emphasises the need to develop communities of practice
(CoP) in CPD programmes
The CoP concept was developed by Lave and Wenger (1991) to describe the
process of learning that operates within groups Lave and Wenger originally
11
developed the term to refer to the learning that operates between members of a
particular profession or people who share a craft In this context people who are
experienced and have long-established knowledge of the craft or profession share
their knowledge and experience with others They suggest that the process of
lsquolegitimate peripheral participationrsquo occurs in which apprentices learn from the edges
of a professional space by observing and learning from the more experienced
members of the group at the centre of the practice Through a process of learning
from being involved in this participatory action situated learning takes place Wenger
(1998) developed the concept further in his later publications He suggested that a
CoP involved three inter-related aspects mutual engagement joint enterprise and
shared repertoire (Wenger 1998 pp72-3) When members of the community are
mutually engaged in an activity strong relationships amongst members of the group
are formed The members of the group are mutually engaged in a joint enterprise
which binds the group together This aspect of learning appears to be important in
relation to educatorsrsquo CPD (Evens Elen and Depaepe 2015)
Having the opportunity to engage in action research is also a significant factor in
successful CPD programmes (Grace Reitdijk Garrett and Griffiths 2015) Action
research can enable practitioners to learn from looking at their practice carefully and
helps them to relate theory to practice (Cordingley 2015) It can impact on affect
enabling practitioners to feel proud and excited about their work and enhance their
sense of agency (Leat Reid and Lofthouse 2015) In terms of agency opportunities
to co-design professional development programmes is important so that they meet
the needs of individuals (Greany and Brown 2015) Whilst individual research is
valuable it is also helpful to offer opportunities for collaborative research Kennedy
(2014) developed a whole-school collaborative approach to practitioner researcher in
which teachers in a single school worked together to identify key challenges and
evaluate approaches to addressing these Her work provides a powerful model of
collaborative practice in relation to research
From a head teachersrsquo perspective Bates and Watt suggest that effective CPD
should include seven strategies as follows (i) offering CPD for all staff not just those
12
involved in teaching (ii) ensuring CPD is linked to school priorities (iii) staff mentoring
and peer-coaching (iv) the development of inter-school networks and partnerships
(which links to the concept of CoP) (v) team-teaching (vi) peer-review (viii) ongoing
assessment of the impact of CPD Other factors have also been identified as
important in relation to effective CPD Duration is important ndash more successful CPD is
sustained and long-term and programmes should also be coherent in relation to
educatorsrsquo beliefs and practices (Desimone 2009) Chen and Changrsquos (2006) also
summarise the following three issues as having key implications for early childhood
teacher training the support for teachers to make classroom implementation a
priority the provision of training that expands beyond the length of one week and
the need for training to match teachersrsquo varying degrees of confidence skill and
practice The possibility to personalise content is also key and it is also crucial to be
able to localise programmes which is of particular interest when considering a cross-
European approach (Lipowski Jorde Prenze and Seidel 2014)
Finally in considering the needs of any CPD programme that focuses on digital
literacy Rosaen and Terpstra (2012) argue that practitioners should have
opportunities to engage in reflecting on epistemological perspectives on literacy so
that they can consider how literacy is changing due to technological developments In
this way changes in beliefs and values can influence practice In addition they
promote the need to engage practitioners in hands-on design activities in which they
themselves are creating digital multimodal texts The teachers involved in their
intervention did this and Rosaen and Terpstra argue that as a result
hellipthe teacher candidates seemed to gain knowledge skill and
understanding of their new technology by designing a product for a real
audience (their peers) and blogging about their learning processes As they
learned about their new literacy they had to make strategic decisions about
how to represent ideas about topics such as visual or environmental literacy
and try to take advantage of the affordances of that technology as a medium
of communication
Rosaen and Terpstra (2012 46)
13
In addition some CPD programmes enable practitioners to collaboratively design
curriculum materials which has a positive impact on outcomes (Landerholm Gehrie
amp Hao 2004 Voogt Laferriegravere Breuleux et al 2015)
Therefore a review of the literature indicates that a successful approach to the CPD
of early years practitioners with regard to furthering their understanding of and
practice in the teaching and learning of digital literacy should contain the elements
outlined in Table 1
14
Table 1 Elements to be embedded in a digital literacy CPD programme
Practitioners have input into the design of the programme
Programme sustained over time
Practitioners are clear about the aims and objectives of the programme from the beginning the programme has coherence and it is clearly contributing to comprehensive goals of early education
Programme embeds opportunities for critical reflection
Programme embeds opportunities to explore the different epistemological understandings of literacy and consider how literacy is being transformed through technological developments
Risk-taking and experimentation are embedded
Designing and disseminating digital multimodal texts and artefacts are enabled
Technical content and pedagogical knowledge are developed in tandem
Practitioners are encouraged to observe discuss and pedagogically utilise those childrenrsquos media cultural interests that integrate both digital and non-digital practices
Practitioners are able to personalise content also create content together with children
Practitioners are able to localise content
Programme promotes the construction and maintenance of communities of practice networks
There are opportunities to relate theory to practice throughout the programme
Programme embeds opportunities to undertake (independent and or collaborative) action research
Opportunities for coaching peer-mentoring and team teaching are embedded
Practitioners are encouraged to assess the impact of the programme on a continuous basis to feed into its development
15
3
Conclusion
There is sustained evidence that there is a lack of opportunity for early years
practitioners to engage in professional development in relation to digital literacy to any
meaningful extent as outlined in this report A range of barriers exists in relation to the
furthering of practice (Plumb and Kautz 2015) A number of barriers relate to the early
years practitioners themselves such as their beliefs and attitudes their level of
confidence in using technologies and their level of technological and pedagogical
content knowledge Research reviewed in this report suggests that many of these
barriers emerge from or connect to teachersrsquo established understandings of the early
childhood sector and the curriculum therein Two binaries may identified there as key
in shaping teachersrsquo practices and beliefs the binary between ldquoconventionalrdquo and
new early childhood literacies and the binary between teachersrsquo own use and
integration of technology in the classroom To deconstruct such binaries one needs
to consider how CPD may offer early years practitioners opportunities to engage with
their own and othersrsquo epistemological understandings of literacy as well as
realisations of new literacies in (childrenrsquos and their own) everyday lives This would
ultimately necessitate and link to a shift in practitionersrsquo professional identities
There is also a recognised lack of training and support therefore the development of
a CPD programme that might impact positively on these elements is important It is of
course not in itself sufficient ndash there also needs to be a focus on other barriers to
progress such as a lack of resources and effective policies at a national level
Nevertheless the development of a CPD programme that embeds the effective
elements of such activities as outlined in Table 1 is required if young children are to
be offered early years education that is appropriate for twenty-first century demands
16
References Bates S and Watt L (2015) Staff development for raising attainment a
practitioners view of what works Education 3-13 Vol 44 (1) Published online
ahead of print 31st Dec 2015 httpdxdoiorg
1010800300427920151122317
Becta (2004) A Review of the Research Literature on Barriers to the Uptake
of ICT by Teachers HMSO Becta
Blackwell CK Lauricella AR and Wartella E (2014) Factors influencing digital
technology use in early childhood education Computers amp Education 77 (0) pp
82-90
Blackwell CK Lauricella AR Wartella E Robb M and Schomburg R
(2013) Adoption and use of technology in early education The interplay of
extrinsic barriers and teacher attitudes Computers amp Education 69 (0) pp
310-319
Britzman DP (1989) Who Has the Floor Curriculum Teaching and the English
Student Teachers Struggle for Voice Curriculum Inquiry 19 ( 2) pp 143-162
httpwwwjstororgstable1179406
Chen J-Q amp Chang C (2006) Using computers in early childhood classrooms
Teachersrsquo attitudes skills and practices Journal of Early Childhood Research
4(2) 169-188
Clandinin DJ (1986) Classroom Practice Teacher Images in Action London
Falmer Press
17
Cordingley P (2015) The contribution of research to teachersrsquo professional
learning and development Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 234-252 DOI
1010800305498520151020105
Desimone LM (2009) Improving Impact Studies of Teachersrsquo Professional
Development Toward Better Conceptualizations and Measures Educational
Researcher Vol 38 (3) pp181-199
Edwards S (2013) Digital play in the early years a contextual response to the
problem of integrating technologies and play-based pedagogies in the early childhood
curriculum European Early Childhood Education Research Journal Vol 21 (2) 199ndash
212
Ertmer P (1999) Addressing first- and second-order barriers to change
Strategies for technology integration Educational Technology Research and
Development 47(4) 47-61 doi 101007bf02299597
Evens M Elen J amp Depaepe F (2015) Developing pedagogical content
knowledge Lessons learned from intervention studies Education Research
International doi1011552015790417
Fenty NS and McKendry Anderson EM (2014) Examining Educatorsrsquo
Knowledge Beliefs and Practices About Using Technology With Young Children
Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education 35 (2) pp 114-134
Friedrichs-Liesenkoumltter H (2015) Media-educational Habitus of Future Educators
in the Context of Education in Day-Care Centers Journal of Media Literacy
Education 7(1) 18-34
18
Goktas Y Gedik N amp Baydas O (2013) Enablers and barriers to the use of ICT
in primary schools in Turkey A comparative study of 2005ndash2011 Computers amp
Education 68 211-222 doi 101016jcompedu201305002
Goktas Y Yildirim S amp Yildirim Z (2009) Main Barriers and Possible Enablers
of ICTs Integration into Pre-service Teacher Education Programs Educational
Technology amp Society 12 (1) 193ndash204
Grace M Rietdijk W Garrett C amp Griffiths J (2015) Improving physics teaching
through action research the impact of a nationwide professional development
programme Teacher Development 194 496-519 DOI
1010801366453020151073612
Greany T and Brown C (2015) Partnerships between teaching schools and
universities Research report London Institute of Education Accessed http
researchrichschoolsorgukuploadsresources14293009901Teaching-schools-
and-universities-research-reportpdf
Grossman P (1990) The Making of a Teacher Teacher Knowledge and Teacher
Education New York Teachers College Press
Gruszczynska A Merchant G amp Pountney R (2013) Digital Futures in Teacher
Education Exploring Open Approaches towards Digital Literacy Electronic
Journal of E-Learning 11(3) 193-206
Hesterman S (2011) A Contested Space the dialogic intersection of ICT
multiliteracies and early childhood Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood12(4)
349-361
Hew K F amp Brush T (2006) Integrating technology into K-12 teaching and
learning current knowledge gaps and recommendations for future research
19
Educational Technology Research and Development 55(3) 223-252 doi
101007s11423-006-9022-5
Ihmeideh F M (2009) Barriers to the use of technology in Jordanian pre-school
settings Technology Pedagogy and Education 18(3) 325-341
Ihmeideh FM (2010) The role of computer technology in teaching reading and
writing preschool teachersrsquo beliefs and practices Journal of Research in
Childhood Education 24 (1) pp 60-79
Inan F A amp Lowther D L (2010) Laptops in the K-12 classrooms exploring
factors impacting instructional use Computers amp Education 55 (3) 937ndash944
Keengwe J amp Onchwari G (2009) Technology and early childhood education A
technology integration professional development model for practicing teachers
Early Childhood Education Journal 37 209-218
Kennedy E (2014) Raising Literacy Achievement in High-Poverty Schools An
Evidence-Based Approach Abingdon Oxon New York Routledge
Kildan A O amp Incikabi L (2015) Effects on the technological pedagogical
content knowledge of early childhood teacher candidates using digital storytelling
to teach mathematics Education 3-13 43(3) 238-248
Koehler MJ Mishra P Kereluik K Shin T and Graham CR (2014) lsquoThe
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Frameworkrsquo in JM Spector et al
(eds) Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology
Springer
Kontovourki S and Tafa E (2015) Draft Summary Report for Second DigiLitEY
Project Meeting 19th-20th October Tallinn Estonia Accessed at httpdigiliteyeu
wp-contentuploads201509WG2_Objective2_DraftReport_October2015pdf
20
Lafton T (2012) How Early Childhood Practitioners build shape and construct their
digital practices the Search for an Analytical Space Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy
Vol 7 ( 3) 172-185
Leinonen J amp Sintonen S (2014) Productive participation ndash Children as active media
producers in kindergarten Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol 9 (3) 216-236
Landerholm E Gehrie C amp Hao Y (2004) Educating early childhood teachers
for the global world Early Child Development and Care 174(7-8) 593-606
Lave J and Wenger E (1991) Situated Learning Legitimate Peripheral
Participation Cambridge Cambridge University Press
Leat D Reid A amp Lofthouse R (2015) Teachersrsquo experiences of engagement
with and in educational research what can be learned from teachersrsquo views
Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 270-286 DOI
1010800305498520151021193
Li H (2006) Integrating Information and Communication Technologies Into the
Early Childhood Curriculum Chinese Principalsrsquo Views of the Challenges and
Opportunities Early Education and Development17 (3) pp 467-487
Lindahl MG and Folkesson A-M (2012) Can we let computers change
practice Educatorsrsquo interpretations of preschool tradition Computers in Human
Behavior 28 (5) pp 1728-1737
Lipowski K Jorde D Prenze M and Seidel T (2014) Expert views on the
implementation of teacher professional development in European countries
(pp41-56) In K Jones and J OrsquoBrien (eds) European Perspectives on Professional
Development in Teacher Education London Routledge
21
Liu P (2016) Technology Integration in Elementary Classrooms Teaching
Practices of Student Teachers Australian Journal of Teacher Education 41(3)
Published online March 11th 2016 at httpdxdoiorg1014221ajte
2016v41n36
Lortie D (1975) Schoolteacher A Sociological Study Chicago IL University of
Chicago Press
McDougall J (2010) A crisis of professional identity How primary teachers are
coming to terms with changing views of literacy Teaching and Teacher Education
26(3) 679-687
Mertala P (2016) Fun and Games ndash Finnish childrenrsquos ideas for the use of digital
media in preschool Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol11(4) pp 207-226
Mertala P (2017) Wag the dog - The nature and foundations of preschool educators
positive ICT pedagogical beliefs Computers in Human Behavior Vol 69 197-206
Mishra P amp Koehler MJ (2006) Technological pedagogical content knowledge
A framework for integrating technology in teacher knowledge Teachers College
Record 108(6) 1017-1054
NAEYC (2012) Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood
Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8 NAEYC Joint Position
Statement with the Fred Rogers Center Accessed at httpwwwnaeycorgfiles
naeycPS_technology_WEBpdf
Nespor J (1987) The role of beliefs in the practice of teaching Journal of
Curriculum Studies (19) 4 317ndash28
22
Nikolopoulou K and Gialamas V (2013) Barriers to the integration of computers
in early childhood settings Teachersrsquo perceptions Education and Information
Technologies pp 1-17
Onnismaa E-L Rintakorpi K amp Rusanen S (2014) ldquoTake a picturerdquo Children as
photographers and co-constructors of culture in an early childhood education
environment In H Ruismaumlki amp I Ruokonen (eds) Voices for Tomorrow Sixth
International Journal of Intercultural Arts Education University of Helsinki Research
Report 352
Palaiologou I (2016) Teachersrsquo dispositions towards the role of digital devices in play-
based pedagogy in early childhood education Early Years Vol 36 (3) 305-321 DOI
1010800957514620161174816
Pajares M (1992) Teachersrsquo beliefs and educational research cleaning up a
messy construct Review of Educational Research (62)3 307ndash32
Papadakis S Kalogiannakis M amp Zaranis N (2016) Comparing tablets and
PCs in teaching mathematics An attempt to improve mathematics competence in
early childhood education Preschool amp Primary Education 4(2) 241-253
Parette HP Blum C and Quesenberry AC (2013) The role of technology for
young children in the 21st century in HP Parette and C Blum (eds)
Instructional technology in early childhood (pp 1-28) Brookes Publishing
Parette H P Quesenberry A C amp Blum C (2010) Missing the boat with
technology usage in early childhood settings A 21st century view of
developmentally appropriate practice Early Childhood Education Journal 37(5)
335-343
Parry RL (2013) Children Film and Literacy Basingstoke Palgrave Macmillan
23
Plowman L and Stephen C (2005) Children play and computers in pre-school
education British Journal of Educational Technology 36 (2) pp 145-157
Plumb M and Kautz K (2015) Barriers to the Integration of Information
Technology within Early Childhood Education and Care Organisations A Review of
the Literature Presented at the Australasian Conference on Information Systems
2015
Rosaen C and Terpstra M (2012) Widening worlds understanding and teaching
new literaciesrsquo Studying Teacher Education A Journal of Self-study of Teacher
Education Practices 8(1) 35ndash49
Thorpe K Hansen J Danby S Davidson C Zaki F M Grant S and Given
L M (2015) Teachers teaching and digital technologies reports from the early
childhood classroom Early Childhood Research Quarterly 32 httpdxdoiorg
101016jecresq201504001
Van Driel JH and Berry A (2012) Teacher Professional Development Focusing
on Pedagogical Content Knowledge Educational Researcher Vol 41 (1) pp26
-28
Voogt J Laferriegravere T Breuleux A Itow R C Hickey DT and McKenney S
(2015) Collaborative design as a form of professional development Instructional
Science 43 259 doi101007s11251-014-9340-7
Voogt J and McKnney S (2016) TPACK in teacher education are we preparing
teachers to use technology for early literacy Technology Pedagogy and
Education Published online ahead of print 4th May 2016 httpdxdoiorg
1010801475939X20161174730
Wenger E (1998) Communities of Practice Learning Meaning and Identity
Cambridge Cambridge University Press
24
Wood E Specht J Willoughby T and Mueller J (2008) Integrating Computer
Technology in Early Childhood Education Environments Issues Raised by Early
Childhood Educators Alberta Journal of Educational Research 54 (2) pp
210-226
25
Early childhood curriculum and guidelines Plumb and Kautz (2015) suggest that
whilst some countries do recognise the place of technology in their early years
curriculum others do not which offers a key barrier to progress in this area As the
DigiLitEY report by Kontovourki and Tafa (2015) suggests whilst many countries in
Europe do attend to issues related to the use of technology there is less consistency
with regard to references to digital literacy in early years curricula Edwards (2013)
also points out that regardless of the importance of digital play in childrenrsquos lives
curricula tend to neglect digital technologies when attending to play and playful
learning
Nature of the early childhood educational sector The final barrier identified by
Plumb and Kautz (2015) relates to the cultural issues There is a lack of a tradition of
research and development in relation to new literacies particular within early years
settings with an emphasis on natural first-hand experiential learning which
sometimes creates attitudinal barriers (Parette et al 2013) This is also implied in
early years practitionersrsquo concerns about their competing responsibilities and their
technology integration efforts (Keengwe amp Onchwari 2009) Such assertions reveal
the conceptualisation of early years pedagogy as distinct from technology use or
conversely of technology as irrelevant to what would be considered as early
childhood education Research indicates that whilst early years teachers value
promoting childrenrsquos socio-emotional skills more than academic skills they also
consider ICT as a tool for learning academic skills not socio-emotional skills (Mertala
2017) Strategies need to be developed that will enable educators to address some of
the challenges faced in this area In training it could be beneficial to highlight the
pedagogical implications of ICT for developing childrenrsquos social skills participation
creativity (eg Leinonen amp Sintonen 2015 Onnismaa Rintakorpi amp Rusanen 2014)
and other aspects valued within the early childhood education sector at the same
time as it develops early literacy thus helping practitioners to meaningfully include
digital media in early years pedagogies This way ICT pedagogical competence
becomes an extension of educatorsrsquo existing proficiency rather than being a new and
peripheral area of expertise (Mertala 2017)
9
The enablers that promote the use of technology are directly related to the barriers in
that addressing some of the issues above ensures that they no longer prevent
technology integration but foster it So for example Gotkas Yildirim and Yildirim
(2009) identify the following as enablers (i) having clear plans and policies (ii) having
access to training (iii) finance (iv) support (v) providing educators with time (vi) having
appropriate curricula
One of the key ways in which early years practitionersrsquo greater use of digital literacy in
early years classrooms might be promoted is through the use of effective continuing
development professional development (CPD) as in point (ii) of Gotkas et alrsquos
recommendations As Blackwell et al (2013) noted in a study of 1329 teachers of 0-4
year olds the level of frequency of engagement in CPD predicted increased use of
computers and tablet computers In the next section the key aspects of CPD that
need to be considered in the development of any such programme are considered
10
3
Digital literacy CPD for early years practitioners
As noted above one of the key barriers to furthering practice is early years
practitionersrsquo knowledge specifically TPACK In a systematic review of interventions
aimed at developing teachersrsquo knowledge in this area Evens Elen and Depaepe
(2015) identified that there were certain elements of programmes that were important
if they were to be effective The first is reflection reflection that fosters higher-order
thinking in particular is essential There should also be opportunities for practitioners
to try out approaches that they have been introduced to through an intervention (Van
Driel and Berry 2012) and to have opportunities to reflect critically on these
experiences This kind of risk-taking and experimentation is important and needs to
take place in a supportive environment Second the development of relevant
knowledge is also key but it is important to link content knowledge to pedagogical
knowledge That is understanding what digital literacies are and how they develop is
important but practitioners need also to be introduced to how those concepts and
processes can be embedded in classroom practice (Gruszczynska Merchant amp
Pountney 2013) Third practitioners should be introduced to the TPACK model at the
beginning of any programme so that they are clear about its nature and how the
programme addresses their related needs Finally having contact with other
educators in the programme so they can learn together is important This point
relates to literature that emphasises the need to develop communities of practice
(CoP) in CPD programmes
The CoP concept was developed by Lave and Wenger (1991) to describe the
process of learning that operates within groups Lave and Wenger originally
11
developed the term to refer to the learning that operates between members of a
particular profession or people who share a craft In this context people who are
experienced and have long-established knowledge of the craft or profession share
their knowledge and experience with others They suggest that the process of
lsquolegitimate peripheral participationrsquo occurs in which apprentices learn from the edges
of a professional space by observing and learning from the more experienced
members of the group at the centre of the practice Through a process of learning
from being involved in this participatory action situated learning takes place Wenger
(1998) developed the concept further in his later publications He suggested that a
CoP involved three inter-related aspects mutual engagement joint enterprise and
shared repertoire (Wenger 1998 pp72-3) When members of the community are
mutually engaged in an activity strong relationships amongst members of the group
are formed The members of the group are mutually engaged in a joint enterprise
which binds the group together This aspect of learning appears to be important in
relation to educatorsrsquo CPD (Evens Elen and Depaepe 2015)
Having the opportunity to engage in action research is also a significant factor in
successful CPD programmes (Grace Reitdijk Garrett and Griffiths 2015) Action
research can enable practitioners to learn from looking at their practice carefully and
helps them to relate theory to practice (Cordingley 2015) It can impact on affect
enabling practitioners to feel proud and excited about their work and enhance their
sense of agency (Leat Reid and Lofthouse 2015) In terms of agency opportunities
to co-design professional development programmes is important so that they meet
the needs of individuals (Greany and Brown 2015) Whilst individual research is
valuable it is also helpful to offer opportunities for collaborative research Kennedy
(2014) developed a whole-school collaborative approach to practitioner researcher in
which teachers in a single school worked together to identify key challenges and
evaluate approaches to addressing these Her work provides a powerful model of
collaborative practice in relation to research
From a head teachersrsquo perspective Bates and Watt suggest that effective CPD
should include seven strategies as follows (i) offering CPD for all staff not just those
12
involved in teaching (ii) ensuring CPD is linked to school priorities (iii) staff mentoring
and peer-coaching (iv) the development of inter-school networks and partnerships
(which links to the concept of CoP) (v) team-teaching (vi) peer-review (viii) ongoing
assessment of the impact of CPD Other factors have also been identified as
important in relation to effective CPD Duration is important ndash more successful CPD is
sustained and long-term and programmes should also be coherent in relation to
educatorsrsquo beliefs and practices (Desimone 2009) Chen and Changrsquos (2006) also
