Dissertation

Interactive Media in Early Childhood Education: Understanding Parent Expectations and Beliefs

Lang, Caroline A

2026

Overview

Digital media shapes children’s learning experiences at home and in the classroom. Research found that early years are critical for cognitive and behavioral development, and there is an on-going discussion about how to respond to the growing presence of technology in the lives of young children. As technology exposure becomes more prevalent in early childhood education, parents, teachers, and caregivers must decide how young students interact with technological devices and what boundaries to set. In this study, I examined how PK4 teachers used interactive media in the classroom and compared that to the beliefs held by classroom parents regarding interactive media. Previous research found that parents regulate media use at home but are not fully aware of how interactive media is implemented throughout the school day. In this study, I explore parents’ beliefs and expectations of interactive media use within the preschool setting. I observed current interactive media use within the preschool setting and analyzed if it’s use aligned with parents’ beliefs and expectations.I conducted a qualitative case study that utilized a combination of semi-structured interviews and direct observations to address the differing views of incorporating interactive media in the early childhood setting. Twelve preschool parents at one school were interviewed to understand interactive media beliefs and expectations, and three preschool teachers at the same school were interviewed and observed to identify current interactive media implementation. Previous research on technology best practices with young children helped shape the Technology Framework. This framework formulated interactive media domains that were used to assess alignment of parent expectations and current classroom use. For the data analysis process, I utilized a combination of inductive and deductive coding through the NVivo coding platform.I found preschool parents communicated positive views of interactive media use within the preschool setting. Parents described interactive media as a future-facing and learner-supportive tool, and they also emphasized that its role within the PK4 environment should be balanced and complementary to teacher led instruction. Parents’ expectations of classroom media use, according to the seven interactive media domains, were consistent with research-based best practices. Findings then highlighted current classroom media use within each domain. The final findings assessed the alignment between parent expectations and classroom interactive media use. Drawing from the Technology Framework’s interactive media domains, I identified alignment in four interactive media domains: Devices Used, Amount of Time, Student Engagement, and Teacher Engagement. I also identified misalignment in three domains: Programs Used, Subjects Used In, and Subjects Not Used In. I also found that misalignment was driven by limited parent awareness, not conflicting expectations. Parents described trust in the school to make developmentally appropriate decisions about interactive media implementation in the PK4 classroom. They assumed teachers were already enacting safeguards that align with the school’s values. Parents’ trust in the school, therefore, explained this misalignment.There are several implications from my study. First, the school could be clearer with the greater community about technology implementation during the school day. There is a need to address how and why interactive media is used in early childhood that align with previous literature’s best practices. Moreover, I found misalignment between parent expectations and classroom practice in three domains, including unawareness of programs used at school and subjects interactive media was utilized in. Lastly, I identified a high level of institutional trust from parents; however, this trust must be maintained and fostered by the school.

• Publisher: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
• Subject: Early childhood education / Educational leadership / Educational technology
• ISBN: 9798247946991