Teachers' Perspectives on Using Technology to Promote Litracy in Children Between 4-6 Years in Saudi Arabia Pre-Schools in Al-Baha

Abstract

Recently, the widespread use of technology and digital applications has transformed the educational process, impacting the learning environments of pre-schools around the globe. Consequently, it has affected the roles of practitioners in teaching young children, specifically, teaching them reading and writing skills. This study aims to explore the perspectives of preschool teachers in the use of educational applications to teach reading and writing skills to pre-school children. The study was conducted on 10 pre-school teachers working in 6 schools in Al-Baha City, Saudi Arabia. The results showed teachers’ positive opinions towards technology and educational applications in teaching reading and writing skills to pre-school children. They also present different teachers' methods of integrating technology with teaching children reading and writing skills. The study found that most teachers use educational applications on tablets such as Adnan, Lamsa and YouTube to teach reading and writing skills, while some teachers use computer software to teach writing like Microsoft (MS) Word, Paint and Notes. A few of the teachers preferred to use traditional methods more than technological methods in teaching writing for physical reasons, as they believed that technology could affect the development of small muscle growth due to the reduction of writing by pens and papers and the damage caused by excessive use of technology on the body, despite their support for the importance of technology in educating children in the present day. Teachers reported using technology during the daily program periods, especially in the main period and the final meeting periods, individually and collaboratively. Teachers also determined their uses of technology according to the educational activities – whether for evaluation of children's progress or for teaching writing and reading skills. However, teachers expressed some obstacles that prevent them from using digital technology effectively in teaching children the skills of reading and writing, such as lack of professional and financial support and equipment. Therefore, this study highlighted the main challenges and obstacles of the implementation of technology in the pre-school educational process from the perspectives of pre- school teachers. The findings of this study could be used by the Ministry of Education and the other educational organisations to inform and support pre-schools, and improve the educational environment via the increased provision of training courses for teachers on using technology with children, providing technological devices and continuous maintenance that support teachers during their academic practices in teaching children reading and writing skills.