summarise the following three issues as having key implications for early childhood
teacher training the support for teachers to make classroom implementation a
priority the provision of training that expands beyond the length of one week and
the need for training to match teachersrsquo varying degrees of confidence skill and
practice The possibility to personalise content is also key and it is also crucial to be
able to localise programmes which is of particular interest when considering a cross-
European approach (Lipowski Jorde Prenze and Seidel 2014)
Finally in considering the needs of any CPD programme that focuses on digital
literacy Rosaen and Terpstra (2012) argue that practitioners should have
opportunities to engage in reflecting on epistemological perspectives on literacy so
that they can consider how literacy is changing due to technological developments In
this way changes in beliefs and values can influence practice In addition they
promote the need to engage practitioners in hands-on design activities in which they
themselves are creating digital multimodal texts The teachers involved in their
intervention did this and Rosaen and Terpstra argue that as a result
hellipthe teacher candidates seemed to gain knowledge skill and
understanding of their new technology by designing a product for a real
audience (their peers) and blogging about their learning processes As they
learned about their new literacy they had to make strategic decisions about
how to represent ideas about topics such as visual or environmental literacy
and try to take advantage of the affordances of that technology as a medium
of communication
Rosaen and Terpstra (2012 46)
13
In addition some CPD programmes enable practitioners to collaboratively design
curriculum materials which has a positive impact on outcomes (Landerholm Gehrie
amp Hao 2004 Voogt Laferriegravere Breuleux et al 2015)
Therefore a review of the literature indicates that a successful approach to the CPD
of early years practitioners with regard to furthering their understanding of and
practice in the teaching and learning of digital literacy should contain the elements
outlined in Table 1
14
Table 1 Elements to be embedded in a digital literacy CPD programme
Practitioners have input into the design of the programme
Programme sustained over time
Practitioners are clear about the aims and objectives of the programme from the beginning the programme has coherence and it is clearly contributing to comprehensive goals of early education
Programme embeds opportunities for critical reflection
Programme embeds opportunities to explore the different epistemological understandings of literacy and consider how literacy is being transformed through technological developments
Risk-taking and experimentation are embedded
Designing and disseminating digital multimodal texts and artefacts are enabled
Technical content and pedagogical knowledge are developed in tandem
Practitioners are encouraged to observe discuss and pedagogically utilise those childrenrsquos media cultural interests that integrate both digital and non-digital practices
Practitioners are able to personalise content also create content together with children
Practitioners are able to localise content
Programme promotes the construction and maintenance of communities of practice networks
There are opportunities to relate theory to practice throughout the programme
Programme embeds opportunities to undertake (independent and or collaborative) action research
Opportunities for coaching peer-mentoring and team teaching are embedded
Practitioners are encouraged to assess the impact of the programme on a continuous basis to feed into its development
15
3
Conclusion
There is sustained evidence that there is a lack of opportunity for early years
practitioners to engage in professional development in relation to digital literacy to any
meaningful extent as outlined in this report A range of barriers exists in relation to the
furthering of practice (Plumb and Kautz 2015) A number of barriers relate to the early
years practitioners themselves such as their beliefs and attitudes their level of
confidence in using technologies and their level of technological and pedagogical
content knowledge Research reviewed in this report suggests that many of these
barriers emerge from or connect to teachersrsquo established understandings of the early
childhood sector and the curriculum therein Two binaries may identified there as key
in shaping teachersrsquo practices and beliefs the binary between ldquoconventionalrdquo and
new early childhood literacies and the binary between teachersrsquo own use and
integration of technology in the classroom To deconstruct such binaries one needs
to consider how CPD may offer early years practitioners opportunities to engage with
their own and othersrsquo epistemological understandings of literacy as well as
realisations of new literacies in (childrenrsquos and their own) everyday lives This would
ultimately necessitate and link to a shift in practitionersrsquo professional identities
There is also a recognised lack of training and support therefore the development of
a CPD programme that might impact positively on these elements is important It is of
course not in itself sufficient ndash there also needs to be a focus on other barriers to
progress such as a lack of resources and effective policies at a national level
Nevertheless the development of a CPD programme that embeds the effective
elements of such activities as outlined in Table 1 is required if young children are to
be offered early years education that is appropriate for twenty-first century demands
16
References Bates S and Watt L (2015) Staff development for raising attainment a
practitioners view of what works Education 3-13 Vol 44 (1) Published online
ahead of print 31st Dec 2015 httpdxdoiorg
1010800300427920151122317
Becta (2004) A Review of the Research Literature on Barriers to the Uptake
of ICT by Teachers HMSO Becta
Blackwell CK Lauricella AR and Wartella E (2014) Factors influencing digital
technology use in early childhood education Computers amp Education 77 (0) pp
82-90
Blackwell CK Lauricella AR Wartella E Robb M and Schomburg R
(2013) Adoption and use of technology in early education The interplay of
extrinsic barriers and teacher attitudes Computers amp Education 69 (0) pp
310-319
Britzman DP (1989) Who Has the Floor Curriculum Teaching and the English
Student Teachers Struggle for Voice Curriculum Inquiry 19 ( 2) pp 143-162
httpwwwjstororgstable1179406
Chen J-Q amp Chang C (2006) Using computers in early childhood classrooms
Teachersrsquo attitudes skills and practices Journal of Early Childhood Research
4(2) 169-188
Clandinin DJ (1986) Classroom Practice Teacher Images in Action London
Falmer Press
17
Cordingley P (2015) The contribution of research to teachersrsquo professional
learning and development Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 234-252 DOI
1010800305498520151020105
Desimone LM (2009) Improving Impact Studies of Teachersrsquo Professional
Development Toward Better Conceptualizations and Measures Educational
Researcher Vol 38 (3) pp181-199
Edwards S (2013) Digital play in the early years a contextual response to the
problem of integrating technologies and play-based pedagogies in the early childhood
curriculum European Early Childhood Education Research Journal Vol 21 (2) 199ndash
212
Ertmer P (1999) Addressing first- and second-order barriers to change
Strategies for technology integration Educational Technology Research and
Development 47(4) 47-61 doi 101007bf02299597
Evens M Elen J amp Depaepe F (2015) Developing pedagogical content
knowledge Lessons learned from intervention studies Education Research
International doi1011552015790417
Fenty NS and McKendry Anderson EM (2014) Examining Educatorsrsquo
Knowledge Beliefs and Practices About Using Technology With Young Children
Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education 35 (2) pp 114-134
Friedrichs-Liesenkoumltter H (2015) Media-educational Habitus of Future Educators
in the Context of Education in Day-Care Centers Journal of Media Literacy
Education 7(1) 18-34
18
Goktas Y Gedik N amp Baydas O (2013) Enablers and barriers to the use of ICT
in primary schools in Turkey A comparative study of 2005ndash2011 Computers amp
Education 68 211-222 doi 101016jcompedu201305002
Goktas Y Yildirim S amp Yildirim Z (2009) Main Barriers and Possible Enablers
of ICTs Integration into Pre-service Teacher Education Programs Educational
Technology amp Society 12 (1) 193ndash204
Grace M Rietdijk W Garrett C amp Griffiths J (2015) Improving physics teaching
through action research the impact of a nationwide professional development
programme Teacher Development 194 496-519 DOI
1010801366453020151073612
Greany T and Brown C (2015) Partnerships between teaching schools and
universities Research report London Institute of Education Accessed http
researchrichschoolsorgukuploadsresources14293009901Teaching-schools-
and-universities-research-reportpdf
Grossman P (1990) The Making of a Teacher Teacher Knowledge and Teacher
Education New York Teachers College Press
Gruszczynska A Merchant G amp Pountney R (2013) Digital Futures in Teacher
Education Exploring Open Approaches towards Digital Literacy Electronic
Journal of E-Learning 11(3) 193-206
Hesterman S (2011) A Contested Space the dialogic intersection of ICT
multiliteracies and early childhood Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood12(4)
349-361
Hew K F amp Brush T (2006) Integrating technology into K-12 teaching and
learning current knowledge gaps and recommendations for future research
19
Educational Technology Research and Development 55(3) 223-252 doi
101007s11423-006-9022-5
Ihmeideh F M (2009) Barriers to the use of technology in Jordanian pre-school
settings Technology Pedagogy and Education 18(3) 325-341
Ihmeideh FM (2010) The role of computer technology in teaching reading and
writing preschool teachersrsquo beliefs and practices Journal of Research in
Childhood Education 24 (1) pp 60-79
Inan F A amp Lowther D L (2010) Laptops in the K-12 classrooms exploring
factors impacting instructional use Computers amp Education 55 (3) 937ndash944
Keengwe J amp Onchwari G (2009) Technology and early childhood education A
technology integration professional development model for practicing teachers
Early Childhood Education Journal 37 209-218
Kennedy E (2014) Raising Literacy Achievement in High-Poverty Schools An
Evidence-Based Approach Abingdon Oxon New York Routledge
Kildan A O amp Incikabi L (2015) Effects on the technological pedagogical
content knowledge of early childhood teacher candidates using digital storytelling
to teach mathematics Education 3-13 43(3) 238-248
Koehler MJ Mishra P Kereluik K Shin T and Graham CR (2014) lsquoThe
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Frameworkrsquo in JM Spector et al
(eds) Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology
Springer
Kontovourki S and Tafa E (2015) Draft Summary Report for Second DigiLitEY
Project Meeting 19th-20th October Tallinn Estonia Accessed at httpdigiliteyeu
wp-contentuploads201509WG2_Objective2_DraftReport_October2015pdf
20
Lafton T (2012) How Early Childhood Practitioners build shape and construct their
digital practices the Search for an Analytical Space Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy
Vol 7 ( 3) 172-185
Leinonen J amp Sintonen S (2014) Productive participation ndash Children as active media
producers in kindergarten Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol 9 (3) 216-236
Landerholm E Gehrie C amp Hao Y (2004) Educating early childhood teachers
for the global world Early Child Development and Care 174(7-8) 593-606
Lave J and Wenger E (1991) Situated Learning Legitimate Peripheral
Participation Cambridge Cambridge University Press
Leat D Reid A amp Lofthouse R (2015) Teachersrsquo experiences of engagement
with and in educational research what can be learned from teachersrsquo views
Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 270-286 DOI
1010800305498520151021193
Li H (2006) Integrating Information and Communication Technologies Into the
Early Childhood Curriculum Chinese Principalsrsquo Views of the Challenges and
Opportunities Early Education and Development17 (3) pp 467-487
Lindahl MG and Folkesson A-M (2012) Can we let computers change
practice Educatorsrsquo interpretations of preschool tradition Computers in Human
Behavior 28 (5) pp 1728-1737
Lipowski K Jorde D Prenze M and Seidel T (2014) Expert views on the
implementation of teacher professional development in European countries
(pp41-56) In K Jones and J OrsquoBrien (eds) European Perspectives on Professional
Development in Teacher Education London Routledge
21
Liu P (2016) Technology Integration in Elementary Classrooms Teaching
Practices of Student Teachers Australian Journal of Teacher Education 41(3)
Published online March 11th 2016 at httpdxdoiorg1014221ajte
2016v41n36
Lortie D (1975) Schoolteacher A Sociological Study Chicago IL University of
Chicago Press
McDougall J (2010) A crisis of professional identity How primary teachers are
coming to terms with changing views of literacy Teaching and Teacher Education
26(3) 679-687
Mertala P (2016) Fun and Games ndash Finnish childrenrsquos ideas for the use of digital
media in preschool Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol11(4) pp 207-226
Mertala P (2017) Wag the dog - The nature and foundations of preschool educators
positive ICT pedagogical beliefs Computers in Human Behavior Vol 69 197-206
Mishra P amp Koehler MJ (2006) Technological pedagogical content knowledge
A framework for integrating technology in teacher knowledge Teachers College
Record 108(6) 1017-1054
NAEYC (2012) Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood
Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8 NAEYC Joint Position
Statement with the Fred Rogers Center Accessed at httpwwwnaeycorgfiles
naeycPS_technology_WEBpdf
Nespor J (1987) The role of beliefs in the practice of teaching Journal of
Curriculum Studies (19) 4 317ndash28
22
Nikolopoulou K and Gialamas V (2013) Barriers to the integration of computers
in early childhood settings Teachersrsquo perceptions Education and Information
Technologies pp 1-17
Onnismaa E-L Rintakorpi K amp Rusanen S (2014) ldquoTake a picturerdquo Children as
photographers and co-constructors of culture in an early childhood education
environment In H Ruismaumlki amp I Ruokonen (eds) Voices for Tomorrow Sixth
International Journal of Intercultural Arts Education University of Helsinki Research
Report 352
Palaiologou I (2016) Teachersrsquo dispositions towards the role of digital devices in play-
based pedagogy in early childhood education Early Years Vol 36 (3) 305-321 DOI
1010800957514620161174816
Pajares M (1992) Teachersrsquo beliefs and educational research cleaning up a
messy construct Review of Educational Research (62)3 307ndash32
Papadakis S Kalogiannakis M amp Zaranis N (2016) Comparing tablets and
PCs in teaching mathematics An attempt to improve mathematics competence in
early childhood education Preschool amp Primary Education 4(2) 241-253
Parette HP Blum C and Quesenberry AC (2013) The role of technology for
young children in the 21st century in HP Parette and C Blum (eds)
Instructional technology in early childhood (pp 1-28) Brookes Publishing
Parette H P Quesenberry A C amp Blum C (2010) Missing the boat with
technology usage in early childhood settings A 21st century view of
developmentally appropriate practice Early Childhood Education Journal 37(5)
335-343
Parry RL (2013) Children Film and Literacy Basingstoke Palgrave Macmillan
23
Plowman L and Stephen C (2005) Children play and computers in pre-school
education British Journal of Educational Technology 36 (2) pp 145-157
Plumb M and Kautz K (2015) Barriers to the Integration of Information
Technology within Early Childhood Education and Care Organisations A Review of
the Literature Presented at the Australasian Conference on Information Systems
2015
Rosaen C and Terpstra M (2012) Widening worlds understanding and teaching
new literaciesrsquo Studying Teacher Education A Journal of Self-study of Teacher
Education Practices 8(1) 35ndash49
Thorpe K Hansen J Danby S Davidson C Zaki F M Grant S and Given
L M (2015) Teachers teaching and digital technologies reports from the early
childhood classroom Early Childhood Research Quarterly 32 httpdxdoiorg
101016jecresq201504001
Van Driel JH and Berry A (2012) Teacher Professional Development Focusing
on Pedagogical Content Knowledge Educational Researcher Vol 41 (1) pp26
-28
Voogt J Laferriegravere T Breuleux A Itow R C Hickey DT and McKenney S
(2015) Collaborative design as a form of professional development Instructional
Science 43 259 doi101007s11251-014-9340-7
Voogt J and McKnney S (2016) TPACK in teacher education are we preparing
teachers to use technology for early literacy Technology Pedagogy and
Education Published online ahead of print 4th May 2016 httpdxdoiorg
1010801475939X20161174730
Wenger E (1998) Communities of Practice Learning Meaning and Identity
Cambridge Cambridge University Press
24
Wood E Specht J Willoughby T and Mueller J (2008) Integrating Computer
Technology in Early Childhood Education Environments Issues Raised by Early
Childhood Educators Alberta Journal of Educational Research 54 (2) pp
210-226
25
The enablers that promote the use of technology are directly related to the barriers in
that addressing some of the issues above ensures that they no longer prevent
technology integration but foster it So for example Gotkas Yildirim and Yildirim
(2009) identify the following as enablers (i) having clear plans and policies (ii) having
access to training (iii) finance (iv) support (v) providing educators with time (vi) having
appropriate curricula
One of the key ways in which early years practitionersrsquo greater use of digital literacy in
early years classrooms might be promoted is through the use of effective continuing
development professional development (CPD) as in point (ii) of Gotkas et alrsquos
recommendations As Blackwell et al (2013) noted in a study of 1329 teachers of 0-4
year olds the level of frequency of engagement in CPD predicted increased use of
computers and tablet computers In the next section the key aspects of CPD that
need to be considered in the development of any such programme are considered
10
3
Digital literacy CPD for early years practitioners
As noted above one of the key barriers to furthering practice is early years
practitionersrsquo knowledge specifically TPACK In a systematic review of interventions
aimed at developing teachersrsquo knowledge in this area Evens Elen and Depaepe
(2015) identified that there were certain elements of programmes that were important
if they were to be effective The first is reflection reflection that fosters higher-order
thinking in particular is essential There should also be opportunities for practitioners
to try out approaches that they have been introduced to through an intervention (Van
Driel and Berry 2012) and to have opportunities to reflect critically on these
experiences This kind of risk-taking and experimentation is important and needs to
take place in a supportive environment Second the development of relevant
knowledge is also key but it is important to link content knowledge to pedagogical
knowledge That is understanding what digital literacies are and how they develop is
important but practitioners need also to be introduced to how those concepts and
processes can be embedded in classroom practice (Gruszczynska Merchant amp
Pountney 2013) Third practitioners should be introduced to the TPACK model at the
beginning of any programme so that they are clear about its nature and how the
programme addresses their related needs Finally having contact with other
educators in the programme so they can learn together is important This point
relates to literature that emphasises the need to develop communities of practice
(CoP) in CPD programmes
The CoP concept was developed by Lave and Wenger (1991) to describe the
process of learning that operates within groups Lave and Wenger originally
11
developed the term to refer to the learning that operates between members of a
particular profession or people who share a craft In this context people who are
experienced and have long-established knowledge of the craft or profession share
their knowledge and experience with others They suggest that the process of
lsquolegitimate peripheral participationrsquo occurs in which apprentices learn from the edges
of a professional space by observing and learning from the more experienced
members of the group at the centre of the practice Through a process of learning
from being involved in this participatory action situated learning takes place Wenger
(1998) developed the concept further in his later publications He suggested that a
CoP involved three inter-related aspects mutual engagement joint enterprise and
shared repertoire (Wenger 1998 pp72-3) When members of the community are
mutually engaged in an activity strong relationships amongst members of the group
are formed The members of the group are mutually engaged in a joint enterprise
which binds the group together This aspect of learning appears to be important in
relation to educatorsrsquo CPD (Evens Elen and Depaepe 2015)
Having the opportunity to engage in action research is also a significant factor in
successful CPD programmes (Grace Reitdijk Garrett and Griffiths 2015) Action
research can enable practitioners to learn from looking at their practice carefully and
helps them to relate theory to practice (Cordingley 2015) It can impact on affect
enabling practitioners to feel proud and excited about their work and enhance their
sense of agency (Leat Reid and Lofthouse 2015) In terms of agency opportunities
to co-design professional development programmes is important so that they meet
the needs of individuals (Greany and Brown 2015) Whilst individual research is
valuable it is also helpful to offer opportunities for collaborative research Kennedy
(2014) developed a whole-school collaborative approach to practitioner researcher in
which teachers in a single school worked together to identify key challenges and
evaluate approaches to addressing these Her work provides a powerful model of
collaborative practice in relation to research
From a head teachersrsquo perspective Bates and Watt suggest that effective CPD
should include seven strategies as follows (i) offering CPD for all staff not just those
12
involved in teaching (ii) ensuring CPD is linked to school priorities (iii) staff mentoring
and peer-coaching (iv) the development of inter-school networks and partnerships
(which links to the concept of CoP) (v) team-teaching (vi) peer-review (viii) ongoing
assessment of the impact of CPD Other factors have also been identified as
important in relation to effective CPD Duration is important ndash more successful CPD is
sustained and long-term and programmes should also be coherent in relation to
educatorsrsquo beliefs and practices (Desimone 2009) Chen and Changrsquos (2006) also
summarise the following three issues as having key implications for early childhood
teacher training the support for teachers to make classroom implementation a
priority the provision of training that expands beyond the length of one week and
the need for training to match teachersrsquo varying degrees of confidence skill and
practice The possibility to personalise content is also key and it is also crucial to be
able to localise programmes which is of particular interest when considering a cross-
European approach (Lipowski Jorde Prenze and Seidel 2014)
Finally in considering the needs of any CPD programme that focuses on digital
literacy Rosaen and Terpstra (2012) argue that practitioners should have
opportunities to engage in reflecting on epistemological perspectives on literacy so
that they can consider how literacy is changing due to technological developments In
this way changes in beliefs and values can influence practice In addition they
promote the need to engage practitioners in hands-on design activities in which they
themselves are creating digital multimodal texts The teachers involved in their
intervention did this and Rosaen and Terpstra argue that as a result
hellipthe teacher candidates seemed to gain knowledge skill and
understanding of their new technology by designing a product for a real
audience (their peers) and blogging about their learning processes As they
learned about their new literacy they had to make strategic decisions about
how to represent ideas about topics such as visual or environmental literacy
and try to take advantage of the affordances of that technology as a medium
of communication
Rosaen and Terpstra (2012 46)
13
In addition some CPD programmes enable practitioners to collaboratively design
curriculum materials which has a positive impact on outcomes (Landerholm Gehrie
amp Hao 2004 Voogt Laferriegravere Breuleux et al 2015)
Therefore a review of the literature indicates that a successful approach to the CPD
of early years practitioners with regard to furthering their understanding of and
practice in the teaching and learning of digital literacy should contain the elements
outlined in Table 1
14
Table 1 Elements to be embedded in a digital literacy CPD programme
Practitioners have input into the design of the programme
Programme sustained over time
Practitioners are clear about the aims and objectives of the programme from the beginning the programme has coherence and it is clearly contributing to comprehensive goals of early education
Programme embeds opportunities for critical reflection
Programme embeds opportunities to explore the different epistemological understandings of literacy and consider how literacy is being transformed through technological developments
Risk-taking and experimentation are embedded
Designing and disseminating digital multimodal texts and artefacts are enabled
Technical content and pedagogical knowledge are developed in tandem
Practitioners are encouraged to observe discuss and pedagogically utilise those childrenrsquos media cultural interests that integrate both digital and non-digital practices
Practitioners are able to personalise content also create content together with children
Practitioners are able to localise content
Programme promotes the construction and maintenance of communities of practice networks
There are opportunities to relate theory to practice throughout the programme
Programme embeds opportunities to undertake (independent and or collaborative) action research
Opportunities for coaching peer-mentoring and team teaching are embedded
Practitioners are encouraged to assess the impact of the programme on a continuous basis to feed into its development
15
3
Conclusion
There is sustained evidence that there is a lack of opportunity for early years
practitioners to engage in professional development in relation to digital literacy to any
meaningful extent as outlined in this report A range of barriers exists in relation to the
furthering of practice (Plumb and Kautz 2015) A number of barriers relate to the early
years practitioners themselves such as their beliefs and attitudes their level of
confidence in using technologies and their level of technological and pedagogical
content knowledge Research reviewed in this report suggests that many of these
barriers emerge from or connect to teachersrsquo established understandings of the early
childhood sector and the curriculum therein Two binaries may identified there as key
in shaping teachersrsquo practices and beliefs the binary between ldquoconventionalrdquo and
new early childhood literacies and the binary between teachersrsquo own use and
integration of technology in the classroom To deconstruct such binaries one needs
to consider how CPD may offer early years practitioners opportunities to engage with
their own and othersrsquo epistemological understandings of literacy as well as
realisations of new literacies in (childrenrsquos and their own) everyday lives This would
ultimately necessitate and link to a shift in practitionersrsquo professional identities
There is also a recognised lack of training and support therefore the development of
a CPD programme that might impact positively on these elements is important It is of
course not in itself sufficient ndash there also needs to be a focus on other barriers to
progress such as a lack of resources and effective policies at a national level
Nevertheless the development of a CPD programme that embeds the effective
elements of such activities as outlined in Table 1 is required if young children are to
