Technology is a contentious and emotive area within early years (EY) education, with variable teacher engagement. This is due to concerns such as pedagogical validity, safeguarding, and young children’s screen use (Bird and Edwards, 2016; Plowman, 2020; Vasconcellos, 2024). The removal of statutory EY technology teaching requirements in 2021 creates further complexity (Joines, 2024). This omission could be viewed as surprising with the ubiquitous nature of technology in 21st Century life, and “the … “fourth industrial revolution” where digital skills are central” (Early Education (2021, p. 5). Children’s innate interest in technology (Fantozzi, 2021) presents stark contrast here, which could indicate potential division between learners and educators. United Nations (1989) highlight the importance of valuing the child’s voice, which Bertram et al. (2025) assert is a concern for this marginalised group. The child’s perspective is often omitted from digital learning research studies (Dunn et al., 2018; Lindeman et al., 2021), which presents opportunities to broaden the existing evidence base.
This presentation explores whether tablets can support four and five year olds to develop independence and competence as learners. Adult involvement entails providing an environment conducive to children’s independent exploration. The focus will be on children’s ability to guide their own play-based learning discoveries, through technology use. Peer-to-peer communication and collaboration are central to the study drawing on Vygotsky’s (1978) social constructivist theory. The study aims to amplify children’s voices by ensuring their centrality to the project, as the main participants. The following research question will be considered:
To what extent can children’s agency be supported through tablet use by early years education providers in England?
The discussion relates to whether children’s personal learning reflections and realisations are enhanced through tablet use. Principal data will be generated solely from child-led, play-based learning, as opposed to adult-directed practice. Findings will be based on children’s use of tablets to photograph, film and reflect on learning episodes, with a peer. The recordings could promote deeper reflection, with potential to guide future independent learning. Children’s anecdotal comments will form a crucial part of the study, with explicit links to its overarching aims. Data analysis takes a thematic approach, based on a digital observation framework, to indicate children’s levels of agency and tablet use.
The findings may alter the EY sector view of technology, illuminating opportunities to embed it into provision. The study may be influential as it employs play-based approaches, central to best practice in this phase (Early Education, 2021). Findings could promote the incorporation of children’s voices and interests into learning provision, in support of agency development. Tablet manufacturers could be interested in the study, with potential connection between the devices and learning enhancement. Dissemination activity would include web-based promotion, conference presentations, and published reports, constituting an important addition to existing research in this area.
References
Bertram, T., Pascal, C., Lyndon, H., Formosinho, J., Gaywood, D., Gray, C., Koutoulas, J., Loizou, E., Vandenbroek, M. and Whalley, M. (2025) ‘EECERA ethical code for early childhood researchers’, European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 33(1), pp. 4-18. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2024.2445361 (Accessed: 11 March 2026).
Bird, J. and Edwards, S. (2016) ‘Children learning to use technologies in play: A Digital Play Framework’, British Journal of Technology, 46(6), pp. 1149-1160. Available at: doi:10.1111/bjet.12191 (Accessed: 10 March 2026).
Dunn, J., Gray, C., Moffett, P. and Mitchell, D. (2018) ‘It’s more funner than doing work’: children’s perspectives on using tablet computers in the early years of school, Early Child Development and Care, 188(60), pp. 819-831. Available at: DOI: 10.1080/03004430.2016.1238824 (Accessed: 10 March 2026).
Early Education (2021) Birth to Five Matters: Non-statutory Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Available at: https://birthto5matters.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Birthto5Matters-download.pdf (Accessed: 12 March 2026).
Fantozzi. V.B, (2021) ‘”It’s Everyone’s iPad”: Tablet use in a play-based preschool classroom, Journal of Early Childhood Research, 19(2), pp. 115-127. Available at: DOI: 10.1177/1476718X20983835 (Accessed: 9 March 2026).
Joines, F. (2024) Embracing Technology in the Early Years. Oxon: Routledge.
Lindeman, S., Svensson, M. and Britt-Enochsson, A. (2021) ‘Digitalisation in early childhood education: a domestication theoretical perspective on teachers’ experiences’, Education and Information Technologies, 26, pp. 4879–4903. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10501-7 (Accessed: 28 October 2025).
Plowman, L . (2020) Digital Play. Available at: https://www.de.ed.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2020-07/Digital%20Play%20-%20Plowman%202020.pdf (Accessed: 12 March 2026).
Vasconcellos, R. P., Sanders, T., Lonsdale, C., Parker, P., Conigrave, J., Tang, S., Borja del Pozo, C., Biddle, S. J. H., Taylor, R., Innes-Hughes, C., Salmela-Aro, K., Vasconcellos, D., Wilhite, K., Tremaine, E., Booker, B., and Noetel, M. (2025) ‘Electronic Screen Use and Children’s Socioemotional Problems: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Studies’, Psychological Bulletin, 151(5), pp. 513-543. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000468 (Accessed: 1 March 2026).
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978) Mind in society: Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/open/detail.action?docID=3301299. (Accessed: 14 March 2026).
United Nations (1989) A Summary of The UN convention on the Rights of the Child. Available at: https://www.unicef.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/UNCRC_summary-1_1.pdf Accessed: 15 March 2026).