This paper will discuss the beliefs and experiences of early childhood educators across three countries, England, Norway and Greece, in relation to the use of touchscreen technology with the youngest children in their settings. Building on previous research which explored parents’ perspectives, this study now extends the investigation to early childhood educators who play a key role in children’s learning and development. A detailed online survey was implemented across the three countries based on Bronfenbrenner’s ecological framework and with a focus on their teaching philosophy. Findings indicate that although there are some pertinent cultural differences, overall educators are generally confident when using technology for work/personal purposes but less so when integrating technology with very young children. Educators across all countries were not satisfied with their training. The country of origin had a significant impact on teachers’ philosophy and their views towards technology, with Norwegian educators reporting the most positive views towards using touchscreen technologies in educational settings with very young children. Macrosystemic factors in each country could be explored in future research to contribute to a deeper interpretation of similarities and differences between countries and cultural contexts.

Children are increasingly growing dependent on touchscreen technology, which has become a recurring feature within the classroom. Nonetheless, do we really know the impact technology has on primary education, more specifically mathematics. Some research has investigated the potential effect of using computer-based tests to assess pupil’s performance rather than traditional paper tests. Yet, an agreement has still not been formed which is best. Thirty-seven participants between the ages of 4-7-years old were recruited from a West Midlands primary school. A mathematical test on paper and an iPad was administered to each participant, with a week’s interval between and an interview taking place after each test. The results showed that gender and test type impacts mathematical test scores, with females performing the best on the iPad test. The study also established that as tablet usage increased, iPad mathematical test scores decreased; this was especially significant when tablet usage exceeded 60 minutes per day. The interviews revealed that females rely on tangible objects in order to answer questions on addition and males used mental representations to answer questions on counting. The findings suggest that female’s academic attainment increases when technology is used in the classroom. The paper also discusses gender differences in technology usage and implications related to the educational system.