be offered early years education that is appropriate for twenty-first century demands
16
References Bates S and Watt L (2015) Staff development for raising attainment a
practitioners view of what works Education 3-13 Vol 44 (1) Published online
ahead of print 31st Dec 2015 httpdxdoiorg
1010800300427920151122317
Becta (2004) A Review of the Research Literature on Barriers to the Uptake
of ICT by Teachers HMSO Becta
Blackwell CK Lauricella AR and Wartella E (2014) Factors influencing digital
technology use in early childhood education Computers amp Education 77 (0) pp
82-90
Blackwell CK Lauricella AR Wartella E Robb M and Schomburg R
(2013) Adoption and use of technology in early education The interplay of
extrinsic barriers and teacher attitudes Computers amp Education 69 (0) pp
310-319
Britzman DP (1989) Who Has the Floor Curriculum Teaching and the English
Student Teachers Struggle for Voice Curriculum Inquiry 19 ( 2) pp 143-162
httpwwwjstororgstable1179406
Chen J-Q amp Chang C (2006) Using computers in early childhood classrooms
Teachersrsquo attitudes skills and practices Journal of Early Childhood Research
4(2) 169-188
Clandinin DJ (1986) Classroom Practice Teacher Images in Action London
Falmer Press
17
Cordingley P (2015) The contribution of research to teachersrsquo professional
learning and development Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 234-252 DOI
1010800305498520151020105
Desimone LM (2009) Improving Impact Studies of Teachersrsquo Professional
Development Toward Better Conceptualizations and Measures Educational
Researcher Vol 38 (3) pp181-199
Edwards S (2013) Digital play in the early years a contextual response to the
problem of integrating technologies and play-based pedagogies in the early childhood
curriculum European Early Childhood Education Research Journal Vol 21 (2) 199ndash
212
Ertmer P (1999) Addressing first- and second-order barriers to change
Strategies for technology integration Educational Technology Research and
Development 47(4) 47-61 doi 101007bf02299597
Evens M Elen J amp Depaepe F (2015) Developing pedagogical content
knowledge Lessons learned from intervention studies Education Research
International doi1011552015790417
Fenty NS and McKendry Anderson EM (2014) Examining Educatorsrsquo
Knowledge Beliefs and Practices About Using Technology With Young Children
Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education 35 (2) pp 114-134
Friedrichs-Liesenkoumltter H (2015) Media-educational Habitus of Future Educators
in the Context of Education in Day-Care Centers Journal of Media Literacy
Education 7(1) 18-34
18
Goktas Y Gedik N amp Baydas O (2013) Enablers and barriers to the use of ICT
in primary schools in Turkey A comparative study of 2005ndash2011 Computers amp
Education 68 211-222 doi 101016jcompedu201305002
Goktas Y Yildirim S amp Yildirim Z (2009) Main Barriers and Possible Enablers
of ICTs Integration into Pre-service Teacher Education Programs Educational
Technology amp Society 12 (1) 193ndash204
Grace M Rietdijk W Garrett C amp Griffiths J (2015) Improving physics teaching
through action research the impact of a nationwide professional development
programme Teacher Development 194 496-519 DOI
1010801366453020151073612
Greany T and Brown C (2015) Partnerships between teaching schools and
universities Research report London Institute of Education Accessed http
researchrichschoolsorgukuploadsresources14293009901Teaching-schools-
and-universities-research-reportpdf
Grossman P (1990) The Making of a Teacher Teacher Knowledge and Teacher
Education New York Teachers College Press
Gruszczynska A Merchant G amp Pountney R (2013) Digital Futures in Teacher
Education Exploring Open Approaches towards Digital Literacy Electronic
Journal of E-Learning 11(3) 193-206
Hesterman S (2011) A Contested Space the dialogic intersection of ICT
multiliteracies and early childhood Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood12(4)
349-361
Hew K F amp Brush T (2006) Integrating technology into K-12 teaching and
learning current knowledge gaps and recommendations for future research
19
Educational Technology Research and Development 55(3) 223-252 doi
101007s11423-006-9022-5
Ihmeideh F M (2009) Barriers to the use of technology in Jordanian pre-school
settings Technology Pedagogy and Education 18(3) 325-341
Ihmeideh FM (2010) The role of computer technology in teaching reading and
writing preschool teachersrsquo beliefs and practices Journal of Research in
Childhood Education 24 (1) pp 60-79
Inan F A amp Lowther D L (2010) Laptops in the K-12 classrooms exploring
factors impacting instructional use Computers amp Education 55 (3) 937ndash944
Keengwe J amp Onchwari G (2009) Technology and early childhood education A
technology integration professional development model for practicing teachers
Early Childhood Education Journal 37 209-218
Kennedy E (2014) Raising Literacy Achievement in High-Poverty Schools An
Evidence-Based Approach Abingdon Oxon New York Routledge
Kildan A O amp Incikabi L (2015) Effects on the technological pedagogical
content knowledge of early childhood teacher candidates using digital storytelling
to teach mathematics Education 3-13 43(3) 238-248
Koehler MJ Mishra P Kereluik K Shin T and Graham CR (2014) lsquoThe
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Frameworkrsquo in JM Spector et al
(eds) Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology
Springer
Kontovourki S and Tafa E (2015) Draft Summary Report for Second DigiLitEY
Project Meeting 19th-20th October Tallinn Estonia Accessed at httpdigiliteyeu
wp-contentuploads201509WG2_Objective2_DraftReport_October2015pdf
20
Lafton T (2012) How Early Childhood Practitioners build shape and construct their
digital practices the Search for an Analytical Space Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy
Vol 7 ( 3) 172-185
Leinonen J amp Sintonen S (2014) Productive participation ndash Children as active media
producers in kindergarten Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol 9 (3) 216-236
Landerholm E Gehrie C amp Hao Y (2004) Educating early childhood teachers
for the global world Early Child Development and Care 174(7-8) 593-606
Lave J and Wenger E (1991) Situated Learning Legitimate Peripheral
Participation Cambridge Cambridge University Press
Leat D Reid A amp Lofthouse R (2015) Teachersrsquo experiences of engagement
with and in educational research what can be learned from teachersrsquo views
Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 270-286 DOI
1010800305498520151021193
Li H (2006) Integrating Information and Communication Technologies Into the
Early Childhood Curriculum Chinese Principalsrsquo Views of the Challenges and
Opportunities Early Education and Development17 (3) pp 467-487
Lindahl MG and Folkesson A-M (2012) Can we let computers change
practice Educatorsrsquo interpretations of preschool tradition Computers in Human
Behavior 28 (5) pp 1728-1737
Lipowski K Jorde D Prenze M and Seidel T (2014) Expert views on the
implementation of teacher professional development in European countries
(pp41-56) In K Jones and J OrsquoBrien (eds) European Perspectives on Professional
Development in Teacher Education London Routledge
21
Liu P (2016) Technology Integration in Elementary Classrooms Teaching
Practices of Student Teachers Australian Journal of Teacher Education 41(3)
Published online March 11th 2016 at httpdxdoiorg1014221ajte
2016v41n36
Lortie D (1975) Schoolteacher A Sociological Study Chicago IL University of
Chicago Press
McDougall J (2010) A crisis of professional identity How primary teachers are
coming to terms with changing views of literacy Teaching and Teacher Education
26(3) 679-687
Mertala P (2016) Fun and Games ndash Finnish childrenrsquos ideas for the use of digital
media in preschool Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol11(4) pp 207-226
Mertala P (2017) Wag the dog - The nature and foundations of preschool educators
positive ICT pedagogical beliefs Computers in Human Behavior Vol 69 197-206
Mishra P amp Koehler MJ (2006) Technological pedagogical content knowledge
A framework for integrating technology in teacher knowledge Teachers College
Record 108(6) 1017-1054
NAEYC (2012) Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood
Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8 NAEYC Joint Position
Statement with the Fred Rogers Center Accessed at httpwwwnaeycorgfiles
naeycPS_technology_WEBpdf
Nespor J (1987) The role of beliefs in the practice of teaching Journal of
Curriculum Studies (19) 4 317ndash28
22
Nikolopoulou K and Gialamas V (2013) Barriers to the integration of computers
in early childhood settings Teachersrsquo perceptions Education and Information
Technologies pp 1-17
Onnismaa E-L Rintakorpi K amp Rusanen S (2014) ldquoTake a picturerdquo Children as
photographers and co-constructors of culture in an early childhood education
environment In H Ruismaumlki amp I Ruokonen (eds) Voices for Tomorrow Sixth
International Journal of Intercultural Arts Education University of Helsinki Research
Report 352
Palaiologou I (2016) Teachersrsquo dispositions towards the role of digital devices in play-
based pedagogy in early childhood education Early Years Vol 36 (3) 305-321 DOI
1010800957514620161174816
Pajares M (1992) Teachersrsquo beliefs and educational research cleaning up a
messy construct Review of Educational Research (62)3 307ndash32
Papadakis S Kalogiannakis M amp Zaranis N (2016) Comparing tablets and
PCs in teaching mathematics An attempt to improve mathematics competence in
early childhood education Preschool amp Primary Education 4(2) 241-253
Parette HP Blum C and Quesenberry AC (2013) The role of technology for
young children in the 21st century in HP Parette and C Blum (eds)
Instructional technology in early childhood (pp 1-28) Brookes Publishing
Parette H P Quesenberry A C amp Blum C (2010) Missing the boat with
technology usage in early childhood settings A 21st century view of
developmentally appropriate practice Early Childhood Education Journal 37(5)
335-343
Parry RL (2013) Children Film and Literacy Basingstoke Palgrave Macmillan
23
Plowman L and Stephen C (2005) Children play and computers in pre-school
education British Journal of Educational Technology 36 (2) pp 145-157
Plumb M and Kautz K (2015) Barriers to the Integration of Information
Technology within Early Childhood Education and Care Organisations A Review of
the Literature Presented at the Australasian Conference on Information Systems
2015
Rosaen C and Terpstra M (2012) Widening worlds understanding and teaching
new literaciesrsquo Studying Teacher Education A Journal of Self-study of Teacher
Education Practices 8(1) 35ndash49
Thorpe K Hansen J Danby S Davidson C Zaki F M Grant S and Given
L M (2015) Teachers teaching and digital technologies reports from the early
childhood classroom Early Childhood Research Quarterly 32 httpdxdoiorg
101016jecresq201504001
Van Driel JH and Berry A (2012) Teacher Professional Development Focusing
on Pedagogical Content Knowledge Educational Researcher Vol 41 (1) pp26
-28
Voogt J Laferriegravere T Breuleux A Itow R C Hickey DT and McKenney S
(2015) Collaborative design as a form of professional development Instructional
Science 43 259 doi101007s11251-014-9340-7
Voogt J and McKnney S (2016) TPACK in teacher education are we preparing
teachers to use technology for early literacy Technology Pedagogy and
Education Published online ahead of print 4th May 2016 httpdxdoiorg
1010801475939X20161174730
Wenger E (1998) Communities of Practice Learning Meaning and Identity
Cambridge Cambridge University Press
24
Wood E Specht J Willoughby T and Mueller J (2008) Integrating Computer
Technology in Early Childhood Education Environments Issues Raised by Early
Childhood Educators Alberta Journal of Educational Research 54 (2) pp
210-226
25
3
Digital literacy CPD for early years practitioners
As noted above one of the key barriers to furthering practice is early years
practitionersrsquo knowledge specifically TPACK In a systematic review of interventions
aimed at developing teachersrsquo knowledge in this area Evens Elen and Depaepe
(2015) identified that there were certain elements of programmes that were important
if they were to be effective The first is reflection reflection that fosters higher-order
thinking in particular is essential There should also be opportunities for practitioners
to try out approaches that they have been introduced to through an intervention (Van
Driel and Berry 2012) and to have opportunities to reflect critically on these
experiences This kind of risk-taking and experimentation is important and needs to
take place in a supportive environment Second the development of relevant
knowledge is also key but it is important to link content knowledge to pedagogical
knowledge That is understanding what digital literacies are and how they develop is
important but practitioners need also to be introduced to how those concepts and
processes can be embedded in classroom practice (Gruszczynska Merchant amp
Pountney 2013) Third practitioners should be introduced to the TPACK model at the
beginning of any programme so that they are clear about its nature and how the
programme addresses their related needs Finally having contact with other
educators in the programme so they can learn together is important This point
relates to literature that emphasises the need to develop communities of practice
(CoP) in CPD programmes
The CoP concept was developed by Lave and Wenger (1991) to describe the
process of learning that operates within groups Lave and Wenger originally
11
developed the term to refer to the learning that operates between members of a
particular profession or people who share a craft In this context people who are
experienced and have long-established knowledge of the craft or profession share
their knowledge and experience with others They suggest that the process of
lsquolegitimate peripheral participationrsquo occurs in which apprentices learn from the edges
of a professional space by observing and learning from the more experienced
members of the group at the centre of the practice Through a process of learning
from being involved in this participatory action situated learning takes place Wenger
(1998) developed the concept further in his later publications He suggested that a
CoP involved three inter-related aspects mutual engagement joint enterprise and
shared repertoire (Wenger 1998 pp72-3) When members of the community are
mutually engaged in an activity strong relationships amongst members of the group
are formed The members of the group are mutually engaged in a joint enterprise
which binds the group together This aspect of learning appears to be important in
relation to educatorsrsquo CPD (Evens Elen and Depaepe 2015)
Having the opportunity to engage in action research is also a significant factor in
successful CPD programmes (Grace Reitdijk Garrett and Griffiths 2015) Action
research can enable practitioners to learn from looking at their practice carefully and
helps them to relate theory to practice (Cordingley 2015) It can impact on affect
enabling practitioners to feel proud and excited about their work and enhance their
sense of agency (Leat Reid and Lofthouse 2015) In terms of agency opportunities
to co-design professional development programmes is important so that they meet
the needs of individuals (Greany and Brown 2015) Whilst individual research is
valuable it is also helpful to offer opportunities for collaborative research Kennedy
(2014) developed a whole-school collaborative approach to practitioner researcher in
which teachers in a single school worked together to identify key challenges and
evaluate approaches to addressing these Her work provides a powerful model of
collaborative practice in relation to research
From a head teachersrsquo perspective Bates and Watt suggest that effective CPD
should include seven strategies as follows (i) offering CPD for all staff not just those
12
involved in teaching (ii) ensuring CPD is linked to school priorities (iii) staff mentoring
and peer-coaching (iv) the development of inter-school networks and partnerships
(which links to the concept of CoP) (v) team-teaching (vi) peer-review (viii) ongoing
assessment of the impact of CPD Other factors have also been identified as
important in relation to effective CPD Duration is important ndash more successful CPD is
sustained and long-term and programmes should also be coherent in relation to
educatorsrsquo beliefs and practices (Desimone 2009) Chen and Changrsquos (2006) also
summarise the following three issues as having key implications for early childhood
teacher training the support for teachers to make classroom implementation a
priority the provision of training that expands beyond the length of one week and
the need for training to match teachersrsquo varying degrees of confidence skill and
practice The possibility to personalise content is also key and it is also crucial to be
able to localise programmes which is of particular interest when considering a cross-
European approach (Lipowski Jorde Prenze and Seidel 2014)
Finally in considering the needs of any CPD programme that focuses on digital
literacy Rosaen and Terpstra (2012) argue that practitioners should have
opportunities to engage in reflecting on epistemological perspectives on literacy so
that they can consider how literacy is changing due to technological developments In
this way changes in beliefs and values can influence practice In addition they
promote the need to engage practitioners in hands-on design activities in which they
themselves are creating digital multimodal texts The teachers involved in their
intervention did this and Rosaen and Terpstra argue that as a result
hellipthe teacher candidates seemed to gain knowledge skill and
understanding of their new technology by designing a product for a real
audience (their peers) and blogging about their learning processes As they
learned about their new literacy they had to make strategic decisions about
how to represent ideas about topics such as visual or environmental literacy
and try to take advantage of the affordances of that technology as a medium
of communication
Rosaen and Terpstra (2012 46)
13
In addition some CPD programmes enable practitioners to collaboratively design
curriculum materials which has a positive impact on outcomes (Landerholm Gehrie
amp Hao 2004 Voogt Laferriegravere Breuleux et al 2015)
Therefore a review of the literature indicates that a successful approach to the CPD
of early years practitioners with regard to furthering their understanding of and
practice in the teaching and learning of digital literacy should contain the elements
outlined in Table 1
14
Table 1 Elements to be embedded in a digital literacy CPD programme
Practitioners have input into the design of the programme
Programme sustained over time
Practitioners are clear about the aims and objectives of the programme from the beginning the programme has coherence and it is clearly contributing to comprehensive goals of early education
Programme embeds opportunities for critical reflection
Programme embeds opportunities to explore the different epistemological understandings of literacy and consider how literacy is being transformed through technological developments
Risk-taking and experimentation are embedded
Designing and disseminating digital multimodal texts and artefacts are enabled
Technical content and pedagogical knowledge are developed in tandem
Practitioners are encouraged to observe discuss and pedagogically utilise those childrenrsquos media cultural interests that integrate both digital and non-digital practices
Practitioners are able to personalise content also create content together with children
Practitioners are able to localise content
Programme promotes the construction and maintenance of communities of practice networks
There are opportunities to relate theory to practice throughout the programme
Programme embeds opportunities to undertake (independent and or collaborative) action research
Opportunities for coaching peer-mentoring and team teaching are embedded
Practitioners are encouraged to assess the impact of the programme on a continuous basis to feed into its development
15
3
Conclusion
There is sustained evidence that there is a lack of opportunity for early years
practitioners to engage in professional development in relation to digital literacy to any
meaningful extent as outlined in this report A range of barriers exists in relation to the
furthering of practice (Plumb and Kautz 2015) A number of barriers relate to the early
years practitioners themselves such as their beliefs and attitudes their level of
confidence in using technologies and their level of technological and pedagogical
content knowledge Research reviewed in this report suggests that many of these
barriers emerge from or connect to teachersrsquo established understandings of the early
childhood sector and the curriculum therein Two binaries may identified there as key
in shaping teachersrsquo practices and beliefs the binary between ldquoconventionalrdquo and
new early childhood literacies and the binary between teachersrsquo own use and
integration of technology in the classroom To deconstruct such binaries one needs
to consider how CPD may offer early years practitioners opportunities to engage with
their own and othersrsquo epistemological understandings of literacy as well as
realisations of new literacies in (childrenrsquos and their own) everyday lives This would
ultimately necessitate and link to a shift in practitionersrsquo professional identities
There is also a recognised lack of training and support therefore the development of
a CPD programme that might impact positively on these elements is important It is of
course not in itself sufficient ndash there also needs to be a focus on other barriers to
progress such as a lack of resources and effective policies at a national level
Nevertheless the development of a CPD programme that embeds the effective
elements of such activities as outlined in Table 1 is required if young children are to
be offered early years education that is appropriate for twenty-first century demands
16
References Bates S and Watt L (2015) Staff development for raising attainment a
practitioners view of what works Education 3-13 Vol 44 (1) Published online
ahead of print 31st Dec 2015 httpdxdoiorg
1010800300427920151122317
Becta (2004) A Review of the Research Literature on Barriers to the Uptake
of ICT by Teachers HMSO Becta
Blackwell CK Lauricella AR and Wartella E (2014) Factors influencing digital
technology use in early childhood education Computers amp Education 77 (0) pp
82-90
Blackwell CK Lauricella AR Wartella E Robb M and Schomburg R
(2013) Adoption and use of technology in early education The interplay of
extrinsic barriers and teacher attitudes Computers amp Education 69 (0) pp
310-319
Britzman DP (1989) Who Has the Floor Curriculum Teaching and the English
Student Teachers Struggle for Voice Curriculum Inquiry 19 ( 2) pp 143-162
httpwwwjstororgstable1179406
Chen J-Q amp Chang C (2006) Using computers in early childhood classrooms
Teachersrsquo attitudes skills and practices Journal of Early Childhood Research
4(2) 169-188
Clandinin DJ (1986) Classroom Practice Teacher Images in Action London
Falmer Press
17
Cordingley P (2015) The contribution of research to teachersrsquo professional
learning and development Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 234-252 DOI
1010800305498520151020105
Desimone LM (2009) Improving Impact Studies of Teachersrsquo Professional
Development Toward Better Conceptualizations and Measures Educational
Researcher Vol 38 (3) pp181-199
Edwards S (2013) Digital play in the early years a contextual response to the
problem of integrating technologies and play-based pedagogies in the early childhood
curriculum European Early Childhood Education Research Journal Vol 21 (2) 199ndash
212
Ertmer P (1999) Addressing first- and second-order barriers to change
Strategies for technology integration Educational Technology Research and
Development 47(4) 47-61 doi 101007bf02299597
Evens M Elen J amp Depaepe F (2015) Developing pedagogical content
knowledge Lessons learned from intervention studies Education Research
International doi1011552015790417
Fenty NS and McKendry Anderson EM (2014) Examining Educatorsrsquo
Knowledge Beliefs and Practices About Using Technology With Young Children
Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education 35 (2) pp 114-134
Friedrichs-Liesenkoumltter H (2015) Media-educational Habitus of Future Educators
in the Context of Education in Day-Care Centers Journal of Media Literacy
Education 7(1) 18-34
18
Goktas Y Gedik N amp Baydas O (2013) Enablers and barriers to the use of ICT
in primary schools in Turkey A comparative study of 2005ndash2011 Computers amp
Education 68 211-222 doi 101016jcompedu201305002
Goktas Y Yildirim S amp Yildirim Z (2009) Main Barriers and Possible Enablers
of ICTs Integration into Pre-service Teacher Education Programs Educational
Technology amp Society 12 (1) 193ndash204
Grace M Rietdijk W Garrett C amp Griffiths J (2015) Improving physics teaching
through action research the impact of a nationwide professional development
programme Teacher Development 194 496-519 DOI
1010801366453020151073612
Greany T and Brown C (2015) Partnerships between teaching schools and
universities Research report London Institute of Education Accessed http
researchrichschoolsorgukuploadsresources14293009901Teaching-schools-
and-universities-research-reportpdf
Grossman P (1990) The Making of a Teacher Teacher Knowledge and Teacher
Education New York Teachers College Press
Gruszczynska A Merchant G amp Pountney R (2013) Digital Futures in Teacher
Education Exploring Open Approaches towards Digital Literacy Electronic
Journal of E-Learning 11(3) 193-206
Hesterman S (2011) A Contested Space the dialogic intersection of ICT
multiliteracies and early childhood Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood12(4)
349-361
Hew K F amp Brush T (2006) Integrating technology into K-12 teaching and
learning current knowledge gaps and recommendations for future research
19
Educational Technology Research and Development 55(3) 223-252 doi
101007s11423-006-9022-5
Ihmeideh F M (2009) Barriers to the use of technology in Jordanian pre-school
settings Technology Pedagogy and Education 18(3) 325-341
Ihmeideh FM (2010) The role of computer technology in teaching reading and
writing preschool teachersrsquo beliefs and practices Journal of Research in
Childhood Education 24 (1) pp 60-79
Inan F A amp Lowther D L (2010) Laptops in the K-12 classrooms exploring
factors impacting instructional use Computers amp Education 55 (3) 937ndash944
Keengwe J amp Onchwari G (2009) Technology and early childhood education A
technology integration professional development model for practicing teachers
Early Childhood Education Journal 37 209-218
Kennedy E (2014) Raising Literacy Achievement in High-Poverty Schools An
Evidence-Based Approach Abingdon Oxon New York Routledge
Kildan A O amp Incikabi L (2015) Effects on the technological pedagogical
content knowledge of early childhood teacher candidates using digital storytelling
to teach mathematics Education 3-13 43(3) 238-248
Koehler MJ Mishra P Kereluik K Shin T and Graham CR (2014) lsquoThe
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Frameworkrsquo in JM Spector et al
(eds) Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology
Springer
Kontovourki S and Tafa E (2015) Draft Summary Report for Second DigiLitEY
Project Meeting 19th-20th October Tallinn Estonia Accessed at httpdigiliteyeu
wp-contentuploads201509WG2_Objective2_DraftReport_October2015pdf
20
Lafton T (2012) How Early Childhood Practitioners build shape and construct their
digital practices the Search for an Analytical Space Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy
Vol 7 ( 3) 172-185
Leinonen J amp Sintonen S (2014) Productive participation ndash Children as active media
producers in kindergarten Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol 9 (3) 216-236
Landerholm E Gehrie C amp Hao Y (2004) Educating early childhood teachers
for the global world Early Child Development and Care 174(7-8) 593-606
Lave J and Wenger E (1991) Situated Learning Legitimate Peripheral
Participation Cambridge Cambridge University Press
Leat D Reid A amp Lofthouse R (2015) Teachersrsquo experiences of engagement
with and in educational research what can be learned from teachersrsquo views
Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 270-286 DOI
1010800305498520151021193
