Technology Use in Rural China Preschools and Its Educational Outcomes

• In Event: Understanding the Dynamics of Low-Resource Early Childhood Education Settings in Rural China

Abstract

Purpose
The use of technology, specifically Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in educational settings has been an active area of research for the past few decades. Though there is a growing popularity of ICT use in educational practices, few studies focused on the effects of ICT usage in preschool settings. This paper examines the relationship between ICTs available in rural Chinese preschools and the quality of early childhood literacy instruction.

Theoretical Framework
Studies on ICT use in educational practices do not have a consensus on the effects of ICT on learning outcomes (Watt, 2010; McCarrick & Li, 2007). Verhallen et al. (2006) showed that ICTs support students’ vocabulary learning and understanding and memory of the content. Li et al. (2019) revealed that ICT use played a negative role in facilitating communicative classroom discourses in Chinese elementary classrooms. There is also research demonstrating that technology itself is not the impactful factor, depending on how ICTs are utilized (McCarrick & Li, 2007). In that sense, the impacts of ICT usage in Chinese preschools are unknown, particularly its influences on teacher-student interaction.

Methods
This study utilized the data from One Village One Preschool (OVOP) project. Researchers focused on two questions:
1. How are ICT used in early childhood literacy instruction in rural China?
2. What is the relationship between ICT in classrooms and the quality of instruction?
Researchers did a descriptive analysis and regression models of ICTs present in OVOP classrooms. Videos of 78 literacy instructions were coded based on the type of ICT devices appeared in videos and how they were used. The quality of instruction in early literacy classrooms was measured using the interaction scores and total scores in the MELE test (Measurement of Early Learning Environment).

Results
The study found that about three quarters of OVOP classrooms have at least one ICT device available as a supplement for literacy instruction, in which the most common method of usage was to play audiobooks and show slides. The result shows that the increase in the quantity of smart boards and the display of slides can both predict higher teacher-children interaction scores. Whereas the increase in the quantity of phones predicts a lower teacher-children interaction score. A descriptive analysis of different classrooms may explain the results above for ICTs usage may influence students’ interests and/or attention on class content.

Significance
No prior study to date has been conducted examining the efficiency of educational technology use in rural China. This research, as one of the first few studies to look into this area, shows that there could be changes made in the use of existing technology. Policymakers could come up with explicit guidelines for technology use in classrooms. Local preschool administrative teams should take into account the technical support their rural teachers might need. Companies and sponsors ought to consider the usability of donations and the need for support along with the donations when making ICT donations to rural pre-schools.

Authors

• Connie Koo Woun Hur, Harvard University

• Jiaming Liu

• Yiran Chen