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).
6 responses to “Keep tablets within young children’s reach: Promoting agency through digital learning”
What types of professional development might be necessary for educators to create environments where technology enhances rather than interrupts play?
The study includes an online course to support educator, confidence, facilitation and practice related to technology. This is based on Bird and Edwards’ (2016) Digital Play Framework, which supports children to explore, acquire key skills, and problem solve. The aim of this course is to help create an enabling environment for competent technology use, that facilitates multi-modal play.
This type of play sees devices are used as a tool to enhance play and existing good practice. If children go on a minbeast hunt outside to find and identify insects, the study suggestion is not to use techonlogy instead of this, but to take the tablet with you!
Hi Andrea
Thank you for a superb presentation. Some of the questions from the chat pane are below. Some you answered on the day, some not – it’s up to you how you respond here.
Best wishes
Simon
What age do you think that children should begin to engage with technology?
What types of professional development might be necessary for educators to create environments where technology enhances rather than interrupts play/learning?
What other countries are you looking at outside the UK? It’s such a changing landscape and policy and practice seems to differ between countries
How did you get to the idea of children recording their play? What ethical issues might come from this?
How will children be supported to reflect on their learning?
Do you think this would replace some existing screen time or add to it?
Thank you for your kind words Simon. I will respond to questions that I did not answer during the presentation.
What age do you think that children should begin to engage with technology?
I would not want to state a specific age per se, although I am not in favour of babies or children, of any age isolated and locked into mindless content on screens for extended periods. For me, the question is about looking at broader definitions of technology and developmentally appropriate, enriching experiences for children.
Technology is everywhere, it is a huge part of our lives, and will be important for citizens of the future. Early childhood education centres around facilitating children’s awareness of the world around them, and supporting them to build firm foundations for the life.
Technology for babies and young children can include resources that support understanding of cause and effect, such as an interactive toy that lights up or plays music when touched or using a push-button unit at a pedestrian crossing. Further examples include self-service check outs in supermarkets and playing music with the help of Alexa. These all offer worthwhile opportunities to develop children’s sense of technology in everyday life, in an active and often collaborative way.
How did you get to the idea of children recording their play? What ethical issues might come from this?
I was keen to engage children in content generation to support their independence and agency, in an attempt to answer a key research question. I feel that this can demonstrate children’s varied and dynamic technology use, which could address some societal concerns related to this issue. I also felt that children revisiting their play-based learning through the recordings could offer extended opportunities for them to reflect, and communicate about this in my depth. This is also an approach reflected in some of the academic journals I have accessed as part of this study.
Ethical considerations include consent from a range of stakeholders, and assent from the children themselves. Secure and safe storage and deletion of the files, which are only accessible to authorised members of the research team. Respecting confidentiality and avoiding identifiable information being shared are also issues that require attention.