Li H (2006) Integrating Information and Communication Technologies Into the
Early Childhood Curriculum Chinese Principalsrsquo Views of the Challenges and
Opportunities Early Education and Development17 (3) pp 467-487
Lindahl MG and Folkesson A-M (2012) Can we let computers change
practice Educatorsrsquo interpretations of preschool tradition Computers in Human
Behavior 28 (5) pp 1728-1737
Lipowski K Jorde D Prenze M and Seidel T (2014) Expert views on the
implementation of teacher professional development in European countries
(pp41-56) In K Jones and J OrsquoBrien (eds) European Perspectives on Professional
Development in Teacher Education London Routledge
21
Liu P (2016) Technology Integration in Elementary Classrooms Teaching
Practices of Student Teachers Australian Journal of Teacher Education 41(3)
Published online March 11th 2016 at httpdxdoiorg1014221ajte
2016v41n36
Lortie D (1975) Schoolteacher A Sociological Study Chicago IL University of
Chicago Press
McDougall J (2010) A crisis of professional identity How primary teachers are
coming to terms with changing views of literacy Teaching and Teacher Education
26(3) 679-687
Mertala P (2016) Fun and Games ndash Finnish childrenrsquos ideas for the use of digital
media in preschool Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol11(4) pp 207-226
Mertala P (2017) Wag the dog - The nature and foundations of preschool educators
positive ICT pedagogical beliefs Computers in Human Behavior Vol 69 197-206
Mishra P amp Koehler MJ (2006) Technological pedagogical content knowledge
A framework for integrating technology in teacher knowledge Teachers College
Record 108(6) 1017-1054
NAEYC (2012) Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood
Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8 NAEYC Joint Position
Statement with the Fred Rogers Center Accessed at httpwwwnaeycorgfiles
naeycPS_technology_WEBpdf
Nespor J (1987) The role of beliefs in the practice of teaching Journal of
Curriculum Studies (19) 4 317ndash28
22
Nikolopoulou K and Gialamas V (2013) Barriers to the integration of computers
in early childhood settings Teachersrsquo perceptions Education and Information
Technologies pp 1-17
Onnismaa E-L Rintakorpi K amp Rusanen S (2014) ldquoTake a picturerdquo Children as
photographers and co-constructors of culture in an early childhood education
environment In H Ruismaumlki amp I Ruokonen (eds) Voices for Tomorrow Sixth
International Journal of Intercultural Arts Education University of Helsinki Research
Report 352
Palaiologou I (2016) Teachersrsquo dispositions towards the role of digital devices in play-
based pedagogy in early childhood education Early Years Vol 36 (3) 305-321 DOI
1010800957514620161174816
Pajares M (1992) Teachersrsquo beliefs and educational research cleaning up a
messy construct Review of Educational Research (62)3 307ndash32
Papadakis S Kalogiannakis M amp Zaranis N (2016) Comparing tablets and
PCs in teaching mathematics An attempt to improve mathematics competence in
early childhood education Preschool amp Primary Education 4(2) 241-253
Parette HP Blum C and Quesenberry AC (2013) The role of technology for
young children in the 21st century in HP Parette and C Blum (eds)
Instructional technology in early childhood (pp 1-28) Brookes Publishing
Parette H P Quesenberry A C amp Blum C (2010) Missing the boat with
technology usage in early childhood settings A 21st century view of
developmentally appropriate practice Early Childhood Education Journal 37(5)
335-343
Parry RL (2013) Children Film and Literacy Basingstoke Palgrave Macmillan
23
Plowman L and Stephen C (2005) Children play and computers in pre-school
education British Journal of Educational Technology 36 (2) pp 145-157
Plumb M and Kautz K (2015) Barriers to the Integration of Information
Technology within Early Childhood Education and Care Organisations A Review of
the Literature Presented at the Australasian Conference on Information Systems
2015
Rosaen C and Terpstra M (2012) Widening worlds understanding and teaching
new literaciesrsquo Studying Teacher Education A Journal of Self-study of Teacher
Education Practices 8(1) 35ndash49
Thorpe K Hansen J Danby S Davidson C Zaki F M Grant S and Given
L M (2015) Teachers teaching and digital technologies reports from the early
childhood classroom Early Childhood Research Quarterly 32 httpdxdoiorg
101016jecresq201504001
Van Driel JH and Berry A (2012) Teacher Professional Development Focusing
on Pedagogical Content Knowledge Educational Researcher Vol 41 (1) pp26
-28
Voogt J Laferriegravere T Breuleux A Itow R C Hickey DT and McKenney S
(2015) Collaborative design as a form of professional development Instructional
Science 43 259 doi101007s11251-014-9340-7
Voogt J and McKnney S (2016) TPACK in teacher education are we preparing
teachers to use technology for early literacy Technology Pedagogy and
Education Published online ahead of print 4th May 2016 httpdxdoiorg
1010801475939X20161174730
Wenger E (1998) Communities of Practice Learning Meaning and Identity
Cambridge Cambridge University Press
24
Wood E Specht J Willoughby T and Mueller J (2008) Integrating Computer
Technology in Early Childhood Education Environments Issues Raised by Early
Childhood Educators Alberta Journal of Educational Research 54 (2) pp
210-226
25
developed the term to refer to the learning that operates between members of a
particular profession or people who share a craft In this context people who are
experienced and have long-established knowledge of the craft or profession share
their knowledge and experience with others They suggest that the process of
lsquolegitimate peripheral participationrsquo occurs in which apprentices learn from the edges
of a professional space by observing and learning from the more experienced
members of the group at the centre of the practice Through a process of learning
from being involved in this participatory action situated learning takes place Wenger
(1998) developed the concept further in his later publications He suggested that a
CoP involved three inter-related aspects mutual engagement joint enterprise and
shared repertoire (Wenger 1998 pp72-3) When members of the community are
mutually engaged in an activity strong relationships amongst members of the group
are formed The members of the group are mutually engaged in a joint enterprise
which binds the group together This aspect of learning appears to be important in
relation to educatorsrsquo CPD (Evens Elen and Depaepe 2015)
Having the opportunity to engage in action research is also a significant factor in
successful CPD programmes (Grace Reitdijk Garrett and Griffiths 2015) Action
research can enable practitioners to learn from looking at their practice carefully and
helps them to relate theory to practice (Cordingley 2015) It can impact on affect
enabling practitioners to feel proud and excited about their work and enhance their
sense of agency (Leat Reid and Lofthouse 2015) In terms of agency opportunities
to co-design professional development programmes is important so that they meet
the needs of individuals (Greany and Brown 2015) Whilst individual research is
valuable it is also helpful to offer opportunities for collaborative research Kennedy
(2014) developed a whole-school collaborative approach to practitioner researcher in
which teachers in a single school worked together to identify key challenges and
evaluate approaches to addressing these Her work provides a powerful model of
collaborative practice in relation to research
From a head teachersrsquo perspective Bates and Watt suggest that effective CPD
should include seven strategies as follows (i) offering CPD for all staff not just those
12
involved in teaching (ii) ensuring CPD is linked to school priorities (iii) staff mentoring
and peer-coaching (iv) the development of inter-school networks and partnerships
(which links to the concept of CoP) (v) team-teaching (vi) peer-review (viii) ongoing
assessment of the impact of CPD Other factors have also been identified as
important in relation to effective CPD Duration is important ndash more successful CPD is
sustained and long-term and programmes should also be coherent in relation to
educatorsrsquo beliefs and practices (Desimone 2009) Chen and Changrsquos (2006) also
summarise the following three issues as having key implications for early childhood
teacher training the support for teachers to make classroom implementation a
priority the provision of training that expands beyond the length of one week and
the need for training to match teachersrsquo varying degrees of confidence skill and
practice The possibility to personalise content is also key and it is also crucial to be
able to localise programmes which is of particular interest when considering a cross-
European approach (Lipowski Jorde Prenze and Seidel 2014)
Finally in considering the needs of any CPD programme that focuses on digital
literacy Rosaen and Terpstra (2012) argue that practitioners should have
opportunities to engage in reflecting on epistemological perspectives on literacy so
that they can consider how literacy is changing due to technological developments In
this way changes in beliefs and values can influence practice In addition they
promote the need to engage practitioners in hands-on design activities in which they
themselves are creating digital multimodal texts The teachers involved in their
intervention did this and Rosaen and Terpstra argue that as a result
hellipthe teacher candidates seemed to gain knowledge skill and
understanding of their new technology by designing a product for a real
audience (their peers) and blogging about their learning processes As they
learned about their new literacy they had to make strategic decisions about
how to represent ideas about topics such as visual or environmental literacy
and try to take advantage of the affordances of that technology as a medium
of communication
Rosaen and Terpstra (2012 46)
13
In addition some CPD programmes enable practitioners to collaboratively design
curriculum materials which has a positive impact on outcomes (Landerholm Gehrie
amp Hao 2004 Voogt Laferriegravere Breuleux et al 2015)
Therefore a review of the literature indicates that a successful approach to the CPD
of early years practitioners with regard to furthering their understanding of and
practice in the teaching and learning of digital literacy should contain the elements
outlined in Table 1
14
Table 1 Elements to be embedded in a digital literacy CPD programme
Practitioners have input into the design of the programme
Programme sustained over time
Practitioners are clear about the aims and objectives of the programme from the beginning the programme has coherence and it is clearly contributing to comprehensive goals of early education
Programme embeds opportunities for critical reflection
Programme embeds opportunities to explore the different epistemological understandings of literacy and consider how literacy is being transformed through technological developments
Risk-taking and experimentation are embedded
Designing and disseminating digital multimodal texts and artefacts are enabled
Technical content and pedagogical knowledge are developed in tandem
Practitioners are encouraged to observe discuss and pedagogically utilise those childrenrsquos media cultural interests that integrate both digital and non-digital practices
Practitioners are able to personalise content also create content together with children
Practitioners are able to localise content
Programme promotes the construction and maintenance of communities of practice networks
There are opportunities to relate theory to practice throughout the programme
Programme embeds opportunities to undertake (independent and or collaborative) action research
Opportunities for coaching peer-mentoring and team teaching are embedded
Practitioners are encouraged to assess the impact of the programme on a continuous basis to feed into its development
15
3
Conclusion
There is sustained evidence that there is a lack of opportunity for early years
practitioners to engage in professional development in relation to digital literacy to any
meaningful extent as outlined in this report A range of barriers exists in relation to the
furthering of practice (Plumb and Kautz 2015) A number of barriers relate to the early
years practitioners themselves such as their beliefs and attitudes their level of
confidence in using technologies and their level of technological and pedagogical
content knowledge Research reviewed in this report suggests that many of these
barriers emerge from or connect to teachersrsquo established understandings of the early
childhood sector and the curriculum therein Two binaries may identified there as key
in shaping teachersrsquo practices and beliefs the binary between ldquoconventionalrdquo and
new early childhood literacies and the binary between teachersrsquo own use and
integration of technology in the classroom To deconstruct such binaries one needs
to consider how CPD may offer early years practitioners opportunities to engage with
their own and othersrsquo epistemological understandings of literacy as well as
realisations of new literacies in (childrenrsquos and their own) everyday lives This would
ultimately necessitate and link to a shift in practitionersrsquo professional identities
There is also a recognised lack of training and support therefore the development of
a CPD programme that might impact positively on these elements is important It is of
course not in itself sufficient ndash there also needs to be a focus on other barriers to
progress such as a lack of resources and effective policies at a national level
Nevertheless the development of a CPD programme that embeds the effective
elements of such activities as outlined in Table 1 is required if young children are to
be offered early years education that is appropriate for twenty-first century demands
16
References Bates S and Watt L (2015) Staff development for raising attainment a
practitioners view of what works Education 3-13 Vol 44 (1) Published online
ahead of print 31st Dec 2015 httpdxdoiorg
1010800300427920151122317
Becta (2004) A Review of the Research Literature on Barriers to the Uptake
of ICT by Teachers HMSO Becta
Blackwell CK Lauricella AR and Wartella E (2014) Factors influencing digital
technology use in early childhood education Computers amp Education 77 (0) pp
82-90
Blackwell CK Lauricella AR Wartella E Robb M and Schomburg R
(2013) Adoption and use of technology in early education The interplay of
extrinsic barriers and teacher attitudes Computers amp Education 69 (0) pp
310-319
Britzman DP (1989) Who Has the Floor Curriculum Teaching and the English
Student Teachers Struggle for Voice Curriculum Inquiry 19 ( 2) pp 143-162
httpwwwjstororgstable1179406
Chen J-Q amp Chang C (2006) Using computers in early childhood classrooms
Teachersrsquo attitudes skills and practices Journal of Early Childhood Research
4(2) 169-188
Clandinin DJ (1986) Classroom Practice Teacher Images in Action London
Falmer Press
17
Cordingley P (2015) The contribution of research to teachersrsquo professional
learning and development Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 234-252 DOI
1010800305498520151020105
Desimone LM (2009) Improving Impact Studies of Teachersrsquo Professional
Development Toward Better Conceptualizations and Measures Educational
Researcher Vol 38 (3) pp181-199
Edwards S (2013) Digital play in the early years a contextual response to the
problem of integrating technologies and play-based pedagogies in the early childhood
curriculum European Early Childhood Education Research Journal Vol 21 (2) 199ndash
212
Ertmer P (1999) Addressing first- and second-order barriers to change
Strategies for technology integration Educational Technology Research and
Development 47(4) 47-61 doi 101007bf02299597
Evens M Elen J amp Depaepe F (2015) Developing pedagogical content
knowledge Lessons learned from intervention studies Education Research
International doi1011552015790417
Fenty NS and McKendry Anderson EM (2014) Examining Educatorsrsquo
Knowledge Beliefs and Practices About Using Technology With Young Children
Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education 35 (2) pp 114-134
Friedrichs-Liesenkoumltter H (2015) Media-educational Habitus of Future Educators
in the Context of Education in Day-Care Centers Journal of Media Literacy
Education 7(1) 18-34
18
Goktas Y Gedik N amp Baydas O (2013) Enablers and barriers to the use of ICT
in primary schools in Turkey A comparative study of 2005ndash2011 Computers amp
Education 68 211-222 doi 101016jcompedu201305002
Goktas Y Yildirim S amp Yildirim Z (2009) Main Barriers and Possible Enablers
of ICTs Integration into Pre-service Teacher Education Programs Educational
Technology amp Society 12 (1) 193ndash204
Grace M Rietdijk W Garrett C amp Griffiths J (2015) Improving physics teaching
through action research the impact of a nationwide professional development
programme Teacher Development 194 496-519 DOI
1010801366453020151073612
Greany T and Brown C (2015) Partnerships between teaching schools and
universities Research report London Institute of Education Accessed http
researchrichschoolsorgukuploadsresources14293009901Teaching-schools-
and-universities-research-reportpdf
Grossman P (1990) The Making of a Teacher Teacher Knowledge and Teacher
Education New York Teachers College Press
Gruszczynska A Merchant G amp Pountney R (2013) Digital Futures in Teacher
Education Exploring Open Approaches towards Digital Literacy Electronic
Journal of E-Learning 11(3) 193-206
Hesterman S (2011) A Contested Space the dialogic intersection of ICT
multiliteracies and early childhood Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood12(4)
349-361
Hew K F amp Brush T (2006) Integrating technology into K-12 teaching and
learning current knowledge gaps and recommendations for future research
19
Educational Technology Research and Development 55(3) 223-252 doi
101007s11423-006-9022-5
Ihmeideh F M (2009) Barriers to the use of technology in Jordanian pre-school
settings Technology Pedagogy and Education 18(3) 325-341
Ihmeideh FM (2010) The role of computer technology in teaching reading and
writing preschool teachersrsquo beliefs and practices Journal of Research in
Childhood Education 24 (1) pp 60-79
Inan F A amp Lowther D L (2010) Laptops in the K-12 classrooms exploring
factors impacting instructional use Computers amp Education 55 (3) 937ndash944
Keengwe J amp Onchwari G (2009) Technology and early childhood education A
technology integration professional development model for practicing teachers
Early Childhood Education Journal 37 209-218
Kennedy E (2014) Raising Literacy Achievement in High-Poverty Schools An
Evidence-Based Approach Abingdon Oxon New York Routledge
Kildan A O amp Incikabi L (2015) Effects on the technological pedagogical
content knowledge of early childhood teacher candidates using digital storytelling
to teach mathematics Education 3-13 43(3) 238-248
Koehler MJ Mishra P Kereluik K Shin T and Graham CR (2014) lsquoThe
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Frameworkrsquo in JM Spector et al
(eds) Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology
Springer
Kontovourki S and Tafa E (2015) Draft Summary Report for Second DigiLitEY
Project Meeting 19th-20th October Tallinn Estonia Accessed at httpdigiliteyeu
wp-contentuploads201509WG2_Objective2_DraftReport_October2015pdf
20
Lafton T (2012) How Early Childhood Practitioners build shape and construct their
digital practices the Search for an Analytical Space Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy
Vol 7 ( 3) 172-185
Leinonen J amp Sintonen S (2014) Productive participation ndash Children as active media
producers in kindergarten Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol 9 (3) 216-236
Landerholm E Gehrie C amp Hao Y (2004) Educating early childhood teachers
for the global world Early Child Development and Care 174(7-8) 593-606
Lave J and Wenger E (1991) Situated Learning Legitimate Peripheral
Participation Cambridge Cambridge University Press
Leat D Reid A amp Lofthouse R (2015) Teachersrsquo experiences of engagement
with and in educational research what can be learned from teachersrsquo views
Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 270-286 DOI
1010800305498520151021193
Li H (2006) Integrating Information and Communication Technologies Into the
Early Childhood Curriculum Chinese Principalsrsquo Views of the Challenges and
Opportunities Early Education and Development17 (3) pp 467-487
Lindahl MG and Folkesson A-M (2012) Can we let computers change
practice Educatorsrsquo interpretations of preschool tradition Computers in Human
Behavior 28 (5) pp 1728-1737
Lipowski K Jorde D Prenze M and Seidel T (2014) Expert views on the
implementation of teacher professional development in European countries
(pp41-56) In K Jones and J OrsquoBrien (eds) European Perspectives on Professional
Development in Teacher Education London Routledge
21
Liu P (2016) Technology Integration in Elementary Classrooms Teaching
Practices of Student Teachers Australian Journal of Teacher Education 41(3)
Published online March 11th 2016 at httpdxdoiorg1014221ajte
2016v41n36
Lortie D (1975) Schoolteacher A Sociological Study Chicago IL University of
Chicago Press
McDougall J (2010) A crisis of professional identity How primary teachers are
coming to terms with changing views of literacy Teaching and Teacher Education
26(3) 679-687
Mertala P (2016) Fun and Games ndash Finnish childrenrsquos ideas for the use of digital
media in preschool Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol11(4) pp 207-226
Mertala P (2017) Wag the dog - The nature and foundations of preschool educators
positive ICT pedagogical beliefs Computers in Human Behavior Vol 69 197-206
Mishra P amp Koehler MJ (2006) Technological pedagogical content knowledge
A framework for integrating technology in teacher knowledge Teachers College
Record 108(6) 1017-1054
NAEYC (2012) Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood
Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8 NAEYC Joint Position
Statement with the Fred Rogers Center Accessed at httpwwwnaeycorgfiles
naeycPS_technology_WEBpdf
Nespor J (1987) The role of beliefs in the practice of teaching Journal of
Curriculum Studies (19) 4 317ndash28
22
Nikolopoulou K and Gialamas V (2013) Barriers to the integration of computers
in early childhood settings Teachersrsquo perceptions Education and Information
Technologies pp 1-17
Onnismaa E-L Rintakorpi K amp Rusanen S (2014) ldquoTake a picturerdquo Children as
photographers and co-constructors of culture in an early childhood education
environment In H Ruismaumlki amp I Ruokonen (eds) Voices for Tomorrow Sixth
International Journal of Intercultural Arts Education University of Helsinki Research
Report 352
Palaiologou I (2016) Teachersrsquo dispositions towards the role of digital devices in play-
based pedagogy in early childhood education Early Years Vol 36 (3) 305-321 DOI
1010800957514620161174816
Pajares M (1992) Teachersrsquo beliefs and educational research cleaning up a
messy construct Review of Educational Research (62)3 307ndash32
Papadakis S Kalogiannakis M amp Zaranis N (2016) Comparing tablets and
PCs in teaching mathematics An attempt to improve mathematics competence in
early childhood education Preschool amp Primary Education 4(2) 241-253
Parette HP Blum C and Quesenberry AC (2013) The role of technology for
young children in the 21st century in HP Parette and C Blum (eds)
Instructional technology in early childhood (pp 1-28) Brookes Publishing
Parette H P Quesenberry A C amp Blum C (2010) Missing the boat with
technology usage in early childhood settings A 21st century view of
developmentally appropriate practice Early Childhood Education Journal 37(5)
335-343
Parry RL (2013) Children Film and Literacy Basingstoke Palgrave Macmillan
23
Plowman L and Stephen C (2005) Children play and computers in pre-school
education British Journal of Educational Technology 36 (2) pp 145-157
Plumb M and Kautz K (2015) Barriers to the Integration of Information
Technology within Early Childhood Education and Care Organisations A Review of
the Literature Presented at the Australasian Conference on Information Systems
2015
Rosaen C and Terpstra M (2012) Widening worlds understanding and teaching
new literaciesrsquo Studying Teacher Education A Journal of Self-study of Teacher
Education Practices 8(1) 35ndash49
Thorpe K Hansen J Danby S Davidson C Zaki F M Grant S and Given
L M (2015) Teachers teaching and digital technologies reports from the early
childhood classroom Early Childhood Research Quarterly 32 httpdxdoiorg
101016jecresq201504001
Van Driel JH and Berry A (2012) Teacher Professional Development Focusing
on Pedagogical Content Knowledge Educational Researcher Vol 41 (1) pp26
-28
Voogt J Laferriegravere T Breuleux A Itow R C Hickey DT and McKenney S
(2015) Collaborative design as a form of professional development Instructional
Science 43 259 doi101007s11251-014-9340-7
Voogt J and McKnney S (2016) TPACK in teacher education are we preparing
teachers to use technology for early literacy Technology Pedagogy and
Education Published online ahead of print 4th May 2016 httpdxdoiorg
1010801475939X20161174730
Wenger E (1998) Communities of Practice Learning Meaning and Identity
Cambridge Cambridge University Press
24
Wood E Specht J Willoughby T and Mueller J (2008) Integrating Computer
Technology in Early Childhood Education Environments Issues Raised by Early
Childhood Educators Alberta Journal of Educational Research 54 (2) pp
210-226
25
involved in teaching (ii) ensuring CPD is linked to school priorities (iii) staff mentoring
and peer-coaching (iv) the development of inter-school networks and partnerships
(which links to the concept of CoP) (v) team-teaching (vi) peer-review (viii) ongoing
assessment of the impact of CPD Other factors have also been identified as
important in relation to effective CPD Duration is important ndash more successful CPD is
sustained and long-term and programmes should also be coherent in relation to
educatorsrsquo beliefs and practices (Desimone 2009) Chen and Changrsquos (2006) also
summarise the following three issues as having key implications for early childhood
teacher training the support for teachers to make classroom implementation a
priority the provision of training that expands beyond the length of one week and
the need for training to match teachersrsquo varying degrees of confidence skill and
practice The possibility to personalise content is also key and it is also crucial to be
able to localise programmes which is of particular interest when considering a cross-
European approach (Lipowski Jorde Prenze and Seidel 2014)
Finally in considering the needs of any CPD programme that focuses on digital
literacy Rosaen and Terpstra (2012) argue that practitioners should have
opportunities to engage in reflecting on epistemological perspectives on literacy so
that they can consider how literacy is changing due to technological developments In
this way changes in beliefs and values can influence practice In addition they
promote the need to engage practitioners in hands-on design activities in which they
themselves are creating digital multimodal texts The teachers involved in their
intervention did this and Rosaen and Terpstra argue that as a result
hellipthe teacher candidates seemed to gain knowledge skill and
understanding of their new technology by designing a product for a real
audience (their peers) and blogging about their learning processes As they
learned about their new literacy they had to make strategic decisions about
how to represent ideas about topics such as visual or environmental literacy
and try to take advantage of the affordances of that technology as a medium
of communication
Rosaen and Terpstra (2012 46)
13
In addition some CPD programmes enable practitioners to collaboratively design
curriculum materials which has a positive impact on outcomes (Landerholm Gehrie
amp Hao 2004 Voogt Laferriegravere Breuleux et al 2015)
Therefore a review of the literature indicates that a successful approach to the CPD
of early years practitioners with regard to furthering their understanding of and
practice in the teaching and learning of digital literacy should contain the elements
outlined in Table 1
14
Table 1 Elements to be embedded in a digital literacy CPD programme
Practitioners have input into the design of the programme
Programme sustained over time
Practitioners are clear about the aims and objectives of the programme from the beginning the programme has coherence and it is clearly contributing to comprehensive goals of early education
