To Örebro University

Modern preschool education is seen as an essential foundation for nurturing children’s digital literacy. Early childhood education environments have witnessed increased emphasis on integrating programming activities in combination with digital tablets. However, little is known about how preschool teachers implement programming as part of pedagogical strategies during practice. In Sweden, although there is a mandate to develop children’s understanding of the digital world, programming is not formally mentioned in the revised preschool curriculum. This study systematically investigates how Swedish preschool teachers implement programming activities in their teaching practice. Data was collected through a national online survey (n = 199). Findings revealed a range of apps and resources used in combination with tablets, where activity integration takes place as unplugged programming, digital programming, or as a combination of the former. Teachers markedly attributed intended learning goals around programming to tenets of computational thinking and “twenty-first century skills”. Moreover, programming was often actively linked to learning in other domains such as science, technology, mathematics, and language, approaches that show traditional Swedish preschool teaching practices being recontextualized in terms of programming. Based on the reported findings that provide insight into the implementation of programming in preschools, a logical future research avenue lies in exploring the documented programming activities from the perspective of the children.

The availability of digital tablets in preschools has increased significantly in recent years. Literature suggests that these tools can enhance students’ literacy and collaborative skills. As society becomes increasingly digitized, preschool curriculum reform also emphasises the subjects of technology and science as priority areas of learning. Teachers’ knowledge and experiences are of utmost importance in carrying out this mandate. Few studies have explored the use of digital tablets to teach preschool technology and science in Sweden, and there is an urgent need to ascertain the role of digital aids as teaching tools. This survey study seeks to determine how digital tablets are used to support preschool children’s learning in general, and with respect to technology education. Preschool educators (n = 327) across Sweden responded to an online survey consisting of 20 closed and 6 open items that probed the use of digital tablets. Survey results revealed a high degree of engagement with digital tablets in preschools, with activities directed toward various subject-related, social and generic skills. Programming, invention, construction and creation, problem-solving, and design emerged saliently as tablet activities in technology subject areas. Opportunities for providing meaningful learning tasks and digital adaptability were seen as pedagogical benefits of using tablets, but increasing expectations to integrate tablet activities with an accompanying lack of digital skills were expressed as limitations. Teachers’ recommendations for future tablet use included defining clearer curriculum guidelines for tablet implementation and adequate training for acquiring digital competence.

The availability of digital tablets in preschools has increased significantly in recent years. Literature suggests that these tools can enhance students’ literacy skills, as well as improve student collaboration. Society is becoming increasingly digitized and the Swedish preschool curriculum includes technology and science as priority areas of learning. Preschool teachers’ knowledge is of utmost importance in helping carrying out this mandate. Since there have been few studies on the use of digital tablets in preschool technology and science education in a Swedish context, there is an urgent need to explore the role and influence of digital tools as teaching tools, in an effort to exploit the potential pedagogical opportunities offered by digital technology. The current study investigates what features and aspects of digital tablet technology preschool teachers use to teach technology and science in preschools. Preschool educators throughout Sweden responded to an online survey consisting of 20 closed and 6 open items that probed teachers’ use of digital tablets. Results show that programming, invention, construction, creation, entrepreneurship and designing with the support of digital tablets are emerging technology education activities in preschool. This finding is in line with a revised Swedish curriculum to be completed in 2018. Teacher scaffolding in conjunction with different digital tablet applications could help to develop children’s ability and confidence to invent, program, create and design. Future work will consist of conducting interviews with preschool teachers to obtain a deeper understanding of the themes that emerged from the survey.