Technology in Early Childhood Education: Electronic Books for Improving Students’ Literacy Skills

Abstract

This paper examines teachers’ perceptions about using electronic books (e-books) in early childhood education to improve students’ literacy skills. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 teachers in three different schools for this aim. Thematic analysis technique was used to analyze the views. The findings suggest that teachers’ perceptions of e-books are generally positive. During the interviews, most of the teachers stated that using e-books in early childhood increased the students’ interest in reading and their reading competencies. As a mechanism for rewarding, electronic badges integrated into the e-books were reported as a positive factor increasing the students’ interest in reading. However, technical problems and parents’ limited guidance were reported as the biggest challenges for the students and the teachers in the study.