Programme embeds opportunities for critical reflection
Programme embeds opportunities to explore the different epistemological understandings of literacy and consider how literacy is being transformed through technological developments
Risk-taking and experimentation are embedded
Designing and disseminating digital multimodal texts and artefacts are enabled
Technical content and pedagogical knowledge are developed in tandem
Practitioners are encouraged to observe discuss and pedagogically utilise those childrenrsquos media cultural interests that integrate both digital and non-digital practices
Practitioners are able to personalise content also create content together with children
Practitioners are able to localise content
Programme promotes the construction and maintenance of communities of practice networks
There are opportunities to relate theory to practice throughout the programme
Programme embeds opportunities to undertake (independent and or collaborative) action research
Opportunities for coaching peer-mentoring and team teaching are embedded
Practitioners are encouraged to assess the impact of the programme on a continuous basis to feed into its development
15
3
Conclusion
There is sustained evidence that there is a lack of opportunity for early years
practitioners to engage in professional development in relation to digital literacy to any
meaningful extent as outlined in this report A range of barriers exists in relation to the
furthering of practice (Plumb and Kautz 2015) A number of barriers relate to the early
years practitioners themselves such as their beliefs and attitudes their level of
confidence in using technologies and their level of technological and pedagogical
content knowledge Research reviewed in this report suggests that many of these
barriers emerge from or connect to teachersrsquo established understandings of the early
childhood sector and the curriculum therein Two binaries may identified there as key
in shaping teachersrsquo practices and beliefs the binary between ldquoconventionalrdquo and
new early childhood literacies and the binary between teachersrsquo own use and
integration of technology in the classroom To deconstruct such binaries one needs
to consider how CPD may offer early years practitioners opportunities to engage with
their own and othersrsquo epistemological understandings of literacy as well as
realisations of new literacies in (childrenrsquos and their own) everyday lives This would
ultimately necessitate and link to a shift in practitionersrsquo professional identities
There is also a recognised lack of training and support therefore the development of
a CPD programme that might impact positively on these elements is important It is of
course not in itself sufficient ndash there also needs to be a focus on other barriers to
progress such as a lack of resources and effective policies at a national level
Nevertheless the development of a CPD programme that embeds the effective
elements of such activities as outlined in Table 1 is required if young children are to
be offered early years education that is appropriate for twenty-first century demands
16
References Bates S and Watt L (2015) Staff development for raising attainment a
practitioners view of what works Education 3-13 Vol 44 (1) Published online
ahead of print 31st Dec 2015 httpdxdoiorg
1010800300427920151122317
Becta (2004) A Review of the Research Literature on Barriers to the Uptake
of ICT by Teachers HMSO Becta
Blackwell CK Lauricella AR and Wartella E (2014) Factors influencing digital
technology use in early childhood education Computers amp Education 77 (0) pp
82-90
Blackwell CK Lauricella AR Wartella E Robb M and Schomburg R
(2013) Adoption and use of technology in early education The interplay of
extrinsic barriers and teacher attitudes Computers amp Education 69 (0) pp
310-319
Britzman DP (1989) Who Has the Floor Curriculum Teaching and the English
Student Teachers Struggle for Voice Curriculum Inquiry 19 ( 2) pp 143-162
httpwwwjstororgstable1179406
Chen J-Q amp Chang C (2006) Using computers in early childhood classrooms
Teachersrsquo attitudes skills and practices Journal of Early Childhood Research
4(2) 169-188
Clandinin DJ (1986) Classroom Practice Teacher Images in Action London
Falmer Press
17
Cordingley P (2015) The contribution of research to teachersrsquo professional
learning and development Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 234-252 DOI
1010800305498520151020105
Desimone LM (2009) Improving Impact Studies of Teachersrsquo Professional
Development Toward Better Conceptualizations and Measures Educational
Researcher Vol 38 (3) pp181-199
Edwards S (2013) Digital play in the early years a contextual response to the
problem of integrating technologies and play-based pedagogies in the early childhood
curriculum European Early Childhood Education Research Journal Vol 21 (2) 199ndash
212
Ertmer P (1999) Addressing first- and second-order barriers to change
Strategies for technology integration Educational Technology Research and
Development 47(4) 47-61 doi 101007bf02299597
Evens M Elen J amp Depaepe F (2015) Developing pedagogical content
knowledge Lessons learned from intervention studies Education Research
International doi1011552015790417
Fenty NS and McKendry Anderson EM (2014) Examining Educatorsrsquo
Knowledge Beliefs and Practices About Using Technology With Young Children
Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education 35 (2) pp 114-134
Friedrichs-Liesenkoumltter H (2015) Media-educational Habitus of Future Educators
in the Context of Education in Day-Care Centers Journal of Media Literacy
Education 7(1) 18-34
18
Goktas Y Gedik N amp Baydas O (2013) Enablers and barriers to the use of ICT
in primary schools in Turkey A comparative study of 2005ndash2011 Computers amp
Education 68 211-222 doi 101016jcompedu201305002
Goktas Y Yildirim S amp Yildirim Z (2009) Main Barriers and Possible Enablers
of ICTs Integration into Pre-service Teacher Education Programs Educational
Technology amp Society 12 (1) 193ndash204
Grace M Rietdijk W Garrett C amp Griffiths J (2015) Improving physics teaching
through action research the impact of a nationwide professional development
programme Teacher Development 194 496-519 DOI
1010801366453020151073612
Greany T and Brown C (2015) Partnerships between teaching schools and
universities Research report London Institute of Education Accessed http
researchrichschoolsorgukuploadsresources14293009901Teaching-schools-
and-universities-research-reportpdf
Grossman P (1990) The Making of a Teacher Teacher Knowledge and Teacher
Education New York Teachers College Press
Gruszczynska A Merchant G amp Pountney R (2013) Digital Futures in Teacher
Education Exploring Open Approaches towards Digital Literacy Electronic
Journal of E-Learning 11(3) 193-206
Hesterman S (2011) A Contested Space the dialogic intersection of ICT
multiliteracies and early childhood Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood12(4)
349-361
Hew K F amp Brush T (2006) Integrating technology into K-12 teaching and
learning current knowledge gaps and recommendations for future research
19
Educational Technology Research and Development 55(3) 223-252 doi
101007s11423-006-9022-5
Ihmeideh F M (2009) Barriers to the use of technology in Jordanian pre-school
settings Technology Pedagogy and Education 18(3) 325-341
Ihmeideh FM (2010) The role of computer technology in teaching reading and
writing preschool teachersrsquo beliefs and practices Journal of Research in
Childhood Education 24 (1) pp 60-79
Inan F A amp Lowther D L (2010) Laptops in the K-12 classrooms exploring
factors impacting instructional use Computers amp Education 55 (3) 937ndash944
Keengwe J amp Onchwari G (2009) Technology and early childhood education A
technology integration professional development model for practicing teachers
Early Childhood Education Journal 37 209-218
Kennedy E (2014) Raising Literacy Achievement in High-Poverty Schools An
Evidence-Based Approach Abingdon Oxon New York Routledge
Kildan A O amp Incikabi L (2015) Effects on the technological pedagogical
content knowledge of early childhood teacher candidates using digital storytelling
to teach mathematics Education 3-13 43(3) 238-248
Koehler MJ Mishra P Kereluik K Shin T and Graham CR (2014) lsquoThe
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Frameworkrsquo in JM Spector et al
(eds) Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology
Springer
Kontovourki S and Tafa E (2015) Draft Summary Report for Second DigiLitEY
Project Meeting 19th-20th October Tallinn Estonia Accessed at httpdigiliteyeu
wp-contentuploads201509WG2_Objective2_DraftReport_October2015pdf
20
Lafton T (2012) How Early Childhood Practitioners build shape and construct their
digital practices the Search for an Analytical Space Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy
Vol 7 ( 3) 172-185
Leinonen J amp Sintonen S (2014) Productive participation ndash Children as active media
producers in kindergarten Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol 9 (3) 216-236
Landerholm E Gehrie C amp Hao Y (2004) Educating early childhood teachers
for the global world Early Child Development and Care 174(7-8) 593-606
Lave J and Wenger E (1991) Situated Learning Legitimate Peripheral
Participation Cambridge Cambridge University Press
Leat D Reid A amp Lofthouse R (2015) Teachersrsquo experiences of engagement
with and in educational research what can be learned from teachersrsquo views
Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 270-286 DOI
1010800305498520151021193
Li H (2006) Integrating Information and Communication Technologies Into the
Early Childhood Curriculum Chinese Principalsrsquo Views of the Challenges and
Opportunities Early Education and Development17 (3) pp 467-487
Lindahl MG and Folkesson A-M (2012) Can we let computers change
practice Educatorsrsquo interpretations of preschool tradition Computers in Human
Behavior 28 (5) pp 1728-1737
Lipowski K Jorde D Prenze M and Seidel T (2014) Expert views on the
implementation of teacher professional development in European countries
(pp41-56) In K Jones and J OrsquoBrien (eds) European Perspectives on Professional
Development in Teacher Education London Routledge
21
Liu P (2016) Technology Integration in Elementary Classrooms Teaching
Practices of Student Teachers Australian Journal of Teacher Education 41(3)
Published online March 11th 2016 at httpdxdoiorg1014221ajte
2016v41n36
Lortie D (1975) Schoolteacher A Sociological Study Chicago IL University of
Chicago Press
McDougall J (2010) A crisis of professional identity How primary teachers are
coming to terms with changing views of literacy Teaching and Teacher Education
26(3) 679-687
Mertala P (2016) Fun and Games ndash Finnish childrenrsquos ideas for the use of digital
media in preschool Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol11(4) pp 207-226
Mertala P (2017) Wag the dog - The nature and foundations of preschool educators
positive ICT pedagogical beliefs Computers in Human Behavior Vol 69 197-206
Mishra P amp Koehler MJ (2006) Technological pedagogical content knowledge
A framework for integrating technology in teacher knowledge Teachers College
Record 108(6) 1017-1054
NAEYC (2012) Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood
Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8 NAEYC Joint Position
Statement with the Fred Rogers Center Accessed at httpwwwnaeycorgfiles
naeycPS_technology_WEBpdf
Nespor J (1987) The role of beliefs in the practice of teaching Journal of
Curriculum Studies (19) 4 317ndash28
22
Nikolopoulou K and Gialamas V (2013) Barriers to the integration of computers
in early childhood settings Teachersrsquo perceptions Education and Information
Technologies pp 1-17
Onnismaa E-L Rintakorpi K amp Rusanen S (2014) ldquoTake a picturerdquo Children as
photographers and co-constructors of culture in an early childhood education
environment In H Ruismaumlki amp I Ruokonen (eds) Voices for Tomorrow Sixth
International Journal of Intercultural Arts Education University of Helsinki Research
Report 352
Palaiologou I (2016) Teachersrsquo dispositions towards the role of digital devices in play-
based pedagogy in early childhood education Early Years Vol 36 (3) 305-321 DOI
1010800957514620161174816
Pajares M (1992) Teachersrsquo beliefs and educational research cleaning up a
messy construct Review of Educational Research (62)3 307ndash32
Papadakis S Kalogiannakis M amp Zaranis N (2016) Comparing tablets and
PCs in teaching mathematics An attempt to improve mathematics competence in
early childhood education Preschool amp Primary Education 4(2) 241-253
Parette HP Blum C and Quesenberry AC (2013) The role of technology for
young children in the 21st century in HP Parette and C Blum (eds)
Instructional technology in early childhood (pp 1-28) Brookes Publishing
Parette H P Quesenberry A C amp Blum C (2010) Missing the boat with
technology usage in early childhood settings A 21st century view of
developmentally appropriate practice Early Childhood Education Journal 37(5)
335-343
Parry RL (2013) Children Film and Literacy Basingstoke Palgrave Macmillan
23
Plowman L and Stephen C (2005) Children play and computers in pre-school
education British Journal of Educational Technology 36 (2) pp 145-157
Plumb M and Kautz K (2015) Barriers to the Integration of Information
Technology within Early Childhood Education and Care Organisations A Review of
the Literature Presented at the Australasian Conference on Information Systems
2015
Rosaen C and Terpstra M (2012) Widening worlds understanding and teaching
new literaciesrsquo Studying Teacher Education A Journal of Self-study of Teacher
Education Practices 8(1) 35ndash49
Thorpe K Hansen J Danby S Davidson C Zaki F M Grant S and Given
L M (2015) Teachers teaching and digital technologies reports from the early
childhood classroom Early Childhood Research Quarterly 32 httpdxdoiorg
101016jecresq201504001
Van Driel JH and Berry A (2012) Teacher Professional Development Focusing
on Pedagogical Content Knowledge Educational Researcher Vol 41 (1) pp26
-28
Voogt J Laferriegravere T Breuleux A Itow R C Hickey DT and McKenney S
(2015) Collaborative design as a form of professional development Instructional
Science 43 259 doi101007s11251-014-9340-7
Voogt J and McKnney S (2016) TPACK in teacher education are we preparing
teachers to use technology for early literacy Technology Pedagogy and
Education Published online ahead of print 4th May 2016 httpdxdoiorg
1010801475939X20161174730
Wenger E (1998) Communities of Practice Learning Meaning and Identity
Cambridge Cambridge University Press
24
Wood E Specht J Willoughby T and Mueller J (2008) Integrating Computer
Technology in Early Childhood Education Environments Issues Raised by Early
Childhood Educators Alberta Journal of Educational Research 54 (2) pp
210-226
25
In addition some CPD programmes enable practitioners to collaboratively design
curriculum materials which has a positive impact on outcomes (Landerholm Gehrie
amp Hao 2004 Voogt Laferriegravere Breuleux et al 2015)
Therefore a review of the literature indicates that a successful approach to the CPD
of early years practitioners with regard to furthering their understanding of and
practice in the teaching and learning of digital literacy should contain the elements
outlined in Table 1
14
Table 1 Elements to be embedded in a digital literacy CPD programme
Practitioners have input into the design of the programme
Programme sustained over time
Practitioners are clear about the aims and objectives of the programme from the beginning the programme has coherence and it is clearly contributing to comprehensive goals of early education
Programme embeds opportunities for critical reflection
Programme embeds opportunities to explore the different epistemological understandings of literacy and consider how literacy is being transformed through technological developments
Risk-taking and experimentation are embedded
Designing and disseminating digital multimodal texts and artefacts are enabled
Technical content and pedagogical knowledge are developed in tandem
Practitioners are encouraged to observe discuss and pedagogically utilise those childrenrsquos media cultural interests that integrate both digital and non-digital practices
Practitioners are able to personalise content also create content together with children
Practitioners are able to localise content
Programme promotes the construction and maintenance of communities of practice networks
There are opportunities to relate theory to practice throughout the programme
Programme embeds opportunities to undertake (independent and or collaborative) action research
Opportunities for coaching peer-mentoring and team teaching are embedded
Practitioners are encouraged to assess the impact of the programme on a continuous basis to feed into its development
15
3
Conclusion
There is sustained evidence that there is a lack of opportunity for early years
practitioners to engage in professional development in relation to digital literacy to any
meaningful extent as outlined in this report A range of barriers exists in relation to the
furthering of practice (Plumb and Kautz 2015) A number of barriers relate to the early
years practitioners themselves such as their beliefs and attitudes their level of
confidence in using technologies and their level of technological and pedagogical
content knowledge Research reviewed in this report suggests that many of these
barriers emerge from or connect to teachersrsquo established understandings of the early
childhood sector and the curriculum therein Two binaries may identified there as key
in shaping teachersrsquo practices and beliefs the binary between ldquoconventionalrdquo and
new early childhood literacies and the binary between teachersrsquo own use and
integration of technology in the classroom To deconstruct such binaries one needs
to consider how CPD may offer early years practitioners opportunities to engage with
their own and othersrsquo epistemological understandings of literacy as well as
realisations of new literacies in (childrenrsquos and their own) everyday lives This would
ultimately necessitate and link to a shift in practitionersrsquo professional identities
There is also a recognised lack of training and support therefore the development of
a CPD programme that might impact positively on these elements is important It is of
course not in itself sufficient ndash there also needs to be a focus on other barriers to
progress such as a lack of resources and effective policies at a national level
Nevertheless the development of a CPD programme that embeds the effective
elements of such activities as outlined in Table 1 is required if young children are to
be offered early years education that is appropriate for twenty-first century demands
16
References Bates S and Watt L (2015) Staff development for raising attainment a
practitioners view of what works Education 3-13 Vol 44 (1) Published online
ahead of print 31st Dec 2015 httpdxdoiorg
1010800300427920151122317
Becta (2004) A Review of the Research Literature on Barriers to the Uptake
of ICT by Teachers HMSO Becta
Blackwell CK Lauricella AR and Wartella E (2014) Factors influencing digital
technology use in early childhood education Computers amp Education 77 (0) pp
82-90
Blackwell CK Lauricella AR Wartella E Robb M and Schomburg R
(2013) Adoption and use of technology in early education The interplay of
extrinsic barriers and teacher attitudes Computers amp Education 69 (0) pp
310-319
Britzman DP (1989) Who Has the Floor Curriculum Teaching and the English
Student Teachers Struggle for Voice Curriculum Inquiry 19 ( 2) pp 143-162
httpwwwjstororgstable1179406
Chen J-Q amp Chang C (2006) Using computers in early childhood classrooms
Teachersrsquo attitudes skills and practices Journal of Early Childhood Research
4(2) 169-188
Clandinin DJ (1986) Classroom Practice Teacher Images in Action London
Falmer Press
17
Cordingley P (2015) The contribution of research to teachersrsquo professional
learning and development Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 234-252 DOI
1010800305498520151020105
Desimone LM (2009) Improving Impact Studies of Teachersrsquo Professional
Development Toward Better Conceptualizations and Measures Educational
Researcher Vol 38 (3) pp181-199
Edwards S (2013) Digital play in the early years a contextual response to the
problem of integrating technologies and play-based pedagogies in the early childhood
curriculum European Early Childhood Education Research Journal Vol 21 (2) 199ndash
212
Ertmer P (1999) Addressing first- and second-order barriers to change
Strategies for technology integration Educational Technology Research and
Development 47(4) 47-61 doi 101007bf02299597
Evens M Elen J amp Depaepe F (2015) Developing pedagogical content
knowledge Lessons learned from intervention studies Education Research
International doi1011552015790417
Fenty NS and McKendry Anderson EM (2014) Examining Educatorsrsquo
Knowledge Beliefs and Practices About Using Technology With Young Children
Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education 35 (2) pp 114-134
Friedrichs-Liesenkoumltter H (2015) Media-educational Habitus of Future Educators
in the Context of Education in Day-Care Centers Journal of Media Literacy
Education 7(1) 18-34
18
Goktas Y Gedik N amp Baydas O (2013) Enablers and barriers to the use of ICT
in primary schools in Turkey A comparative study of 2005ndash2011 Computers amp
Education 68 211-222 doi 101016jcompedu201305002
Goktas Y Yildirim S amp Yildirim Z (2009) Main Barriers and Possible Enablers
of ICTs Integration into Pre-service Teacher Education Programs Educational
Technology amp Society 12 (1) 193ndash204
Grace M Rietdijk W Garrett C amp Griffiths J (2015) Improving physics teaching
through action research the impact of a nationwide professional development
programme Teacher Development 194 496-519 DOI
1010801366453020151073612
Greany T and Brown C (2015) Partnerships between teaching schools and
universities Research report London Institute of Education Accessed http
researchrichschoolsorgukuploadsresources14293009901Teaching-schools-
and-universities-research-reportpdf
Grossman P (1990) The Making of a Teacher Teacher Knowledge and Teacher
Education New York Teachers College Press
Gruszczynska A Merchant G amp Pountney R (2013) Digital Futures in Teacher
Education Exploring Open Approaches towards Digital Literacy Electronic
Journal of E-Learning 11(3) 193-206
Hesterman S (2011) A Contested Space the dialogic intersection of ICT
multiliteracies and early childhood Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood12(4)
349-361
Hew K F amp Brush T (2006) Integrating technology into K-12 teaching and
learning current knowledge gaps and recommendations for future research
19
Educational Technology Research and Development 55(3) 223-252 doi
101007s11423-006-9022-5
Ihmeideh F M (2009) Barriers to the use of technology in Jordanian pre-school
settings Technology Pedagogy and Education 18(3) 325-341
Ihmeideh FM (2010) The role of computer technology in teaching reading and
writing preschool teachersrsquo beliefs and practices Journal of Research in
Childhood Education 24 (1) pp 60-79
Inan F A amp Lowther D L (2010) Laptops in the K-12 classrooms exploring
factors impacting instructional use Computers amp Education 55 (3) 937ndash944
Keengwe J amp Onchwari G (2009) Technology and early childhood education A
technology integration professional development model for practicing teachers
Early Childhood Education Journal 37 209-218
Kennedy E (2014) Raising Literacy Achievement in High-Poverty Schools An
Evidence-Based Approach Abingdon Oxon New York Routledge
Kildan A O amp Incikabi L (2015) Effects on the technological pedagogical
content knowledge of early childhood teacher candidates using digital storytelling
to teach mathematics Education 3-13 43(3) 238-248
Koehler MJ Mishra P Kereluik K Shin T and Graham CR (2014) lsquoThe
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Frameworkrsquo in JM Spector et al
(eds) Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology
Springer
Kontovourki S and Tafa E (2015) Draft Summary Report for Second DigiLitEY
Project Meeting 19th-20th October Tallinn Estonia Accessed at httpdigiliteyeu
wp-contentuploads201509WG2_Objective2_DraftReport_October2015pdf
20
Lafton T (2012) How Early Childhood Practitioners build shape and construct their
digital practices the Search for an Analytical Space Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy
Vol 7 ( 3) 172-185
Leinonen J amp Sintonen S (2014) Productive participation ndash Children as active media
producers in kindergarten Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol 9 (3) 216-236
Landerholm E Gehrie C amp Hao Y (2004) Educating early childhood teachers
for the global world Early Child Development and Care 174(7-8) 593-606
Lave J and Wenger E (1991) Situated Learning Legitimate Peripheral
Participation Cambridge Cambridge University Press
Leat D Reid A amp Lofthouse R (2015) Teachersrsquo experiences of engagement
with and in educational research what can be learned from teachersrsquo views
Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 270-286 DOI
1010800305498520151021193
Li H (2006) Integrating Information and Communication Technologies Into the
Early Childhood Curriculum Chinese Principalsrsquo Views of the Challenges and
Opportunities Early Education and Development17 (3) pp 467-487
Lindahl MG and Folkesson A-M (2012) Can we let computers change
practice Educatorsrsquo interpretations of preschool tradition Computers in Human
Behavior 28 (5) pp 1728-1737
Lipowski K Jorde D Prenze M and Seidel T (2014) Expert views on the
implementation of teacher professional development in European countries
(pp41-56) In K Jones and J OrsquoBrien (eds) European Perspectives on Professional
Development in Teacher Education London Routledge
21
Liu P (2016) Technology Integration in Elementary Classrooms Teaching
Practices of Student Teachers Australian Journal of Teacher Education 41(3)
Published online March 11th 2016 at httpdxdoiorg1014221ajte
2016v41n36
Lortie D (1975) Schoolteacher A Sociological Study Chicago IL University of
Chicago Press
McDougall J (2010) A crisis of professional identity How primary teachers are
coming to terms with changing views of literacy Teaching and Teacher Education
26(3) 679-687
Mertala P (2016) Fun and Games ndash Finnish childrenrsquos ideas for the use of digital
media in preschool Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol11(4) pp 207-226
Mertala P (2017) Wag the dog - The nature and foundations of preschool educators
positive ICT pedagogical beliefs Computers in Human Behavior Vol 69 197-206
Mishra P amp Koehler MJ (2006) Technological pedagogical content knowledge
A framework for integrating technology in teacher knowledge Teachers College
Record 108(6) 1017-1054
NAEYC (2012) Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood
Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8 NAEYC Joint Position
Statement with the Fred Rogers Center Accessed at httpwwwnaeycorgfiles
naeycPS_technology_WEBpdf
Nespor J (1987) The role of beliefs in the practice of teaching Journal of
Curriculum Studies (19) 4 317ndash28
22
Nikolopoulou K and Gialamas V (2013) Barriers to the integration of computers
in early childhood settings Teachersrsquo perceptions Education and Information
Technologies pp 1-17
Onnismaa E-L Rintakorpi K amp Rusanen S (2014) ldquoTake a picturerdquo Children as
photographers and co-constructors of culture in an early childhood education
environment In H Ruismaumlki amp I Ruokonen (eds) Voices for Tomorrow Sixth
International Journal of Intercultural Arts Education University of Helsinki Research
Report 352
Palaiologou I (2016) Teachersrsquo dispositions towards the role of digital devices in play-
based pedagogy in early childhood education Early Years Vol 36 (3) 305-321 DOI
1010800957514620161174816
Pajares M (1992) Teachersrsquo beliefs and educational research cleaning up a
messy construct Review of Educational Research (62)3 307ndash32
Papadakis S Kalogiannakis M amp Zaranis N (2016) Comparing tablets and
PCs in teaching mathematics An attempt to improve mathematics competence in
early childhood education Preschool amp Primary Education 4(2) 241-253
Parette HP Blum C and Quesenberry AC (2013) The role of technology for
young children in the 21st century in HP Parette and C Blum (eds)
Instructional technology in early childhood (pp 1-28) Brookes Publishing
Parette H P Quesenberry A C amp Blum C (2010) Missing the boat with
