Beyond Professional Development: A Case Study of Implementing iPads in Early Childhood Education
Abstract: In the rapidly changing context of highly ubiquitous mobile technologies, past assumptions about technology use and adoption within early childhood education are continuously evolving. This case study examines a two-year project on implementing iPads by 15 teachers from Hawaii preschools. Using a multiple methods case study approach and theoretical foundation of adoption theory, we found that previous assumptions about professional development need to be updated. Rather than questions of should technology be used, increasingly the concern is how to assist early childhood educators with the tools, knowledge, and strategies required to respond to such rapid shifts in the digital landscape.
Presider: Nancy Allen, Qatar University