ERIC Number: EJ1446045
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024-Dec
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1059-0145
EISSN: EISSN-1573-1839
Tablets and Apps for Promoting Nanoliteracy in Early Childhood Education: Results from an Experimental Study
Journal of Science Education and Technology, v33 n6 p910-927 2024
Successful integration of digital technologies in the education of young children still needs to be solved. Despite a growing body of research focusing on learning through digital technologies in childhood, there are areas of knowledge where the impact of digital technologies has yet to be explored. A prominent example is nanoscience and nanotechnology (NST), a new interdisciplinary field that promises to solve long-standing global challenges. Considering that NST concerns elements that cannot be observed with the naked eye, their understanding by young children requires appropriate teaching methods. These distinctive aspects of NST align well with the capabilities of smart mobile devices, the critical feature of which is their ability to display interactive simulations and playful visualizations. This study investigates and compares the effect of using tablets and alternative experiential teaching on developing the ability to understand nanoscale elements. To implement the research, we conducted a week-long intervention, including experimental and control groups. Children in the experimental group participated in a nanoteaching session during the school curriculum, using educational software on tablets. The children in the control group participated in a precisely similar instruction but without using technology. To assess the children's performance, the Nanoscale Elementary Knowledge Comprehension Test (TENANO) created for the needs of this study was used. The sample consisted of 101 s-grade primary school children in Greece. The results showed that teaching with tablets compared to alternative experiential teaching contributed significantly to developing young children's nanoliteracy level. Moreover, gender and non-verbal cognitive ability did not seem to differentiate the development of children's ability to understand nanoscale entities.
Descriptors: Handheld Devices, Computer Oriented Programs, Literacy Education, Early Childhood Education, Technology Integration, Teaching Methods, Experiential Learning, Educational Technology, Elementary School Students, Foreign Countries, Gender Differences, Nonverbal Ability, Cognitive Ability, Scientific Concepts
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Greece
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A