technology usage in early childhood settings A 21st century view of
developmentally appropriate practice Early Childhood Education Journal 37(5)
335-343
Parry RL (2013) Children Film and Literacy Basingstoke Palgrave Macmillan
23
Plowman L and Stephen C (2005) Children play and computers in pre-school
education British Journal of Educational Technology 36 (2) pp 145-157
Plumb M and Kautz K (2015) Barriers to the Integration of Information
Technology within Early Childhood Education and Care Organisations A Review of
the Literature Presented at the Australasian Conference on Information Systems
2015
Rosaen C and Terpstra M (2012) Widening worlds understanding and teaching
new literaciesrsquo Studying Teacher Education A Journal of Self-study of Teacher
Education Practices 8(1) 35ndash49
Thorpe K Hansen J Danby S Davidson C Zaki F M Grant S and Given
L M (2015) Teachers teaching and digital technologies reports from the early
childhood classroom Early Childhood Research Quarterly 32 httpdxdoiorg
101016jecresq201504001
Van Driel JH and Berry A (2012) Teacher Professional Development Focusing
on Pedagogical Content Knowledge Educational Researcher Vol 41 (1) pp26
-28
Voogt J Laferriegravere T Breuleux A Itow R C Hickey DT and McKenney S
(2015) Collaborative design as a form of professional development Instructional
Science 43 259 doi101007s11251-014-9340-7
Voogt J and McKnney S (2016) TPACK in teacher education are we preparing
teachers to use technology for early literacy Technology Pedagogy and
Education Published online ahead of print 4th May 2016 httpdxdoiorg
1010801475939X20161174730
Wenger E (1998) Communities of Practice Learning Meaning and Identity
Cambridge Cambridge University Press
24
Wood E Specht J Willoughby T and Mueller J (2008) Integrating Computer
Technology in Early Childhood Education Environments Issues Raised by Early
Childhood Educators Alberta Journal of Educational Research 54 (2) pp
210-226
25
Table 1 Elements to be embedded in a digital literacy CPD programme
Practitioners have input into the design of the programme
Programme sustained over time
Practitioners are clear about the aims and objectives of the programme from the beginning the programme has coherence and it is clearly contributing to comprehensive goals of early education
Programme embeds opportunities for critical reflection
Programme embeds opportunities to explore the different epistemological understandings of literacy and consider how literacy is being transformed through technological developments
Risk-taking and experimentation are embedded
Designing and disseminating digital multimodal texts and artefacts are enabled
Technical content and pedagogical knowledge are developed in tandem
Practitioners are encouraged to observe discuss and pedagogically utilise those childrenrsquos media cultural interests that integrate both digital and non-digital practices
Practitioners are able to personalise content also create content together with children
Practitioners are able to localise content
Programme promotes the construction and maintenance of communities of practice networks
There are opportunities to relate theory to practice throughout the programme
Programme embeds opportunities to undertake (independent and or collaborative) action research
Opportunities for coaching peer-mentoring and team teaching are embedded
Practitioners are encouraged to assess the impact of the programme on a continuous basis to feed into its development
15
3
Conclusion
There is sustained evidence that there is a lack of opportunity for early years
practitioners to engage in professional development in relation to digital literacy to any
meaningful extent as outlined in this report A range of barriers exists in relation to the
furthering of practice (Plumb and Kautz 2015) A number of barriers relate to the early
years practitioners themselves such as their beliefs and attitudes their level of
confidence in using technologies and their level of technological and pedagogical
content knowledge Research reviewed in this report suggests that many of these
barriers emerge from or connect to teachersrsquo established understandings of the early
childhood sector and the curriculum therein Two binaries may identified there as key
in shaping teachersrsquo practices and beliefs the binary between ldquoconventionalrdquo and
new early childhood literacies and the binary between teachersrsquo own use and
integration of technology in the classroom To deconstruct such binaries one needs
to consider how CPD may offer early years practitioners opportunities to engage with
their own and othersrsquo epistemological understandings of literacy as well as
realisations of new literacies in (childrenrsquos and their own) everyday lives This would
ultimately necessitate and link to a shift in practitionersrsquo professional identities
There is also a recognised lack of training and support therefore the development of
a CPD programme that might impact positively on these elements is important It is of
course not in itself sufficient ndash there also needs to be a focus on other barriers to
progress such as a lack of resources and effective policies at a national level
Nevertheless the development of a CPD programme that embeds the effective
elements of such activities as outlined in Table 1 is required if young children are to
be offered early years education that is appropriate for twenty-first century demands
16
References Bates S and Watt L (2015) Staff development for raising attainment a
practitioners view of what works Education 3-13 Vol 44 (1) Published online
ahead of print 31st Dec 2015 httpdxdoiorg
1010800300427920151122317
Becta (2004) A Review of the Research Literature on Barriers to the Uptake
of ICT by Teachers HMSO Becta
Blackwell CK Lauricella AR and Wartella E (2014) Factors influencing digital
technology use in early childhood education Computers amp Education 77 (0) pp
82-90
Blackwell CK Lauricella AR Wartella E Robb M and Schomburg R
(2013) Adoption and use of technology in early education The interplay of
extrinsic barriers and teacher attitudes Computers amp Education 69 (0) pp
310-319
Britzman DP (1989) Who Has the Floor Curriculum Teaching and the English
Student Teachers Struggle for Voice Curriculum Inquiry 19 ( 2) pp 143-162
httpwwwjstororgstable1179406
Chen J-Q amp Chang C (2006) Using computers in early childhood classrooms
Teachersrsquo attitudes skills and practices Journal of Early Childhood Research
4(2) 169-188
Clandinin DJ (1986) Classroom Practice Teacher Images in Action London
Falmer Press
17
Cordingley P (2015) The contribution of research to teachersrsquo professional
learning and development Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 234-252 DOI
1010800305498520151020105
Desimone LM (2009) Improving Impact Studies of Teachersrsquo Professional
Development Toward Better Conceptualizations and Measures Educational
Researcher Vol 38 (3) pp181-199
Edwards S (2013) Digital play in the early years a contextual response to the
problem of integrating technologies and play-based pedagogies in the early childhood
curriculum European Early Childhood Education Research Journal Vol 21 (2) 199ndash
212
Ertmer P (1999) Addressing first- and second-order barriers to change
Strategies for technology integration Educational Technology Research and
Development 47(4) 47-61 doi 101007bf02299597
Evens M Elen J amp Depaepe F (2015) Developing pedagogical content
knowledge Lessons learned from intervention studies Education Research
International doi1011552015790417
Fenty NS and McKendry Anderson EM (2014) Examining Educatorsrsquo
Knowledge Beliefs and Practices About Using Technology With Young Children
Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education 35 (2) pp 114-134
Friedrichs-Liesenkoumltter H (2015) Media-educational Habitus of Future Educators
in the Context of Education in Day-Care Centers Journal of Media Literacy
Education 7(1) 18-34
18
Goktas Y Gedik N amp Baydas O (2013) Enablers and barriers to the use of ICT
in primary schools in Turkey A comparative study of 2005ndash2011 Computers amp
Education 68 211-222 doi 101016jcompedu201305002
Goktas Y Yildirim S amp Yildirim Z (2009) Main Barriers and Possible Enablers
of ICTs Integration into Pre-service Teacher Education Programs Educational
Technology amp Society 12 (1) 193ndash204
Grace M Rietdijk W Garrett C amp Griffiths J (2015) Improving physics teaching
through action research the impact of a nationwide professional development
programme Teacher Development 194 496-519 DOI
1010801366453020151073612
Greany T and Brown C (2015) Partnerships between teaching schools and
universities Research report London Institute of Education Accessed http
researchrichschoolsorgukuploadsresources14293009901Teaching-schools-
and-universities-research-reportpdf
Grossman P (1990) The Making of a Teacher Teacher Knowledge and Teacher
Education New York Teachers College Press
Gruszczynska A Merchant G amp Pountney R (2013) Digital Futures in Teacher
Education Exploring Open Approaches towards Digital Literacy Electronic
Journal of E-Learning 11(3) 193-206
Hesterman S (2011) A Contested Space the dialogic intersection of ICT
multiliteracies and early childhood Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood12(4)
349-361
Hew K F amp Brush T (2006) Integrating technology into K-12 teaching and
learning current knowledge gaps and recommendations for future research
19
Educational Technology Research and Development 55(3) 223-252 doi
101007s11423-006-9022-5
Ihmeideh F M (2009) Barriers to the use of technology in Jordanian pre-school
settings Technology Pedagogy and Education 18(3) 325-341
Ihmeideh FM (2010) The role of computer technology in teaching reading and
writing preschool teachersrsquo beliefs and practices Journal of Research in
Childhood Education 24 (1) pp 60-79
Inan F A amp Lowther D L (2010) Laptops in the K-12 classrooms exploring
factors impacting instructional use Computers amp Education 55 (3) 937ndash944
Keengwe J amp Onchwari G (2009) Technology and early childhood education A
technology integration professional development model for practicing teachers
Early Childhood Education Journal 37 209-218
Kennedy E (2014) Raising Literacy Achievement in High-Poverty Schools An
Evidence-Based Approach Abingdon Oxon New York Routledge
Kildan A O amp Incikabi L (2015) Effects on the technological pedagogical
content knowledge of early childhood teacher candidates using digital storytelling
to teach mathematics Education 3-13 43(3) 238-248
Koehler MJ Mishra P Kereluik K Shin T and Graham CR (2014) lsquoThe
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Frameworkrsquo in JM Spector et al
(eds) Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology
Springer
Kontovourki S and Tafa E (2015) Draft Summary Report for Second DigiLitEY
Project Meeting 19th-20th October Tallinn Estonia Accessed at httpdigiliteyeu
wp-contentuploads201509WG2_Objective2_DraftReport_October2015pdf
20
Lafton T (2012) How Early Childhood Practitioners build shape and construct their
digital practices the Search for an Analytical Space Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy
Vol 7 ( 3) 172-185
Leinonen J amp Sintonen S (2014) Productive participation ndash Children as active media
producers in kindergarten Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol 9 (3) 216-236
Landerholm E Gehrie C amp Hao Y (2004) Educating early childhood teachers
for the global world Early Child Development and Care 174(7-8) 593-606
Lave J and Wenger E (1991) Situated Learning Legitimate Peripheral
Participation Cambridge Cambridge University Press
Leat D Reid A amp Lofthouse R (2015) Teachersrsquo experiences of engagement
with and in educational research what can be learned from teachersrsquo views
Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 270-286 DOI
1010800305498520151021193
Li H (2006) Integrating Information and Communication Technologies Into the
Early Childhood Curriculum Chinese Principalsrsquo Views of the Challenges and
Opportunities Early Education and Development17 (3) pp 467-487
Lindahl MG and Folkesson A-M (2012) Can we let computers change
practice Educatorsrsquo interpretations of preschool tradition Computers in Human
Behavior 28 (5) pp 1728-1737
Lipowski K Jorde D Prenze M and Seidel T (2014) Expert views on the
implementation of teacher professional development in European countries
(pp41-56) In K Jones and J OrsquoBrien (eds) European Perspectives on Professional
Development in Teacher Education London Routledge
21
Liu P (2016) Technology Integration in Elementary Classrooms Teaching
Practices of Student Teachers Australian Journal of Teacher Education 41(3)
Published online March 11th 2016 at httpdxdoiorg1014221ajte
2016v41n36
Lortie D (1975) Schoolteacher A Sociological Study Chicago IL University of
Chicago Press
McDougall J (2010) A crisis of professional identity How primary teachers are
coming to terms with changing views of literacy Teaching and Teacher Education
26(3) 679-687
Mertala P (2016) Fun and Games ndash Finnish childrenrsquos ideas for the use of digital
media in preschool Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol11(4) pp 207-226
Mertala P (2017) Wag the dog - The nature and foundations of preschool educators
positive ICT pedagogical beliefs Computers in Human Behavior Vol 69 197-206
Mishra P amp Koehler MJ (2006) Technological pedagogical content knowledge
A framework for integrating technology in teacher knowledge Teachers College
Record 108(6) 1017-1054
NAEYC (2012) Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood
Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8 NAEYC Joint Position
Statement with the Fred Rogers Center Accessed at httpwwwnaeycorgfiles
naeycPS_technology_WEBpdf
Nespor J (1987) The role of beliefs in the practice of teaching Journal of
Curriculum Studies (19) 4 317ndash28
22
Nikolopoulou K and Gialamas V (2013) Barriers to the integration of computers
in early childhood settings Teachersrsquo perceptions Education and Information
Technologies pp 1-17
Onnismaa E-L Rintakorpi K amp Rusanen S (2014) ldquoTake a picturerdquo Children as
photographers and co-constructors of culture in an early childhood education
environment In H Ruismaumlki amp I Ruokonen (eds) Voices for Tomorrow Sixth
International Journal of Intercultural Arts Education University of Helsinki Research
Report 352
Palaiologou I (2016) Teachersrsquo dispositions towards the role of digital devices in play-
based pedagogy in early childhood education Early Years Vol 36 (3) 305-321 DOI
1010800957514620161174816
Pajares M (1992) Teachersrsquo beliefs and educational research cleaning up a
messy construct Review of Educational Research (62)3 307ndash32
Papadakis S Kalogiannakis M amp Zaranis N (2016) Comparing tablets and
PCs in teaching mathematics An attempt to improve mathematics competence in
early childhood education Preschool amp Primary Education 4(2) 241-253
Parette HP Blum C and Quesenberry AC (2013) The role of technology for
young children in the 21st century in HP Parette and C Blum (eds)
Instructional technology in early childhood (pp 1-28) Brookes Publishing
Parette H P Quesenberry A C amp Blum C (2010) Missing the boat with
technology usage in early childhood settings A 21st century view of
developmentally appropriate practice Early Childhood Education Journal 37(5)
335-343
Parry RL (2013) Children Film and Literacy Basingstoke Palgrave Macmillan
23
Plowman L and Stephen C (2005) Children play and computers in pre-school
education British Journal of Educational Technology 36 (2) pp 145-157
Plumb M and Kautz K (2015) Barriers to the Integration of Information
Technology within Early Childhood Education and Care Organisations A Review of
the Literature Presented at the Australasian Conference on Information Systems
2015
Rosaen C and Terpstra M (2012) Widening worlds understanding and teaching
new literaciesrsquo Studying Teacher Education A Journal of Self-study of Teacher
Education Practices 8(1) 35ndash49
Thorpe K Hansen J Danby S Davidson C Zaki F M Grant S and Given
L M (2015) Teachers teaching and digital technologies reports from the early
childhood classroom Early Childhood Research Quarterly 32 httpdxdoiorg
101016jecresq201504001
Van Driel JH and Berry A (2012) Teacher Professional Development Focusing
on Pedagogical Content Knowledge Educational Researcher Vol 41 (1) pp26
-28
Voogt J Laferriegravere T Breuleux A Itow R C Hickey DT and McKenney S
(2015) Collaborative design as a form of professional development Instructional
Science 43 259 doi101007s11251-014-9340-7
Voogt J and McKnney S (2016) TPACK in teacher education are we preparing
teachers to use technology for early literacy Technology Pedagogy and
Education Published online ahead of print 4th May 2016 httpdxdoiorg
1010801475939X20161174730
Wenger E (1998) Communities of Practice Learning Meaning and Identity
Cambridge Cambridge University Press
24
Wood E Specht J Willoughby T and Mueller J (2008) Integrating Computer
Technology in Early Childhood Education Environments Issues Raised by Early
Childhood Educators Alberta Journal of Educational Research 54 (2) pp
210-226
25
3
Conclusion
There is sustained evidence that there is a lack of opportunity for early years
practitioners to engage in professional development in relation to digital literacy to any
meaningful extent as outlined in this report A range of barriers exists in relation to the
furthering of practice (Plumb and Kautz 2015) A number of barriers relate to the early
years practitioners themselves such as their beliefs and attitudes their level of
confidence in using technologies and their level of technological and pedagogical
content knowledge Research reviewed in this report suggests that many of these
barriers emerge from or connect to teachersrsquo established understandings of the early
childhood sector and the curriculum therein Two binaries may identified there as key
in shaping teachersrsquo practices and beliefs the binary between ldquoconventionalrdquo and
new early childhood literacies and the binary between teachersrsquo own use and
integration of technology in the classroom To deconstruct such binaries one needs
to consider how CPD may offer early years practitioners opportunities to engage with
their own and othersrsquo epistemological understandings of literacy as well as
realisations of new literacies in (childrenrsquos and their own) everyday lives This would
ultimately necessitate and link to a shift in practitionersrsquo professional identities
There is also a recognised lack of training and support therefore the development of
a CPD programme that might impact positively on these elements is important It is of
course not in itself sufficient ndash there also needs to be a focus on other barriers to
progress such as a lack of resources and effective policies at a national level
Nevertheless the development of a CPD programme that embeds the effective
elements of such activities as outlined in Table 1 is required if young children are to
be offered early years education that is appropriate for twenty-first century demands
16
References Bates S and Watt L (2015) Staff development for raising attainment a
practitioners view of what works Education 3-13 Vol 44 (1) Published online
ahead of print 31st Dec 2015 httpdxdoiorg
1010800300427920151122317
Becta (2004) A Review of the Research Literature on Barriers to the Uptake
of ICT by Teachers HMSO Becta
Blackwell CK Lauricella AR and Wartella E (2014) Factors influencing digital
technology use in early childhood education Computers amp Education 77 (0) pp
82-90
Blackwell CK Lauricella AR Wartella E Robb M and Schomburg R
(2013) Adoption and use of technology in early education The interplay of
extrinsic barriers and teacher attitudes Computers amp Education 69 (0) pp
310-319
Britzman DP (1989) Who Has the Floor Curriculum Teaching and the English
Student Teachers Struggle for Voice Curriculum Inquiry 19 ( 2) pp 143-162
httpwwwjstororgstable1179406
Chen J-Q amp Chang C (2006) Using computers in early childhood classrooms
Teachersrsquo attitudes skills and practices Journal of Early Childhood Research
4(2) 169-188
Clandinin DJ (1986) Classroom Practice Teacher Images in Action London
Falmer Press
17
Cordingley P (2015) The contribution of research to teachersrsquo professional
learning and development Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 234-252 DOI
1010800305498520151020105
Desimone LM (2009) Improving Impact Studies of Teachersrsquo Professional
Development Toward Better Conceptualizations and Measures Educational
Researcher Vol 38 (3) pp181-199
Edwards S (2013) Digital play in the early years a contextual response to the
problem of integrating technologies and play-based pedagogies in the early childhood
curriculum European Early Childhood Education Research Journal Vol 21 (2) 199ndash
212
Ertmer P (1999) Addressing first- and second-order barriers to change
Strategies for technology integration Educational Technology Research and
Development 47(4) 47-61 doi 101007bf02299597
Evens M Elen J amp Depaepe F (2015) Developing pedagogical content
knowledge Lessons learned from intervention studies Education Research
International doi1011552015790417
Fenty NS and McKendry Anderson EM (2014) Examining Educatorsrsquo
Knowledge Beliefs and Practices About Using Technology With Young Children
Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education 35 (2) pp 114-134
Friedrichs-Liesenkoumltter H (2015) Media-educational Habitus of Future Educators
in the Context of Education in Day-Care Centers Journal of Media Literacy
Education 7(1) 18-34
18
Goktas Y Gedik N amp Baydas O (2013) Enablers and barriers to the use of ICT
in primary schools in Turkey A comparative study of 2005ndash2011 Computers amp
Education 68 211-222 doi 101016jcompedu201305002
Goktas Y Yildirim S amp Yildirim Z (2009) Main Barriers and Possible Enablers
of ICTs Integration into Pre-service Teacher Education Programs Educational
Technology amp Society 12 (1) 193ndash204
Grace M Rietdijk W Garrett C amp Griffiths J (2015) Improving physics teaching
through action research the impact of a nationwide professional development
programme Teacher Development 194 496-519 DOI
1010801366453020151073612
Greany T and Brown C (2015) Partnerships between teaching schools and
universities Research report London Institute of Education Accessed http
researchrichschoolsorgukuploadsresources14293009901Teaching-schools-
and-universities-research-reportpdf
Grossman P (1990) The Making of a Teacher Teacher Knowledge and Teacher
Education New York Teachers College Press
Gruszczynska A Merchant G amp Pountney R (2013) Digital Futures in Teacher
Education Exploring Open Approaches towards Digital Literacy Electronic
Journal of E-Learning 11(3) 193-206
Hesterman S (2011) A Contested Space the dialogic intersection of ICT
multiliteracies and early childhood Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood12(4)
349-361
Hew K F amp Brush T (2006) Integrating technology into K-12 teaching and
learning current knowledge gaps and recommendations for future research
19
Educational Technology Research and Development 55(3) 223-252 doi
101007s11423-006-9022-5
Ihmeideh F M (2009) Barriers to the use of technology in Jordanian pre-school
settings Technology Pedagogy and Education 18(3) 325-341
Ihmeideh FM (2010) The role of computer technology in teaching reading and
writing preschool teachersrsquo beliefs and practices Journal of Research in
Childhood Education 24 (1) pp 60-79
Inan F A amp Lowther D L (2010) Laptops in the K-12 classrooms exploring
factors impacting instructional use Computers amp Education 55 (3) 937ndash944
Keengwe J amp Onchwari G (2009) Technology and early childhood education A
technology integration professional development model for practicing teachers
Early Childhood Education Journal 37 209-218
Kennedy E (2014) Raising Literacy Achievement in High-Poverty Schools An
Evidence-Based Approach Abingdon Oxon New York Routledge
Kildan A O amp Incikabi L (2015) Effects on the technological pedagogical
content knowledge of early childhood teacher candidates using digital storytelling
to teach mathematics Education 3-13 43(3) 238-248
Koehler MJ Mishra P Kereluik K Shin T and Graham CR (2014) lsquoThe
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Frameworkrsquo in JM Spector et al
(eds) Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology
Springer
Kontovourki S and Tafa E (2015) Draft Summary Report for Second DigiLitEY
Project Meeting 19th-20th October Tallinn Estonia Accessed at httpdigiliteyeu
wp-contentuploads201509WG2_Objective2_DraftReport_October2015pdf
20
Lafton T (2012) How Early Childhood Practitioners build shape and construct their
digital practices the Search for an Analytical Space Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy
Vol 7 ( 3) 172-185
Leinonen J amp Sintonen S (2014) Productive participation ndash Children as active media
producers in kindergarten Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol 9 (3) 216-236
Landerholm E Gehrie C amp Hao Y (2004) Educating early childhood teachers
for the global world Early Child Development and Care 174(7-8) 593-606
Lave J and Wenger E (1991) Situated Learning Legitimate Peripheral
Participation Cambridge Cambridge University Press
Leat D Reid A amp Lofthouse R (2015) Teachersrsquo experiences of engagement
with and in educational research what can be learned from teachersrsquo views
Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 270-286 DOI
1010800305498520151021193
Li H (2006) Integrating Information and Communication Technologies Into the
Early Childhood Curriculum Chinese Principalsrsquo Views of the Challenges and
Opportunities Early Education and Development17 (3) pp 467-487
Lindahl MG and Folkesson A-M (2012) Can we let computers change
practice Educatorsrsquo interpretations of preschool tradition Computers in Human
Behavior 28 (5) pp 1728-1737
Lipowski K Jorde D Prenze M and Seidel T (2014) Expert views on the
implementation of teacher professional development in European countries
(pp41-56) In K Jones and J OrsquoBrien (eds) European Perspectives on Professional
Development in Teacher Education London Routledge
21
Liu P (2016) Technology Integration in Elementary Classrooms Teaching
Practices of Student Teachers Australian Journal of Teacher Education 41(3)
Published online March 11th 2016 at httpdxdoiorg1014221ajte
2016v41n36
Lortie D (1975) Schoolteacher A Sociological Study Chicago IL University of
Chicago Press
McDougall J (2010) A crisis of professional identity How primary teachers are
coming to terms with changing views of literacy Teaching and Teacher Education
26(3) 679-687
Mertala P (2016) Fun and Games ndash Finnish childrenrsquos ideas for the use of digital
media in preschool Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol11(4) pp 207-226
Mertala P (2017) Wag the dog - The nature and foundations of preschool educators
positive ICT pedagogical beliefs Computers in Human Behavior Vol 69 197-206
Mishra P amp Koehler MJ (2006) Technological pedagogical content knowledge
A framework for integrating technology in teacher knowledge Teachers College
Record 108(6) 1017-1054
NAEYC (2012) Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood
Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8 NAEYC Joint Position
Statement with the Fred Rogers Center Accessed at httpwwwnaeycorgfiles
naeycPS_technology_WEBpdf
Nespor J (1987) The role of beliefs in the practice of teaching Journal of
Curriculum Studies (19) 4 317ndash28
22
Nikolopoulou K and Gialamas V (2013) Barriers to the integration of computers
in early childhood settings Teachersrsquo perceptions Education and Information
Technologies pp 1-17
Onnismaa E-L Rintakorpi K amp Rusanen S (2014) ldquoTake a picturerdquo Children as
photographers and co-constructors of culture in an early childhood education
environment In H Ruismaumlki amp I Ruokonen (eds) Voices for Tomorrow Sixth
International Journal of Intercultural Arts Education University of Helsinki Research
Report 352
Palaiologou I (2016) Teachersrsquo dispositions towards the role of digital devices in play-
based pedagogy in early childhood education Early Years Vol 36 (3) 305-321 DOI
1010800957514620161174816
Pajares M (1992) Teachersrsquo beliefs and educational research cleaning up a
messy construct Review of Educational Research (62)3 307ndash32
Papadakis S Kalogiannakis M amp Zaranis N (2016) Comparing tablets and
PCs in teaching mathematics An attempt to improve mathematics competence in
early childhood education Preschool amp Primary Education 4(2) 241-253
Parette HP Blum C and Quesenberry AC (2013) The role of technology for
