Abstract
The presence of mobile technologies within preschool and elementary classrooms has been increasing, yet review studies which measure the effectiveness of mobile technologies to support children’s literacy achievement remains scarce. The purpose of this study is to conduct a systematic review to examine the influence of mobile technologies on pre-kindergarten—5th grade students’ literacy achievement between 2007 and 2019. Findings are reported according to study characteristics, followed by the patterns and trends related to achievement within and across literacy domains (phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, writing). We provide mobile device and app use strategies for teachers, while mapping clear research pathways for educational researchers and digital designers, with the ultimate goal of advancing the use of mobile technology to improve children’s literacy achievement.
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Appendices
Appendix 1
ERIC (EBSCO) Search Strategy
Search limited to January 2007 to 2019
((DE “Preschool Education” OR DE “Early Childhood Education” OR DE “Primary Education” OR DE “Elementary Education” OR DE “Preschool Children” OR DE “Young Children” OR DE “Toddlers” OR DE “Elementary School Students” OR DE “Kindergarten” OR DE “Grade 1” OR DE “Grade 2” OR DE “Grade 3” OR DE “Grade 4” OR DE “Grade 5”) OR TI ((“early childhood” OR preschool* OR “young child*” OR “early learn*” OR two-year-old* OR three-year-old* OR four-year-old* OR pre-kindergarten OR pre-K OR elementary OR primary OR kindergarten* OR “first grade*” OR “second grade*” OR “third grade*” OR “fourth grade*” OR “fifth grade*” OR “grade* 1” OR “grade* 2” OR “grade* 3” OR “grade* 4” OR “grade* 5” OR “grade* one” OR “grade* two” OR “grade* three” OR “grade* four” OR “grade* five”)) OR AB ((“early childhood” OR preschool* OR “young child*” OR “early learn*” OR two-year-old* OR three-year-old* OR four-year-old* OR pre-kindergarten OR pre-K OR elementary OR primary OR kindergarten* OR “first grade*” OR “second grade*” OR “third grade*” OR “fourth grade*” OR “fifth grade*” OR “grade* 1” OR “grade* 2” OR “grade* 3” OR “grade* 4” OR “grade* 5” OR “grade* one” OR “grade* two” OR “grade* three” OR “grade* four” OR “grade* five”))
AND
((DE “Handheld Devices” OR DE “Laptop Computers”) OR TI (mobile N2 tech* OR mobile N1 device* OR portable N1 device OR portable N1 tech* OR handheld N1 device* OR mobile n1 phone* OR app OR apps OR ipad* OR ipod* OR kindle* OR “Microsoft Surface” OR laptop* OR tablet* OR smartphone* OR iphone* OR android OR leappad OR leapfrog OR leaptop OR samsung) OR AB (mobile N2 tech* OR mobile N1 device* OR portable N1 device OR portable N1 tech* OR handheld N1 device* OR mobile n1 phone* OR app OR apps OR ipad* OR ipod* OR kindle* OR “Microsoft Surface” OR laptop* OR tablet* OR smartphone* OR iphone* OR android OR leappad OR leapfrog OR leaptop OR samsung))
AND
((DE “Literacy” OR DE “Reading” OR DE “Reading Ability” OR DE “Reading Comprehension” OR DE “Writing (Composition)” OR DE “Writing Ability” OR DE “Phonics” OR DE “Phonemic Awareness” OR DE “Vocabulary” OR DE “Vocabulary Skills” OR DE “Listening Skills” OR DE “Listening” OR DE “Listening Comprehension” OR DE “Speech Skills” OR DE “Speech Communication” OR DE “Visual Perception”) OR TI (literacy OR read* OR writ* OR composition OR phonic* OR “phonemic awareness” OR fluency OR vocabulary OR comprehen* OR listen* OR speak* OR visual) OR AB (literacy OR read* OR writ* OR composition OR phonic* OR “phonemic awareness” OR fluency OR vocabulary OR comprehen* OR listen* OR speak* OR visual))
Appendix 2
Theoretical frameworks in accordance with literacy domains
Theoretical framework | Reviewed studies | Examined literacy domain(s) |
|---|---|---|
Technology acceptance model (Davis 1986) | Comprehension | |
Theory of multimedia learning (Mayer 2005) | Li and Tong (2018), Richter and Courage (2017), Smeets and Bus (2012), Rivera et al. (2014), Wang et al. (2019) | Vocabulary Comprehension |
Modern learning theories (e.g., cognitivism, Dror and Harnad 2008) | Connor et al. (2019), Kim et al. (2011), Redcay and Preston (2016) | Vocabulary Comprehension fluency |
Sociocultural theory (Vygotsky 1978) | O’Toole and Kannass (2018), Rachels and Rockinson-Szapkiw (2018), Wang et al. (2019) | Vocabulary Comprehension |
Socio-constructivist (Crook 2002) | Vocabulary Fluency | |
Linguistic processing (e.g., Sénéchal and Cornell 1993) | Connor et al. (2019) | Vocabulary |
Transactional theory (Rosenblatt 1982) | Christ et al. (2019) | Comprehension |
New literacies theories (Kress 2003) | Christ et al. (2019) | Comprehension |
New literacies theory for the internet and ICTs (Leu et al. 2004) | McClanahan et al. (2012) | Comprehension fluency |
Dual coding theory (Clark and Paivio 1991) | Vocabulary Comprehension | |
Self-efficacy (Bandura 1977) | Rachels and Rockinson-Szapkiw (2018) | Vocabulary |
Supportive interactivity (Zucker et al. 2009) | Russo-Johnson et al. (2017) | Vocabulary |
Belajar Membaca Tanpa Mengeja, play approach (Noviana 2013) | Puspitasari et al. (2017) | Vocabulary |
STORY Mnemonic strategy (Dunn 2014) | Dunn (2015) | Writing |
Model-lead test strategy (Wolery et al. 1986) | Rivera et al. (2014) | Vocabulary |
Funds of knowledge (Moll et al. 1992) | Rivera et al. (2014) | Vocabulary |
Playful pedagogy (Moyles 2010) | Rogowsky et al. (2018) | Vocabulary Phonics |
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Eutsler, L., Mitchell, C., Stamm, B. et al. The influence of mobile technologies on preschool and elementary children’s literacy achievement: a systematic review spanning 2007–2019. Education Tech Research Dev 68, 1739–1768 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-020-09786-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-020-09786-1