Research project Workplace learning and digital technology in preschool
The use of digital technology in preschool has long been the subject of both research and political debate. This study examines how preschool staff’s learning and pedagogical work are shaped in everyday practice, in a context where working conditions have long been shaped by the ongoing digitalization debate.
In Sweden, several digitalization initiatives for education have been implemented since 2017, but the most recently proposed digitalization strategy was revoked in 2022, in connection with a renewed political debate about “screen time in preschool.” At the same time, the preschool curriculum has been revised, removing the goal that children should be given opportunities to develop digital competence. In the new curriculum, which took effect on July 1, 2025, the emphasis is instead that preschool education should rest on scientific evidence and proven experience, with analogue tools as the first choice. The selection of learning tools should be adapted to children’s age and maturity.
Preschool educators need to make well-informed decisions about when and how digital technology can be used in pedagogical and meaningful ways—that is, they need digital competence. However, according to the Swedish National Agency for Education, many report lacking sufficient continuing professional development (CPD) in this area.
There is limited research in this field, and the main aim of this project is to explore how workplace learning about digital technology takes place in preschools, how these conditions and affordances influence preschool educators’ pedagogical practices in everyday work, and how staff navigate a shifting political landscape.
Project description
In this study, professional development is defined as the methods and activities used to enhance educators’ knowledge and their ability to carry out and improve their work. International survey studies within the field of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) show that professional development focused on digital technology increases preschool teachers’ technical skills as well as their pedagogical work with digital tools.
Workplace learning is understood in this study as the continuous learning that occurs through daily work, encompassing both the relationship between individuals’ potential learning opportunities and their personal engagement in them. This includes both formal learning contexts (e.g., professional development initiatives) and non-formal contexts (e.g., teachers’ own learning strategies).
In some Swedish municipalities, there are designated educators responsible for CPD in digital technology, referred to as ICT educators. ICT stands for information and communication technology, and the term is used in preschools and schools as synonymous with digital technology in pedagogical contexts. ICT educators are tasked with supporting preschool staff by, for example, meeting with them, providing courses, and answering their questions. At the same time, the Swedish Schools Inspectorate reports in their quality review that preschool educators generally feel that the professional development they receive does not meet their needs, and sometimes it is not applied at all. Swedish research also shows that preschool teachers seek informal ways to develop their skills with digital tools, such as asking questions in online pedagogical forums for preschool teachers.
This study aims to address this research gap by examining how preschool educators’ pedagogical work and learning with digital technology are organized, enacted, and developed, as well as how staff navigate a shifting political landscape. The study includes interviews, video observations, and reflective conversations conducted through fieldwork, meaning long-term and repeated visits to different preschools in various municipalities. The study has the potential to provide an evidence base for policymakers, preschool principals, ICT educators, and preschool staff to develop these practices by addressing didactic questions about how pedagogical work supports the development of children’s digital competence, considering both the work of preschool educators and ICT educators
Project members
Project managers
Marianne Gallardo
PhD student
Members
Eva Svärdemo Åberg, co-supervisor
