Domesticated Smartphones in Early Childhood Education and Care settings. Blurring the lines between pedagogical and administrative use.

The study explores how smartphones are used in a kindergarten where there is interaction between children, an adult and the smartphone. The researchers also look at how the perception of whether children are competent or not is portrayed in this situation.

The results showed that the phone was often used indiscriminately and seen as a source of truth. The researchers behind the study believe we should be more aware of how we use technology in kindergarten, because it can affect how children see themselves and their ability to think for themselves.

The data material consists of approximately 70 hours of video recordings from observations in a Norwegian kindergarten with 35 children aged four to six years and ten adults. The kindergarten had a strong focus on ICT, with access to tablets and interactive whiteboards. In addition to the video recordings, field notes and collaborative notes were also made during the fieldwork.

Sørenssen, I. K. & Bergschöld, J. M. (2021). "Domesticated Smartphones in Early Childhood Education and Care settings. Blurring the lines between pedagogical and administrative use". International Journal of Early Years Education, DOI: 10.1080/09669760.2021.1893157