Teaching Early Years Children during COVID-19 through Digital Technologies

Abstract

Covid 19 outbreak has its considerable effects on whole education system. Due to forced school closure many students have left schools. This study was conducted to check the influence of digital technologies on early childhood education during covid-19. Data were collected through convenience sampling technique. Respondents of this study were consisting on twenty teachers and head teachers of public and private schools of early childhood education. Data were collected through audio and written interviews. The findings of this study revealed that a number of ways were adopted effectively to transmit education to children at their home i.e. online Google classrooms and live sessions in Whatsapp groups, and Google meet/zoom, Blended learning system (LMS), skype.com, youtube.com, Go to meeting.com, Blacknoard.com, Zoom etc. Some challenges were also found in this study such as internet access issue, electricity issue, lack of technological equipment’s (laptop/ smart phones) lake of students’ attention, less skills to use technology that leads towards inefficient teaching at ECE level. It created difficulties for teacher, parent and students. A more interactive system of teaching to facilitate learning at early childhood level may be developed with all needs to be filled easily. Further online sessions may be organized to give awareness and knowledge about the use of technology and digital skills to parents and teachers with low level of digital literacy. Key words: Technological tools, digital skills, early childhood education, digital literacy, COVID-19