ECE Teachers’ Use of Educational Technology in Early Mathematics Education and Its Association with Teacher and School Characteristics

Abstract

AbstractRecent studies point to the potential of using educational technology (ET) to stimulate preschoolers’ mathematical development. Despite the potential of ET for fostering early mathematics there is still limited insight into the extent to which ET is actually used in daily classrooms. We aimed to complement current insights into early childhood education (ECE) teachers’ use of ET in mathematics education and its association with school and teacher characteristics via an interview study with 342 ECE teachers in Flanders (Belgium). Our results indicated that about 1/3 of them did not adopt ET in mathematics education. Teachers who used ET reported various programs, with general preference for practice programs covering multiple mathematical competencies. Surprisingly, these programs were at least as frequently used to support basic ICT skills as to stimulate children’s mathematical development. Finally, the school’s ICT infrastructure, teachers’ ET competences and their computer experience at home were identified as key variables for teachers’ adoption of ET. We discuss the implications of our findings for ECE teacher training and professional development initiatives and point to avenues for future studies on the topic.