Early childhood teachers’ perceived barriers to ICT integration in teaching: a survey study in Mainland China

Abstract

This paper looked at the barriers to ICT integration in teaching practices from the perspective of Chinese early childhood teachers in Mainland China. A total of 46 Chinese early childhood teachers in Mainland China participated in this study. They were from three early childhood settings located in three different cities in terms of the administrative division. A self-designed questionnaire was adopted as the research instrument. It was found that a range of first-order barriers, which included lack of hardware (laptops, notebooks, and computers), lack of teaching content and material, as well as lack of pedagogical models were perceived as main barriers by the teachers. However, several second-order barriers, such as lack of teachers' interest, and lack of teachers' support were perceived as the least main barriers. Furthermore, the variable " ICT use in daily life " was found play an important role in determining the teachers' perceptions of barriers both on the overall level and on the specific level. Several recommendations for future practices and research were also provided.