This work set out to explore the pedagogical practices that are developing through the use of tablets in relation to literacy learning. Presently this is the Ministry of Education’s top strategic priority in Malta. Whilst this study acknowledges that tablets are not a quick-fix solution to major language and literacy problems, it explores the advantages and the challenges involved in using tablets in the classroom. The study also aims to present a critical review of pedagogical practices with regard to the use of tablets in order to identify those practices that can make a positive contribution to children’s literacy learning.
In order to fulfil this aim, I conducted an empirical study in two classrooms of a Maltese state school between February and June 2016. In two small classrooms, 11 students were observed in depth, and the use of tablets was video-recorded and / or photographed. Children also captured photographs of their tablet-focused lessons and these informed discussions with them. My approach was interpretivist and qualitative data were generated during the lessons observed.
The key findings are that in the school that was the focus for this study, there were a number of benefits of using tablets in the classroom, and some challenges faced. The advantages of tablets in the classroom were their portability, which allowed children to roam about in the classroom and provided more autonomous learning; their touch screen facility, which allowed for an easier and more intuitive interaction for young children, and their facilitation of the use of a number of open-ended apps which facilitated the use of Maltese language. The challenges for teachers were related to managing the integration of tablets as relatively new technology into teaching and learning, as well as choosing the right apps for learning. Being portable devices, they posed more risks of being dropped and damaged by young children, adding to other costs involved including purchasing of apps. In addition, the study found that pedagogical practices demonstrated by the teachers were largely in line with those identified in the field as effective, such as the promotion of multiliteracies, engagement with a range of modes and media, and collaboration. However, the study also identified that some areas were less well developed, such as the use of playful pedagogies, innovation and experimentation, and critical thinking. The implications for teacher education in Malta are considered.
