Peer-reviewed article
Framing adequate digital competence in early childhood education
Davoud Masoumi, Maryam Bourbour ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study explores what digital competence means for young children in preschool settings, based on interviews with 13 Swedish preschool teachers. Teachers view adequate digital competence as going beyond safe technology use to include familiarity, confidence, critical thinking, ethical responsibility, problem-solving, and being a creator rather than just a consumer. The research identifies seven key dimensions that preschools can use to help young children develop digital skills appropriately.
Key points
- Preschool teachers characterize adequate digital competence across seven dimensions: familiarity, confidence, use skills, critical approach, ethical competence, problem-solving, and production capabilities
- Digital competence is understood as more complex than simply using technology safely
- Ethical media competence includes moral, formal, and legal responsibilities
- Children should be producers of digital content, not only consumers
- The framework offers guidance for preschools to foster digital competence at an appropriate developmental level
Limitations
The study is based on teacher perceptions only and does not measure actual children's competence or outcomes. The findings are specific to Sweden and may not reflect practices or expectations in other countries with different educational systems.
Abstract
Abstract Developing children’s abilities to act safely, respectfully, and responsibly in digital environments has been an essential component of educational systems for all ages. This study aims to explore what adequate digital competence is in early childhood education and how preschool teachers characterise young children’s adequate digital competence. The research seeks to address these questions by conducting in-depth interviews with 13 preschool teachers at three preschools in Sweden. The collected data were analysed using thematic analysis in accordance with the Grounded Theory perspective. Preschool teachers characterize adequate digital competence in early childhood education as more than just a skillful and safe use of digital technologies. The study reveals seven key themes in which preschool teachers characterise children’s adequate digital competence: (a) to become familiar with digital technologies; (b) to dare try digital technologies; (c) to use digital technologies; (d) to have a critical approach toward digital technologies; (e) to have ethical media competence, which includes moral, formal, and legal responsibilities; (f) to have problem-solving skills; (g) and to be producer, not just a consumer of digital technologies. By framing and exemplifying children’s adequate digital competence, the findings of this study offer a potential framework for preschools and preschool teachers to foster children’s digital competences at an appropriate level.