young children in the 21st century in HP Parette and C Blum (eds)
Instructional technology in early childhood (pp 1-28) Brookes Publishing
Parette H P Quesenberry A C amp Blum C (2010) Missing the boat with
technology usage in early childhood settings A 21st century view of
developmentally appropriate practice Early Childhood Education Journal 37(5)
335-343
Parry RL (2013) Children Film and Literacy Basingstoke Palgrave Macmillan
23
Plowman L and Stephen C (2005) Children play and computers in pre-school
education British Journal of Educational Technology 36 (2) pp 145-157
Plumb M and Kautz K (2015) Barriers to the Integration of Information
Technology within Early Childhood Education and Care Organisations A Review of
the Literature Presented at the Australasian Conference on Information Systems
2015
Rosaen C and Terpstra M (2012) Widening worlds understanding and teaching
new literaciesrsquo Studying Teacher Education A Journal of Self-study of Teacher
Education Practices 8(1) 35ndash49
Thorpe K Hansen J Danby S Davidson C Zaki F M Grant S and Given
L M (2015) Teachers teaching and digital technologies reports from the early
childhood classroom Early Childhood Research Quarterly 32 httpdxdoiorg
101016jecresq201504001
Van Driel JH and Berry A (2012) Teacher Professional Development Focusing
on Pedagogical Content Knowledge Educational Researcher Vol 41 (1) pp26
-28
Voogt J Laferriegravere T Breuleux A Itow R C Hickey DT and McKenney S
(2015) Collaborative design as a form of professional development Instructional
Science 43 259 doi101007s11251-014-9340-7
Voogt J and McKnney S (2016) TPACK in teacher education are we preparing
teachers to use technology for early literacy Technology Pedagogy and
Education Published online ahead of print 4th May 2016 httpdxdoiorg
1010801475939X20161174730
Wenger E (1998) Communities of Practice Learning Meaning and Identity
Cambridge Cambridge University Press
24
Wood E Specht J Willoughby T and Mueller J (2008) Integrating Computer
Technology in Early Childhood Education Environments Issues Raised by Early
Childhood Educators Alberta Journal of Educational Research 54 (2) pp
210-226
25
References Bates S and Watt L (2015) Staff development for raising attainment a
practitioners view of what works Education 3-13 Vol 44 (1) Published online
ahead of print 31st Dec 2015 httpdxdoiorg
1010800300427920151122317
Becta (2004) A Review of the Research Literature on Barriers to the Uptake
of ICT by Teachers HMSO Becta
Blackwell CK Lauricella AR and Wartella E (2014) Factors influencing digital
technology use in early childhood education Computers amp Education 77 (0) pp
82-90
Blackwell CK Lauricella AR Wartella E Robb M and Schomburg R
(2013) Adoption and use of technology in early education The interplay of
extrinsic barriers and teacher attitudes Computers amp Education 69 (0) pp
310-319
Britzman DP (1989) Who Has the Floor Curriculum Teaching and the English
Student Teachers Struggle for Voice Curriculum Inquiry 19 ( 2) pp 143-162
httpwwwjstororgstable1179406
Chen J-Q amp Chang C (2006) Using computers in early childhood classrooms
Teachersrsquo attitudes skills and practices Journal of Early Childhood Research
4(2) 169-188
Clandinin DJ (1986) Classroom Practice Teacher Images in Action London
Falmer Press
17
Cordingley P (2015) The contribution of research to teachersrsquo professional
learning and development Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 234-252 DOI
1010800305498520151020105
Desimone LM (2009) Improving Impact Studies of Teachersrsquo Professional
Development Toward Better Conceptualizations and Measures Educational
Researcher Vol 38 (3) pp181-199
Edwards S (2013) Digital play in the early years a contextual response to the
problem of integrating technologies and play-based pedagogies in the early childhood
curriculum European Early Childhood Education Research Journal Vol 21 (2) 199ndash
212
Ertmer P (1999) Addressing first- and second-order barriers to change
Strategies for technology integration Educational Technology Research and
Development 47(4) 47-61 doi 101007bf02299597
Evens M Elen J amp Depaepe F (2015) Developing pedagogical content
knowledge Lessons learned from intervention studies Education Research
International doi1011552015790417
Fenty NS and McKendry Anderson EM (2014) Examining Educatorsrsquo
Knowledge Beliefs and Practices About Using Technology With Young Children
Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education 35 (2) pp 114-134
Friedrichs-Liesenkoumltter H (2015) Media-educational Habitus of Future Educators
in the Context of Education in Day-Care Centers Journal of Media Literacy
Education 7(1) 18-34
18
Goktas Y Gedik N amp Baydas O (2013) Enablers and barriers to the use of ICT
in primary schools in Turkey A comparative study of 2005ndash2011 Computers amp
Education 68 211-222 doi 101016jcompedu201305002
Goktas Y Yildirim S amp Yildirim Z (2009) Main Barriers and Possible Enablers
of ICTs Integration into Pre-service Teacher Education Programs Educational
Technology amp Society 12 (1) 193ndash204
Grace M Rietdijk W Garrett C amp Griffiths J (2015) Improving physics teaching
through action research the impact of a nationwide professional development
programme Teacher Development 194 496-519 DOI
1010801366453020151073612
Greany T and Brown C (2015) Partnerships between teaching schools and
universities Research report London Institute of Education Accessed http
researchrichschoolsorgukuploadsresources14293009901Teaching-schools-
and-universities-research-reportpdf
Grossman P (1990) The Making of a Teacher Teacher Knowledge and Teacher
Education New York Teachers College Press
Gruszczynska A Merchant G amp Pountney R (2013) Digital Futures in Teacher
Education Exploring Open Approaches towards Digital Literacy Electronic
Journal of E-Learning 11(3) 193-206
Hesterman S (2011) A Contested Space the dialogic intersection of ICT
multiliteracies and early childhood Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood12(4)
349-361
Hew K F amp Brush T (2006) Integrating technology into K-12 teaching and
learning current knowledge gaps and recommendations for future research
19
Educational Technology Research and Development 55(3) 223-252 doi
101007s11423-006-9022-5
Ihmeideh F M (2009) Barriers to the use of technology in Jordanian pre-school
settings Technology Pedagogy and Education 18(3) 325-341
Ihmeideh FM (2010) The role of computer technology in teaching reading and
writing preschool teachersrsquo beliefs and practices Journal of Research in
Childhood Education 24 (1) pp 60-79
Inan F A amp Lowther D L (2010) Laptops in the K-12 classrooms exploring
factors impacting instructional use Computers amp Education 55 (3) 937ndash944
Keengwe J amp Onchwari G (2009) Technology and early childhood education A
technology integration professional development model for practicing teachers
Early Childhood Education Journal 37 209-218
Kennedy E (2014) Raising Literacy Achievement in High-Poverty Schools An
Evidence-Based Approach Abingdon Oxon New York Routledge
Kildan A O amp Incikabi L (2015) Effects on the technological pedagogical
content knowledge of early childhood teacher candidates using digital storytelling
to teach mathematics Education 3-13 43(3) 238-248
Koehler MJ Mishra P Kereluik K Shin T and Graham CR (2014) lsquoThe
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Frameworkrsquo in JM Spector et al
(eds) Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology
Springer
Kontovourki S and Tafa E (2015) Draft Summary Report for Second DigiLitEY
Project Meeting 19th-20th October Tallinn Estonia Accessed at httpdigiliteyeu
wp-contentuploads201509WG2_Objective2_DraftReport_October2015pdf
20
Lafton T (2012) How Early Childhood Practitioners build shape and construct their
digital practices the Search for an Analytical Space Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy
Vol 7 ( 3) 172-185
Leinonen J amp Sintonen S (2014) Productive participation ndash Children as active media
producers in kindergarten Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol 9 (3) 216-236
Landerholm E Gehrie C amp Hao Y (2004) Educating early childhood teachers
for the global world Early Child Development and Care 174(7-8) 593-606
Lave J and Wenger E (1991) Situated Learning Legitimate Peripheral
Participation Cambridge Cambridge University Press
Leat D Reid A amp Lofthouse R (2015) Teachersrsquo experiences of engagement
with and in educational research what can be learned from teachersrsquo views
Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 270-286 DOI
1010800305498520151021193
Li H (2006) Integrating Information and Communication Technologies Into the
Early Childhood Curriculum Chinese Principalsrsquo Views of the Challenges and
Opportunities Early Education and Development17 (3) pp 467-487
Lindahl MG and Folkesson A-M (2012) Can we let computers change
practice Educatorsrsquo interpretations of preschool tradition Computers in Human
Behavior 28 (5) pp 1728-1737
Lipowski K Jorde D Prenze M and Seidel T (2014) Expert views on the
implementation of teacher professional development in European countries
(pp41-56) In K Jones and J OrsquoBrien (eds) European Perspectives on Professional
Development in Teacher Education London Routledge
21
Liu P (2016) Technology Integration in Elementary Classrooms Teaching
Practices of Student Teachers Australian Journal of Teacher Education 41(3)
Published online March 11th 2016 at httpdxdoiorg1014221ajte
2016v41n36
Lortie D (1975) Schoolteacher A Sociological Study Chicago IL University of
Chicago Press
McDougall J (2010) A crisis of professional identity How primary teachers are
coming to terms with changing views of literacy Teaching and Teacher Education
26(3) 679-687
Mertala P (2016) Fun and Games ndash Finnish childrenrsquos ideas for the use of digital
media in preschool Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol11(4) pp 207-226
Mertala P (2017) Wag the dog - The nature and foundations of preschool educators
positive ICT pedagogical beliefs Computers in Human Behavior Vol 69 197-206
Mishra P amp Koehler MJ (2006) Technological pedagogical content knowledge
A framework for integrating technology in teacher knowledge Teachers College
Record 108(6) 1017-1054
NAEYC (2012) Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood
Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8 NAEYC Joint Position
Statement with the Fred Rogers Center Accessed at httpwwwnaeycorgfiles
naeycPS_technology_WEBpdf
Nespor J (1987) The role of beliefs in the practice of teaching Journal of
Curriculum Studies (19) 4 317ndash28
22
Nikolopoulou K and Gialamas V (2013) Barriers to the integration of computers
in early childhood settings Teachersrsquo perceptions Education and Information
Technologies pp 1-17
Onnismaa E-L Rintakorpi K amp Rusanen S (2014) ldquoTake a picturerdquo Children as
photographers and co-constructors of culture in an early childhood education
environment In H Ruismaumlki amp I Ruokonen (eds) Voices for Tomorrow Sixth
International Journal of Intercultural Arts Education University of Helsinki Research
Report 352
Palaiologou I (2016) Teachersrsquo dispositions towards the role of digital devices in play-
based pedagogy in early childhood education Early Years Vol 36 (3) 305-321 DOI
1010800957514620161174816
Pajares M (1992) Teachersrsquo beliefs and educational research cleaning up a
messy construct Review of Educational Research (62)3 307ndash32
Papadakis S Kalogiannakis M amp Zaranis N (2016) Comparing tablets and
PCs in teaching mathematics An attempt to improve mathematics competence in
early childhood education Preschool amp Primary Education 4(2) 241-253
Parette HP Blum C and Quesenberry AC (2013) The role of technology for
young children in the 21st century in HP Parette and C Blum (eds)
Instructional technology in early childhood (pp 1-28) Brookes Publishing
Parette H P Quesenberry A C amp Blum C (2010) Missing the boat with
technology usage in early childhood settings A 21st century view of
developmentally appropriate practice Early Childhood Education Journal 37(5)
335-343
Parry RL (2013) Children Film and Literacy Basingstoke Palgrave Macmillan
23
Plowman L and Stephen C (2005) Children play and computers in pre-school
education British Journal of Educational Technology 36 (2) pp 145-157
Plumb M and Kautz K (2015) Barriers to the Integration of Information
Technology within Early Childhood Education and Care Organisations A Review of
the Literature Presented at the Australasian Conference on Information Systems
2015
Rosaen C and Terpstra M (2012) Widening worlds understanding and teaching
new literaciesrsquo Studying Teacher Education A Journal of Self-study of Teacher
Education Practices 8(1) 35ndash49
Thorpe K Hansen J Danby S Davidson C Zaki F M Grant S and Given
L M (2015) Teachers teaching and digital technologies reports from the early
childhood classroom Early Childhood Research Quarterly 32 httpdxdoiorg
101016jecresq201504001
Van Driel JH and Berry A (2012) Teacher Professional Development Focusing
on Pedagogical Content Knowledge Educational Researcher Vol 41 (1) pp26
-28
Voogt J Laferriegravere T Breuleux A Itow R C Hickey DT and McKenney S
(2015) Collaborative design as a form of professional development Instructional
Science 43 259 doi101007s11251-014-9340-7
Voogt J and McKnney S (2016) TPACK in teacher education are we preparing
teachers to use technology for early literacy Technology Pedagogy and
Education Published online ahead of print 4th May 2016 httpdxdoiorg
1010801475939X20161174730
Wenger E (1998) Communities of Practice Learning Meaning and Identity
Cambridge Cambridge University Press
24
Wood E Specht J Willoughby T and Mueller J (2008) Integrating Computer
Technology in Early Childhood Education Environments Issues Raised by Early
Childhood Educators Alberta Journal of Educational Research 54 (2) pp
210-226
25
Cordingley P (2015) The contribution of research to teachersrsquo professional
learning and development Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 234-252 DOI
1010800305498520151020105
Desimone LM (2009) Improving Impact Studies of Teachersrsquo Professional
Development Toward Better Conceptualizations and Measures Educational
Researcher Vol 38 (3) pp181-199
Edwards S (2013) Digital play in the early years a contextual response to the
problem of integrating technologies and play-based pedagogies in the early childhood
curriculum European Early Childhood Education Research Journal Vol 21 (2) 199ndash
212
Ertmer P (1999) Addressing first- and second-order barriers to change
Strategies for technology integration Educational Technology Research and
Development 47(4) 47-61 doi 101007bf02299597
Evens M Elen J amp Depaepe F (2015) Developing pedagogical content
knowledge Lessons learned from intervention studies Education Research
International doi1011552015790417
Fenty NS and McKendry Anderson EM (2014) Examining Educatorsrsquo
Knowledge Beliefs and Practices About Using Technology With Young Children
Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education 35 (2) pp 114-134
Friedrichs-Liesenkoumltter H (2015) Media-educational Habitus of Future Educators
in the Context of Education in Day-Care Centers Journal of Media Literacy
Education 7(1) 18-34
18
Goktas Y Gedik N amp Baydas O (2013) Enablers and barriers to the use of ICT
in primary schools in Turkey A comparative study of 2005ndash2011 Computers amp
Education 68 211-222 doi 101016jcompedu201305002
Goktas Y Yildirim S amp Yildirim Z (2009) Main Barriers and Possible Enablers
of ICTs Integration into Pre-service Teacher Education Programs Educational
Technology amp Society 12 (1) 193ndash204
Grace M Rietdijk W Garrett C amp Griffiths J (2015) Improving physics teaching
through action research the impact of a nationwide professional development
programme Teacher Development 194 496-519 DOI
1010801366453020151073612
Greany T and Brown C (2015) Partnerships between teaching schools and
universities Research report London Institute of Education Accessed http
researchrichschoolsorgukuploadsresources14293009901Teaching-schools-
and-universities-research-reportpdf
Grossman P (1990) The Making of a Teacher Teacher Knowledge and Teacher
Education New York Teachers College Press
Gruszczynska A Merchant G amp Pountney R (2013) Digital Futures in Teacher
Education Exploring Open Approaches towards Digital Literacy Electronic
Journal of E-Learning 11(3) 193-206
Hesterman S (2011) A Contested Space the dialogic intersection of ICT
multiliteracies and early childhood Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood12(4)
349-361
Hew K F amp Brush T (2006) Integrating technology into K-12 teaching and
learning current knowledge gaps and recommendations for future research
19
Educational Technology Research and Development 55(3) 223-252 doi
101007s11423-006-9022-5
Ihmeideh F M (2009) Barriers to the use of technology in Jordanian pre-school
settings Technology Pedagogy and Education 18(3) 325-341
Ihmeideh FM (2010) The role of computer technology in teaching reading and
writing preschool teachersrsquo beliefs and practices Journal of Research in
Childhood Education 24 (1) pp 60-79
Inan F A amp Lowther D L (2010) Laptops in the K-12 classrooms exploring
factors impacting instructional use Computers amp Education 55 (3) 937ndash944
Keengwe J amp Onchwari G (2009) Technology and early childhood education A
technology integration professional development model for practicing teachers
Early Childhood Education Journal 37 209-218
Kennedy E (2014) Raising Literacy Achievement in High-Poverty Schools An
Evidence-Based Approach Abingdon Oxon New York Routledge
Kildan A O amp Incikabi L (2015) Effects on the technological pedagogical
content knowledge of early childhood teacher candidates using digital storytelling
to teach mathematics Education 3-13 43(3) 238-248
Koehler MJ Mishra P Kereluik K Shin T and Graham CR (2014) lsquoThe
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Frameworkrsquo in JM Spector et al
(eds) Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology
Springer
Kontovourki S and Tafa E (2015) Draft Summary Report for Second DigiLitEY
Project Meeting 19th-20th October Tallinn Estonia Accessed at httpdigiliteyeu
wp-contentuploads201509WG2_Objective2_DraftReport_October2015pdf
20
Lafton T (2012) How Early Childhood Practitioners build shape and construct their
digital practices the Search for an Analytical Space Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy
Vol 7 ( 3) 172-185
Leinonen J amp Sintonen S (2014) Productive participation ndash Children as active media
producers in kindergarten Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol 9 (3) 216-236
Landerholm E Gehrie C amp Hao Y (2004) Educating early childhood teachers
for the global world Early Child Development and Care 174(7-8) 593-606
Lave J and Wenger E (1991) Situated Learning Legitimate Peripheral
Participation Cambridge Cambridge University Press
Leat D Reid A amp Lofthouse R (2015) Teachersrsquo experiences of engagement
with and in educational research what can be learned from teachersrsquo views
Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 270-286 DOI
1010800305498520151021193
Li H (2006) Integrating Information and Communication Technologies Into the
Early Childhood Curriculum Chinese Principalsrsquo Views of the Challenges and
Opportunities Early Education and Development17 (3) pp 467-487
Lindahl MG and Folkesson A-M (2012) Can we let computers change
practice Educatorsrsquo interpretations of preschool tradition Computers in Human
Behavior 28 (5) pp 1728-1737
Lipowski K Jorde D Prenze M and Seidel T (2014) Expert views on the
implementation of teacher professional development in European countries
(pp41-56) In K Jones and J OrsquoBrien (eds) European Perspectives on Professional
Development in Teacher Education London Routledge
21
Liu P (2016) Technology Integration in Elementary Classrooms Teaching
Practices of Student Teachers Australian Journal of Teacher Education 41(3)
Published online March 11th 2016 at httpdxdoiorg1014221ajte
2016v41n36
Lortie D (1975) Schoolteacher A Sociological Study Chicago IL University of
Chicago Press
McDougall J (2010) A crisis of professional identity How primary teachers are
coming to terms with changing views of literacy Teaching and Teacher Education
26(3) 679-687
Mertala P (2016) Fun and Games ndash Finnish childrenrsquos ideas for the use of digital
media in preschool Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol11(4) pp 207-226
Mertala P (2017) Wag the dog - The nature and foundations of preschool educators
positive ICT pedagogical beliefs Computers in Human Behavior Vol 69 197-206
Mishra P amp Koehler MJ (2006) Technological pedagogical content knowledge
A framework for integrating technology in teacher knowledge Teachers College
Record 108(6) 1017-1054
NAEYC (2012) Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood
Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8 NAEYC Joint Position
Statement with the Fred Rogers Center Accessed at httpwwwnaeycorgfiles
naeycPS_technology_WEBpdf
Nespor J (1987) The role of beliefs in the practice of teaching Journal of
Curriculum Studies (19) 4 317ndash28
22
Nikolopoulou K and Gialamas V (2013) Barriers to the integration of computers
in early childhood settings Teachersrsquo perceptions Education and Information
Technologies pp 1-17
Onnismaa E-L Rintakorpi K amp Rusanen S (2014) ldquoTake a picturerdquo Children as
photographers and co-constructors of culture in an early childhood education
environment In H Ruismaumlki amp I Ruokonen (eds) Voices for Tomorrow Sixth
International Journal of Intercultural Arts Education University of Helsinki Research
Report 352
Palaiologou I (2016) Teachersrsquo dispositions towards the role of digital devices in play-
based pedagogy in early childhood education Early Years Vol 36 (3) 305-321 DOI
1010800957514620161174816
Pajares M (1992) Teachersrsquo beliefs and educational research cleaning up a
messy construct Review of Educational Research (62)3 307ndash32
Papadakis S Kalogiannakis M amp Zaranis N (2016) Comparing tablets and
PCs in teaching mathematics An attempt to improve mathematics competence in
early childhood education Preschool amp Primary Education 4(2) 241-253
Parette HP Blum C and Quesenberry AC (2013) The role of technology for
young children in the 21st century in HP Parette and C Blum (eds)
Instructional technology in early childhood (pp 1-28) Brookes Publishing
Parette H P Quesenberry A C amp Blum C (2010) Missing the boat with
technology usage in early childhood settings A 21st century view of
developmentally appropriate practice Early Childhood Education Journal 37(5)
335-343
Parry RL (2013) Children Film and Literacy Basingstoke Palgrave Macmillan
23
Plowman L and Stephen C (2005) Children play and computers in pre-school
education British Journal of Educational Technology 36 (2) pp 145-157
Plumb M and Kautz K (2015) Barriers to the Integration of Information
Technology within Early Childhood Education and Care Organisations A Review of
the Literature Presented at the Australasian Conference on Information Systems
2015
Rosaen C and Terpstra M (2012) Widening worlds understanding and teaching
new literaciesrsquo Studying Teacher Education A Journal of Self-study of Teacher
Education Practices 8(1) 35ndash49
Thorpe K Hansen J Danby S Davidson C Zaki F M Grant S and Given
L M (2015) Teachers teaching and digital technologies reports from the early
childhood classroom Early Childhood Research Quarterly 32 httpdxdoiorg
101016jecresq201504001
Van Driel JH and Berry A (2012) Teacher Professional Development Focusing
on Pedagogical Content Knowledge Educational Researcher Vol 41 (1) pp26
-28
Voogt J Laferriegravere T Breuleux A Itow R C Hickey DT and McKenney S
(2015) Collaborative design as a form of professional development Instructional
Science 43 259 doi101007s11251-014-9340-7
Voogt J and McKnney S (2016) TPACK in teacher education are we preparing
teachers to use technology for early literacy Technology Pedagogy and
Education Published online ahead of print 4th May 2016 httpdxdoiorg
1010801475939X20161174730
Wenger E (1998) Communities of Practice Learning Meaning and Identity
Cambridge Cambridge University Press
24
Wood E Specht J Willoughby T and Mueller J (2008) Integrating Computer
Technology in Early Childhood Education Environments Issues Raised by Early
Childhood Educators Alberta Journal of Educational Research 54 (2) pp
210-226
25
Goktas Y Gedik N amp Baydas O (2013) Enablers and barriers to the use of ICT
in primary schools in Turkey A comparative study of 2005ndash2011 Computers amp
Education 68 211-222 doi 101016jcompedu201305002
Goktas Y Yildirim S amp Yildirim Z (2009) Main Barriers and Possible Enablers
of ICTs Integration into Pre-service Teacher Education Programs Educational
Technology amp Society 12 (1) 193ndash204
Grace M Rietdijk W Garrett C amp Griffiths J (2015) Improving physics teaching
through action research the impact of a nationwide professional development
programme Teacher Development 194 496-519 DOI
1010801366453020151073612
Greany T and Brown C (2015) Partnerships between teaching schools and
universities Research report London Institute of Education Accessed http
researchrichschoolsorgukuploadsresources14293009901Teaching-schools-
and-universities-research-reportpdf
Grossman P (1990) The Making of a Teacher Teacher Knowledge and Teacher
Education New York Teachers College Press
Gruszczynska A Merchant G amp Pountney R (2013) Digital Futures in Teacher
Education Exploring Open Approaches towards Digital Literacy Electronic
Journal of E-Learning 11(3) 193-206
Hesterman S (2011) A Contested Space the dialogic intersection of ICT
multiliteracies and early childhood Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood12(4)
349-361
Hew K F amp Brush T (2006) Integrating technology into K-12 teaching and
learning current knowledge gaps and recommendations for future research
19
Educational Technology Research and Development 55(3) 223-252 doi
101007s11423-006-9022-5
Ihmeideh F M (2009) Barriers to the use of technology in Jordanian pre-school
settings Technology Pedagogy and Education 18(3) 325-341
Ihmeideh FM (2010) The role of computer technology in teaching reading and
writing preschool teachersrsquo beliefs and practices Journal of Research in
Childhood Education 24 (1) pp 60-79
Inan F A amp Lowther D L (2010) Laptops in the K-12 classrooms exploring
factors impacting instructional use Computers amp Education 55 (3) 937ndash944
Keengwe J amp Onchwari G (2009) Technology and early childhood education A
technology integration professional development model for practicing teachers
Early Childhood Education Journal 37 209-218
Kennedy E (2014) Raising Literacy Achievement in High-Poverty Schools An
Evidence-Based Approach Abingdon Oxon New York Routledge
Kildan A O amp Incikabi L (2015) Effects on the technological pedagogical
content knowledge of early childhood teacher candidates using digital storytelling
to teach mathematics Education 3-13 43(3) 238-248
Koehler MJ Mishra P Kereluik K Shin T and Graham CR (2014) lsquoThe
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Frameworkrsquo in JM Spector et al
(eds) Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology
Springer
Kontovourki S and Tafa E (2015) Draft Summary Report for Second DigiLitEY
Project Meeting 19th-20th October Tallinn Estonia Accessed at httpdigiliteyeu
wp-contentuploads201509WG2_Objective2_DraftReport_October2015pdf
20
Lafton T (2012) How Early Childhood Practitioners build shape and construct their
digital practices the Search for an Analytical Space Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy
Vol 7 ( 3) 172-185
Leinonen J amp Sintonen S (2014) Productive participation ndash Children as active media
producers in kindergarten Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol 9 (3) 216-236
Landerholm E Gehrie C amp Hao Y (2004) Educating early childhood teachers
for the global world Early Child Development and Care 174(7-8) 593-606
Lave J and Wenger E (1991) Situated Learning Legitimate Peripheral
Participation Cambridge Cambridge University Press
Leat D Reid A amp Lofthouse R (2015) Teachersrsquo experiences of engagement
with and in educational research what can be learned from teachersrsquo views
Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 270-286 DOI
1010800305498520151021193
Li H (2006) Integrating Information and Communication Technologies Into the
Early Childhood Curriculum Chinese Principalsrsquo Views of the Challenges and
Opportunities Early Education and Development17 (3) pp 467-487
Lindahl MG and Folkesson A-M (2012) Can we let computers change
practice Educatorsrsquo interpretations of preschool tradition Computers in Human
