Improving motor skills in early education: using smartphones on the Brazilian – Bolivian border

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: Smartphones are a resource noticeably inserted into people’s daily lives, but they are not nearly as present within the various educational systems around the world. The improper use of smartphones can certainly carry some risks, such as a sedentary lifestyle or even addiction. For the aforementioned reasons, promoting literacy by using smartphones responsibly from an early age can be a promising element in early childhood education. In fact, there are some previous experiences where mobile technology alongside adequate teaching planning has led to students obtaining positive outcomes, especially within the areas of vulnerability and strong linguistic, cultural, economic, and social differences. Purpose: This research aims to analyse the impact of the educational use of mobile phones on motor development in a diverse context of early childhood education. Method: To achieve this goal, an educational programme was implemented with students in the second year of preschool (aged 4–5 years) and the first year of primary education (aged 5–6 years) at a Brazilian public school located on the border with Bolivia. This included a series of activities using smartphones, linked to complementary activities of a more traditional nature. The study consisted of a quasi-experimental design with a control (n = 28) and experimental group (n = 68). Measurements included the McCarthy Scales of Children’s Abilities, assessed qualitatively and administered as a pre-test and post-test. Results: The results showed how the group of students that participated in the educational programme improved their motor skills (24.544; p < .001) much more than the control group (6.593; p < .001) with a large effect size (.813). The analysis of variance showed significant differences between the experimental group and the control group in the pre-test and post-test for all the dependent variables that fulfilled the assumptions. To explain further, the variable called arms (throwing and catching) accounted for almost 30% of the variance due to the didactic-technological intervention (F = 38.006; p < .001; ηp 2 = .292), and was over 50% for the variable called draw-a-child (F = 93.188; p < .001; ηp 2 = .503) and 60% for the variable called general index (F = 138.599; p < .001; ηp 2 = .601). Conclusions: The main results of the study showed how the smartphone is a social tool, but it can also be a useful ally in the teaching-learning process in early childhood education. Planned mobile literacy can lead to improved motor skills, and it is a break from the stereotype of a sedentary lifestyle linked to smartphones, with especial reference to younger students in contexts of socio-cultural diversity.