Technology integration for young children during COVID-19: Towards future online teaching

Area of Science:

• Early Childhood Education
• Educational Technology
• Pandemic Pedagogy

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated digital technology integration in preschool education in Hong Kong.
• Educators faced new challenges in delivering instruction and engaging young learners online.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate preschool educators' views and practices regarding online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To identify factors influencing educators' expectations of future online teaching and parental acceptance.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to 1035 preschool educators across 169 institutions.
• Data were analyzed using multilevel mixed-response analysis and thematic analysis.

Main Results:

• 53% of educators expected online teaching to continue; only 11% believed parents would reject it.
• Factors like prior experience and specific teaching practices correlated with higher expectations for future online teaching.
• Challenges included engaging children online and inadequate parental support, impacting perceived future online teaching likelihood.
• Administrators and teaching assistants showed higher expectations for future online teaching and parental acceptance compared to teachers.
• Inadequate training, low family technical skills, and concerns about child well-being negatively influenced perceptions of parental acceptance.

Conclusions:

• Educators see potential in online learning communities to enhance parent-school connections and support children's learning needs.
• Addressing challenges in engagement, parental support, and training is crucial for effective online preschool education.