Digital Literacy Education Experiences and Support Needs of Early Childhood Teachers

Objectives The purpose of this study is to understand to meaningful educational experiences of early childhood teachers in digital literacy education and to examine their support need, thereby providing foundational data for early childgood digital literacy education. Methods To achieve this, interviews were conducted with nine early childhood teachers in ○○Metropolitan City. During the interviews, observation journals were also kept. Based on the interview results, individual experiences were analyzed, and the essence of these experiences was explored using a phenomenological research approach. The collected data were analyzed following the procedures outlined by Moustakas(1994). Results The findings of this study are as follows. First, early childhood teachers integrated various digital technologies into their teaching, which had a positive impact on both children and teachers. However, they faced challenges such as unstable internet connections, application errors, and a shortage of personnel during the implementation process. Second, to effectively implement digital literacy education in the future, the study identified several necessary support measures, including securing sufficient personnel, establishing a stable infrastructure, providing systematic and intensive training on digital literacy education, and offering activity guides and programs suitable for children’s developmental stages. Additionally, the study highlighted the need to foster a broader social consensus on the necessity and appropriateness of early childhood digital literacy education, along with policy changes to support its expansion. Conclusions This study confirms the educational value of digital literacy education in fostering positive learning outcomes for young children. It also provides insights into the specific challenges that early childhood teachers face when implementing digital literacy education in practice.