Behavior 28 (5) pp 1728-1737
Lipowski K Jorde D Prenze M and Seidel T (2014) Expert views on the
implementation of teacher professional development in European countries
(pp41-56) In K Jones and J OrsquoBrien (eds) European Perspectives on Professional
Development in Teacher Education London Routledge
21
Liu P (2016) Technology Integration in Elementary Classrooms Teaching
Practices of Student Teachers Australian Journal of Teacher Education 41(3)
Published online March 11th 2016 at httpdxdoiorg1014221ajte
2016v41n36
Lortie D (1975) Schoolteacher A Sociological Study Chicago IL University of
Chicago Press
McDougall J (2010) A crisis of professional identity How primary teachers are
coming to terms with changing views of literacy Teaching and Teacher Education
26(3) 679-687
Mertala P (2016) Fun and Games ndash Finnish childrenrsquos ideas for the use of digital
media in preschool Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol11(4) pp 207-226
Mertala P (2017) Wag the dog - The nature and foundations of preschool educators
positive ICT pedagogical beliefs Computers in Human Behavior Vol 69 197-206
Mishra P amp Koehler MJ (2006) Technological pedagogical content knowledge
A framework for integrating technology in teacher knowledge Teachers College
Record 108(6) 1017-1054
NAEYC (2012) Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood
Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8 NAEYC Joint Position
Statement with the Fred Rogers Center Accessed at httpwwwnaeycorgfiles
naeycPS_technology_WEBpdf
Nespor J (1987) The role of beliefs in the practice of teaching Journal of
Curriculum Studies (19) 4 317ndash28
22
Nikolopoulou K and Gialamas V (2013) Barriers to the integration of computers
in early childhood settings Teachersrsquo perceptions Education and Information
Technologies pp 1-17
Onnismaa E-L Rintakorpi K amp Rusanen S (2014) ldquoTake a picturerdquo Children as
photographers and co-constructors of culture in an early childhood education
environment In H Ruismaumlki amp I Ruokonen (eds) Voices for Tomorrow Sixth
International Journal of Intercultural Arts Education University of Helsinki Research
Report 352
Palaiologou I (2016) Teachersrsquo dispositions towards the role of digital devices in play-
based pedagogy in early childhood education Early Years Vol 36 (3) 305-321 DOI
1010800957514620161174816
Pajares M (1992) Teachersrsquo beliefs and educational research cleaning up a
messy construct Review of Educational Research (62)3 307ndash32
Papadakis S Kalogiannakis M amp Zaranis N (2016) Comparing tablets and
PCs in teaching mathematics An attempt to improve mathematics competence in
early childhood education Preschool amp Primary Education 4(2) 241-253
Parette HP Blum C and Quesenberry AC (2013) The role of technology for
young children in the 21st century in HP Parette and C Blum (eds)
Instructional technology in early childhood (pp 1-28) Brookes Publishing
Parette H P Quesenberry A C amp Blum C (2010) Missing the boat with
technology usage in early childhood settings A 21st century view of
developmentally appropriate practice Early Childhood Education Journal 37(5)
335-343
Parry RL (2013) Children Film and Literacy Basingstoke Palgrave Macmillan
23
Plowman L and Stephen C (2005) Children play and computers in pre-school
education British Journal of Educational Technology 36 (2) pp 145-157
Plumb M and Kautz K (2015) Barriers to the Integration of Information
Technology within Early Childhood Education and Care Organisations A Review of
the Literature Presented at the Australasian Conference on Information Systems
2015
Rosaen C and Terpstra M (2012) Widening worlds understanding and teaching
new literaciesrsquo Studying Teacher Education A Journal of Self-study of Teacher
Education Practices 8(1) 35ndash49
Thorpe K Hansen J Danby S Davidson C Zaki F M Grant S and Given
L M (2015) Teachers teaching and digital technologies reports from the early
childhood classroom Early Childhood Research Quarterly 32 httpdxdoiorg
101016jecresq201504001
Van Driel JH and Berry A (2012) Teacher Professional Development Focusing
on Pedagogical Content Knowledge Educational Researcher Vol 41 (1) pp26
-28
Voogt J Laferriegravere T Breuleux A Itow R C Hickey DT and McKenney S
(2015) Collaborative design as a form of professional development Instructional
Science 43 259 doi101007s11251-014-9340-7
Voogt J and McKnney S (2016) TPACK in teacher education are we preparing
teachers to use technology for early literacy Technology Pedagogy and
Education Published online ahead of print 4th May 2016 httpdxdoiorg
1010801475939X20161174730
Wenger E (1998) Communities of Practice Learning Meaning and Identity
Cambridge Cambridge University Press
24
Wood E Specht J Willoughby T and Mueller J (2008) Integrating Computer
Technology in Early Childhood Education Environments Issues Raised by Early
Childhood Educators Alberta Journal of Educational Research 54 (2) pp
210-226
25
Educational Technology Research and Development 55(3) 223-252 doi
101007s11423-006-9022-5
Ihmeideh F M (2009) Barriers to the use of technology in Jordanian pre-school
settings Technology Pedagogy and Education 18(3) 325-341
Ihmeideh FM (2010) The role of computer technology in teaching reading and
writing preschool teachersrsquo beliefs and practices Journal of Research in
Childhood Education 24 (1) pp 60-79
Inan F A amp Lowther D L (2010) Laptops in the K-12 classrooms exploring
factors impacting instructional use Computers amp Education 55 (3) 937ndash944
Keengwe J amp Onchwari G (2009) Technology and early childhood education A
technology integration professional development model for practicing teachers
Early Childhood Education Journal 37 209-218
Kennedy E (2014) Raising Literacy Achievement in High-Poverty Schools An
Evidence-Based Approach Abingdon Oxon New York Routledge
Kildan A O amp Incikabi L (2015) Effects on the technological pedagogical
content knowledge of early childhood teacher candidates using digital storytelling
to teach mathematics Education 3-13 43(3) 238-248
Koehler MJ Mishra P Kereluik K Shin T and Graham CR (2014) lsquoThe
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Frameworkrsquo in JM Spector et al
(eds) Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology
Springer
Kontovourki S and Tafa E (2015) Draft Summary Report for Second DigiLitEY
Project Meeting 19th-20th October Tallinn Estonia Accessed at httpdigiliteyeu
wp-contentuploads201509WG2_Objective2_DraftReport_October2015pdf
20
Lafton T (2012) How Early Childhood Practitioners build shape and construct their
digital practices the Search for an Analytical Space Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy
Vol 7 ( 3) 172-185
Leinonen J amp Sintonen S (2014) Productive participation ndash Children as active media
producers in kindergarten Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol 9 (3) 216-236
Landerholm E Gehrie C amp Hao Y (2004) Educating early childhood teachers
for the global world Early Child Development and Care 174(7-8) 593-606
Lave J and Wenger E (1991) Situated Learning Legitimate Peripheral
Participation Cambridge Cambridge University Press
Leat D Reid A amp Lofthouse R (2015) Teachersrsquo experiences of engagement
with and in educational research what can be learned from teachersrsquo views
Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 270-286 DOI
1010800305498520151021193
Li H (2006) Integrating Information and Communication Technologies Into the
Early Childhood Curriculum Chinese Principalsrsquo Views of the Challenges and
Opportunities Early Education and Development17 (3) pp 467-487
Lindahl MG and Folkesson A-M (2012) Can we let computers change
practice Educatorsrsquo interpretations of preschool tradition Computers in Human
Behavior 28 (5) pp 1728-1737
Lipowski K Jorde D Prenze M and Seidel T (2014) Expert views on the
implementation of teacher professional development in European countries
(pp41-56) In K Jones and J OrsquoBrien (eds) European Perspectives on Professional
Development in Teacher Education London Routledge
21
Liu P (2016) Technology Integration in Elementary Classrooms Teaching
Practices of Student Teachers Australian Journal of Teacher Education 41(3)
Published online March 11th 2016 at httpdxdoiorg1014221ajte
2016v41n36
Lortie D (1975) Schoolteacher A Sociological Study Chicago IL University of
Chicago Press
McDougall J (2010) A crisis of professional identity How primary teachers are
coming to terms with changing views of literacy Teaching and Teacher Education
26(3) 679-687
Mertala P (2016) Fun and Games ndash Finnish childrenrsquos ideas for the use of digital
media in preschool Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol11(4) pp 207-226
Mertala P (2017) Wag the dog - The nature and foundations of preschool educators
positive ICT pedagogical beliefs Computers in Human Behavior Vol 69 197-206
Mishra P amp Koehler MJ (2006) Technological pedagogical content knowledge
A framework for integrating technology in teacher knowledge Teachers College
Record 108(6) 1017-1054
NAEYC (2012) Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood
Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8 NAEYC Joint Position
Statement with the Fred Rogers Center Accessed at httpwwwnaeycorgfiles
naeycPS_technology_WEBpdf
Nespor J (1987) The role of beliefs in the practice of teaching Journal of
Curriculum Studies (19) 4 317ndash28
22
Nikolopoulou K and Gialamas V (2013) Barriers to the integration of computers
in early childhood settings Teachersrsquo perceptions Education and Information
Technologies pp 1-17
Onnismaa E-L Rintakorpi K amp Rusanen S (2014) ldquoTake a picturerdquo Children as
photographers and co-constructors of culture in an early childhood education
environment In H Ruismaumlki amp I Ruokonen (eds) Voices for Tomorrow Sixth
International Journal of Intercultural Arts Education University of Helsinki Research
Report 352
Palaiologou I (2016) Teachersrsquo dispositions towards the role of digital devices in play-
based pedagogy in early childhood education Early Years Vol 36 (3) 305-321 DOI
1010800957514620161174816
Pajares M (1992) Teachersrsquo beliefs and educational research cleaning up a
messy construct Review of Educational Research (62)3 307ndash32
Papadakis S Kalogiannakis M amp Zaranis N (2016) Comparing tablets and
PCs in teaching mathematics An attempt to improve mathematics competence in
early childhood education Preschool amp Primary Education 4(2) 241-253
Parette HP Blum C and Quesenberry AC (2013) The role of technology for
young children in the 21st century in HP Parette and C Blum (eds)
Instructional technology in early childhood (pp 1-28) Brookes Publishing
Parette H P Quesenberry A C amp Blum C (2010) Missing the boat with
technology usage in early childhood settings A 21st century view of
developmentally appropriate practice Early Childhood Education Journal 37(5)
335-343
Parry RL (2013) Children Film and Literacy Basingstoke Palgrave Macmillan
23
Plowman L and Stephen C (2005) Children play and computers in pre-school
education British Journal of Educational Technology 36 (2) pp 145-157
Plumb M and Kautz K (2015) Barriers to the Integration of Information
Technology within Early Childhood Education and Care Organisations A Review of
the Literature Presented at the Australasian Conference on Information Systems
2015
Rosaen C and Terpstra M (2012) Widening worlds understanding and teaching
new literaciesrsquo Studying Teacher Education A Journal of Self-study of Teacher
Education Practices 8(1) 35ndash49
Thorpe K Hansen J Danby S Davidson C Zaki F M Grant S and Given
L M (2015) Teachers teaching and digital technologies reports from the early
childhood classroom Early Childhood Research Quarterly 32 httpdxdoiorg
101016jecresq201504001
Van Driel JH and Berry A (2012) Teacher Professional Development Focusing
on Pedagogical Content Knowledge Educational Researcher Vol 41 (1) pp26
-28
Voogt J Laferriegravere T Breuleux A Itow R C Hickey DT and McKenney S
(2015) Collaborative design as a form of professional development Instructional
Science 43 259 doi101007s11251-014-9340-7
Voogt J and McKnney S (2016) TPACK in teacher education are we preparing
teachers to use technology for early literacy Technology Pedagogy and
Education Published online ahead of print 4th May 2016 httpdxdoiorg
1010801475939X20161174730
Wenger E (1998) Communities of Practice Learning Meaning and Identity
Cambridge Cambridge University Press
24
Wood E Specht J Willoughby T and Mueller J (2008) Integrating Computer
Technology in Early Childhood Education Environments Issues Raised by Early
Childhood Educators Alberta Journal of Educational Research 54 (2) pp
210-226
25
Lafton T (2012) How Early Childhood Practitioners build shape and construct their
digital practices the Search for an Analytical Space Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy
Vol 7 ( 3) 172-185
Leinonen J amp Sintonen S (2014) Productive participation ndash Children as active media
producers in kindergarten Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol 9 (3) 216-236
Landerholm E Gehrie C amp Hao Y (2004) Educating early childhood teachers
for the global world Early Child Development and Care 174(7-8) 593-606
Lave J and Wenger E (1991) Situated Learning Legitimate Peripheral
Participation Cambridge Cambridge University Press
Leat D Reid A amp Lofthouse R (2015) Teachersrsquo experiences of engagement
with and in educational research what can be learned from teachersrsquo views
Oxford Review of Education 41 (2) 270-286 DOI
1010800305498520151021193
Li H (2006) Integrating Information and Communication Technologies Into the
Early Childhood Curriculum Chinese Principalsrsquo Views of the Challenges and
Opportunities Early Education and Development17 (3) pp 467-487
Lindahl MG and Folkesson A-M (2012) Can we let computers change
practice Educatorsrsquo interpretations of preschool tradition Computers in Human
Behavior 28 (5) pp 1728-1737
Lipowski K Jorde D Prenze M and Seidel T (2014) Expert views on the
implementation of teacher professional development in European countries
(pp41-56) In K Jones and J OrsquoBrien (eds) European Perspectives on Professional
Development in Teacher Education London Routledge
21
Liu P (2016) Technology Integration in Elementary Classrooms Teaching
Practices of Student Teachers Australian Journal of Teacher Education 41(3)
Published online March 11th 2016 at httpdxdoiorg1014221ajte
2016v41n36
Lortie D (1975) Schoolteacher A Sociological Study Chicago IL University of
Chicago Press
McDougall J (2010) A crisis of professional identity How primary teachers are
coming to terms with changing views of literacy Teaching and Teacher Education
26(3) 679-687
Mertala P (2016) Fun and Games ndash Finnish childrenrsquos ideas for the use of digital
media in preschool Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol11(4) pp 207-226
Mertala P (2017) Wag the dog - The nature and foundations of preschool educators
positive ICT pedagogical beliefs Computers in Human Behavior Vol 69 197-206
Mishra P amp Koehler MJ (2006) Technological pedagogical content knowledge
A framework for integrating technology in teacher knowledge Teachers College
Record 108(6) 1017-1054
NAEYC (2012) Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood
Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8 NAEYC Joint Position
Statement with the Fred Rogers Center Accessed at httpwwwnaeycorgfiles
naeycPS_technology_WEBpdf
Nespor J (1987) The role of beliefs in the practice of teaching Journal of
Curriculum Studies (19) 4 317ndash28
22
Nikolopoulou K and Gialamas V (2013) Barriers to the integration of computers
in early childhood settings Teachersrsquo perceptions Education and Information
Technologies pp 1-17
Onnismaa E-L Rintakorpi K amp Rusanen S (2014) ldquoTake a picturerdquo Children as
photographers and co-constructors of culture in an early childhood education
environment In H Ruismaumlki amp I Ruokonen (eds) Voices for Tomorrow Sixth
International Journal of Intercultural Arts Education University of Helsinki Research
Report 352
Palaiologou I (2016) Teachersrsquo dispositions towards the role of digital devices in play-
based pedagogy in early childhood education Early Years Vol 36 (3) 305-321 DOI
1010800957514620161174816
Pajares M (1992) Teachersrsquo beliefs and educational research cleaning up a
messy construct Review of Educational Research (62)3 307ndash32
Papadakis S Kalogiannakis M amp Zaranis N (2016) Comparing tablets and
PCs in teaching mathematics An attempt to improve mathematics competence in
early childhood education Preschool amp Primary Education 4(2) 241-253
Parette HP Blum C and Quesenberry AC (2013) The role of technology for
young children in the 21st century in HP Parette and C Blum (eds)
Instructional technology in early childhood (pp 1-28) Brookes Publishing
Parette H P Quesenberry A C amp Blum C (2010) Missing the boat with
technology usage in early childhood settings A 21st century view of
developmentally appropriate practice Early Childhood Education Journal 37(5)
335-343
Parry RL (2013) Children Film and Literacy Basingstoke Palgrave Macmillan
23
Plowman L and Stephen C (2005) Children play and computers in pre-school
education British Journal of Educational Technology 36 (2) pp 145-157
Plumb M and Kautz K (2015) Barriers to the Integration of Information
Technology within Early Childhood Education and Care Organisations A Review of
the Literature Presented at the Australasian Conference on Information Systems
2015
Rosaen C and Terpstra M (2012) Widening worlds understanding and teaching
new literaciesrsquo Studying Teacher Education A Journal of Self-study of Teacher
Education Practices 8(1) 35ndash49
Thorpe K Hansen J Danby S Davidson C Zaki F M Grant S and Given
L M (2015) Teachers teaching and digital technologies reports from the early
childhood classroom Early Childhood Research Quarterly 32 httpdxdoiorg
101016jecresq201504001
Van Driel JH and Berry A (2012) Teacher Professional Development Focusing
on Pedagogical Content Knowledge Educational Researcher Vol 41 (1) pp26
-28
Voogt J Laferriegravere T Breuleux A Itow R C Hickey DT and McKenney S
(2015) Collaborative design as a form of professional development Instructional
Science 43 259 doi101007s11251-014-9340-7
Voogt J and McKnney S (2016) TPACK in teacher education are we preparing
teachers to use technology for early literacy Technology Pedagogy and
Education Published online ahead of print 4th May 2016 httpdxdoiorg
1010801475939X20161174730
Wenger E (1998) Communities of Practice Learning Meaning and Identity
Cambridge Cambridge University Press
24
Wood E Specht J Willoughby T and Mueller J (2008) Integrating Computer
Technology in Early Childhood Education Environments Issues Raised by Early
Childhood Educators Alberta Journal of Educational Research 54 (2) pp
210-226
25
Liu P (2016) Technology Integration in Elementary Classrooms Teaching
Practices of Student Teachers Australian Journal of Teacher Education 41(3)
Published online March 11th 2016 at httpdxdoiorg1014221ajte
2016v41n36
Lortie D (1975) Schoolteacher A Sociological Study Chicago IL University of
Chicago Press
McDougall J (2010) A crisis of professional identity How primary teachers are
coming to terms with changing views of literacy Teaching and Teacher Education
26(3) 679-687
Mertala P (2016) Fun and Games ndash Finnish childrenrsquos ideas for the use of digital
media in preschool Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy Vol11(4) pp 207-226
Mertala P (2017) Wag the dog - The nature and foundations of preschool educators
positive ICT pedagogical beliefs Computers in Human Behavior Vol 69 197-206
Mishra P amp Koehler MJ (2006) Technological pedagogical content knowledge
A framework for integrating technology in teacher knowledge Teachers College
Record 108(6) 1017-1054
NAEYC (2012) Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood
Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8 NAEYC Joint Position
Statement with the Fred Rogers Center Accessed at httpwwwnaeycorgfiles
naeycPS_technology_WEBpdf
Nespor J (1987) The role of beliefs in the practice of teaching Journal of
Curriculum Studies (19) 4 317ndash28
22
Nikolopoulou K and Gialamas V (2013) Barriers to the integration of computers
in early childhood settings Teachersrsquo perceptions Education and Information
Technologies pp 1-17
Onnismaa E-L Rintakorpi K amp Rusanen S (2014) ldquoTake a picturerdquo Children as
photographers and co-constructors of culture in an early childhood education
environment In H Ruismaumlki amp I Ruokonen (eds) Voices for Tomorrow Sixth
International Journal of Intercultural Arts Education University of Helsinki Research
Report 352
Palaiologou I (2016) Teachersrsquo dispositions towards the role of digital devices in play-
based pedagogy in early childhood education Early Years Vol 36 (3) 305-321 DOI
1010800957514620161174816
Pajares M (1992) Teachersrsquo beliefs and educational research cleaning up a
messy construct Review of Educational Research (62)3 307ndash32
Papadakis S Kalogiannakis M amp Zaranis N (2016) Comparing tablets and
PCs in teaching mathematics An attempt to improve mathematics competence in
early childhood education Preschool amp Primary Education 4(2) 241-253
Parette HP Blum C and Quesenberry AC (2013) The role of technology for
young children in the 21st century in HP Parette and C Blum (eds)
Instructional technology in early childhood (pp 1-28) Brookes Publishing
Parette H P Quesenberry A C amp Blum C (2010) Missing the boat with
technology usage in early childhood settings A 21st century view of
developmentally appropriate practice Early Childhood Education Journal 37(5)
335-343
Parry RL (2013) Children Film and Literacy Basingstoke Palgrave Macmillan
23
Plowman L and Stephen C (2005) Children play and computers in pre-school
education British Journal of Educational Technology 36 (2) pp 145-157
Plumb M and Kautz K (2015) Barriers to the Integration of Information
Technology within Early Childhood Education and Care Organisations A Review of
the Literature Presented at the Australasian Conference on Information Systems
2015
Rosaen C and Terpstra M (2012) Widening worlds understanding and teaching
new literaciesrsquo Studying Teacher Education A Journal of Self-study of Teacher
Education Practices 8(1) 35ndash49
Thorpe K Hansen J Danby S Davidson C Zaki F M Grant S and Given
L M (2015) Teachers teaching and digital technologies reports from the early
childhood classroom Early Childhood Research Quarterly 32 httpdxdoiorg
101016jecresq201504001
Van Driel JH and Berry A (2012) Teacher Professional Development Focusing
on Pedagogical Content Knowledge Educational Researcher Vol 41 (1) pp26
-28
Voogt J Laferriegravere T Breuleux A Itow R C Hickey DT and McKenney S
(2015) Collaborative design as a form of professional development Instructional
Science 43 259 doi101007s11251-014-9340-7
Voogt J and McKnney S (2016) TPACK in teacher education are we preparing
teachers to use technology for early literacy Technology Pedagogy and
Education Published online ahead of print 4th May 2016 httpdxdoiorg
1010801475939X20161174730
Wenger E (1998) Communities of Practice Learning Meaning and Identity
Cambridge Cambridge University Press
24
Wood E Specht J Willoughby T and Mueller J (2008) Integrating Computer
Technology in Early Childhood Education Environments Issues Raised by Early
Childhood Educators Alberta Journal of Educational Research 54 (2) pp
210-226
25
Nikolopoulou K and Gialamas V (2013) Barriers to the integration of computers
in early childhood settings Teachersrsquo perceptions Education and Information
Technologies pp 1-17
Onnismaa E-L Rintakorpi K amp Rusanen S (2014) ldquoTake a picturerdquo Children as
photographers and co-constructors of culture in an early childhood education
environment In H Ruismaumlki amp I Ruokonen (eds) Voices for Tomorrow Sixth
International Journal of Intercultural Arts Education University of Helsinki Research
Report 352
Palaiologou I (2016) Teachersrsquo dispositions towards the role of digital devices in play-
based pedagogy in early childhood education Early Years Vol 36 (3) 305-321 DOI
1010800957514620161174816
Pajares M (1992) Teachersrsquo beliefs and educational research cleaning up a
messy construct Review of Educational Research (62)3 307ndash32
Papadakis S Kalogiannakis M amp Zaranis N (2016) Comparing tablets and
PCs in teaching mathematics An attempt to improve mathematics competence in
early childhood education Preschool amp Primary Education 4(2) 241-253
Parette HP Blum C and Quesenberry AC (2013) The role of technology for
young children in the 21st century in HP Parette and C Blum (eds)
Instructional technology in early childhood (pp 1-28) Brookes Publishing
Parette H P Quesenberry A C amp Blum C (2010) Missing the boat with
technology usage in early childhood settings A 21st century view of
developmentally appropriate practice Early Childhood Education Journal 37(5)
335-343
Parry RL (2013) Children Film and Literacy Basingstoke Palgrave Macmillan
23
Plowman L and Stephen C (2005) Children play and computers in pre-school
education British Journal of Educational Technology 36 (2) pp 145-157
Plumb M and Kautz K (2015) Barriers to the Integration of Information
Technology within Early Childhood Education and Care Organisations A Review of
the Literature Presented at the Australasian Conference on Information Systems
2015
Rosaen C and Terpstra M (2012) Widening worlds understanding and teaching
new literaciesrsquo Studying Teacher Education A Journal of Self-study of Teacher
Education Practices 8(1) 35ndash49
Thorpe K Hansen J Danby S Davidson C Zaki F M Grant S and Given
L M (2015) Teachers teaching and digital technologies reports from the early
childhood classroom Early Childhood Research Quarterly 32 httpdxdoiorg
101016jecresq201504001
Van Driel JH and Berry A (2012) Teacher Professional Development Focusing
on Pedagogical Content Knowledge Educational Researcher Vol 41 (1) pp26
-28
Voogt J Laferriegravere T Breuleux A Itow R C Hickey DT and McKenney S
(2015) Collaborative design as a form of professional development Instructional
Science 43 259 doi101007s11251-014-9340-7
Voogt J and McKnney S (2016) TPACK in teacher education are we preparing
teachers to use technology for early literacy Technology Pedagogy and
Education Published online ahead of print 4th May 2016 httpdxdoiorg
1010801475939X20161174730
Wenger E (1998) Communities of Practice Learning Meaning and Identity
Cambridge Cambridge University Press
24
Wood E Specht J Willoughby T and Mueller J (2008) Integrating Computer
Technology in Early Childhood Education Environments Issues Raised by Early
Childhood Educators Alberta Journal of Educational Research 54 (2) pp
210-226
25
Plowman L and Stephen C (2005) Children play and computers in pre-school
education British Journal of Educational Technology 36 (2) pp 145-157
Plumb M and Kautz K (2015) Barriers to the Integration of Information
Technology within Early Childhood Education and Care Organisations A Review of
the Literature Presented at the Australasian Conference on Information Systems
2015
Rosaen C and Terpstra M (2012) Widening worlds understanding and teaching
new literaciesrsquo Studying Teacher Education A Journal of Self-study of Teacher
Education Practices 8(1) 35ndash49
Thorpe K Hansen J Danby S Davidson C Zaki F M Grant S and Given
L M (2015) Teachers teaching and digital technologies reports from the early
childhood classroom Early Childhood Research Quarterly 32 httpdxdoiorg
101016jecresq201504001
Van Driel JH and Berry A (2012) Teacher Professional Development Focusing
on Pedagogical Content Knowledge Educational Researcher Vol 41 (1) pp26
-28
Voogt J Laferriegravere T Breuleux A Itow R C Hickey DT and McKenney S
(2015) Collaborative design as a form of professional development Instructional
Science 43 259 doi101007s11251-014-9340-7
Voogt J and McKnney S (2016) TPACK in teacher education are we preparing
teachers to use technology for early literacy Technology Pedagogy and
Education Published online ahead of print 4th May 2016 httpdxdoiorg
1010801475939X20161174730
Wenger E (1998) Communities of Practice Learning Meaning and Identity
Cambridge Cambridge University Press
24
Wood E Specht J Willoughby T and Mueller J (2008) Integrating Computer
Technology in Early Childhood Education Environments Issues Raised by Early
Childhood Educators Alberta Journal of Educational Research 54 (2) pp
210-226
25
Wood E Specht J Willoughby T and Mueller J (2008) Integrating Computer
Technology in Early Childhood Education Environments Issues Raised by Early
Childhood Educators Alberta Journal of Educational Research 54 (2) pp
210-226
25