What influences teachers’ implementation of ICT in early childhood education? A qualitative exploration based on an ecological-TPACK framework

• How teachers make decisions about ICT implementation is influenced by their TPACK, which is further shaped by the ecosystem around teachers. • ECE teachers have subjective interpretations and active reactions regarding contextual factors that influence their TPACK and ICT implementation. • Teachers’ technological pedagogical and content knowledge components and the ecosystem elements surrounding them were interrelated. • The ecological-TPACK framework developed in the study is a useful tool for understanding the complicated nature of factors influencing ECE teachers’ ICT implementation. Teachers’ implementation of information and communication technologies (ICT) directly shapes how children learn in early childhood education (ECE) contexts. While the number of studies on teachers’ implementation of ICT in ECE settings has increased in recent years, a more comprehensive understanding of what decides teachers’ actual technology-based practices are still needed. Therefore, this study aims to gain an in-depth understanding of what factors may influence ECE teachers’ ICT implementation. Drawing on the TPACK model and the ecological theory, this study develops the ecological-TPACK framework that provides a lens for interpreting the complex explanations behind teachers’ ICT implementation practices. A qualitative research design that involves individual interviews, classroom observations and field notes was used to collect data. The findings show that participants made decisions about ICT implementation based on their TPACK, which is further shaped by the ecological context surrounding them. The analysis based on the ecological-TPACK framework found factors influencing participants’ ICT implementation are complex and interrelated, which shows this framework is a valuable tool for understanding the complicated story behind teachers’ ICT implementation. Implications for policy-making and future research direction, are addressed at the end of this article.