Obstacles to the Use of Modern Technology from the Perspective of the Student Teacher in Early Childhood in Light of the Digital Transformation
Authors: Mostafa Safaa Mostafa Darwish , Jalil Rabah Ramzi Abdul , Alharbi Hibah Sultan , Shamshan Eshtyak Qaid Saeed , Elsadek Diaaeldin Abd Elraouf Abd Elsattar , El-Halim Naglaa Fathy Ahmed Abd 
Published: February 2025

Objective: The aim of the research is to study the obstacles to using modern technology from the perspective of the student teacher in early childhood in light of the digital transformation.

Theoretical framework: Modern technology has invaded the educational field from all aspects, and its effects have become clear on children, teachers, and even institutions in the educational field. It is no longer just an auxiliary tool in education, but has become an essential part of the educational process and one of its components. Today, its use in dealing with kindergarten children has become an inevitable necessity; our society needs personalities capable of keeping pace with the changes and developments in the modern era. Method: This research relied on the descriptive analytical approach, as it is the appropriate approach for the research questions and fulfills the achievement of its objectives. A questionnaire was prepared to identify the obstacles to using modern technology in field training from the point of view of the student teacher in early childhood in light of the digital transformation and focused on teaching obstacles, administrative obstacles. Results and discussion: The results indicated that the total degree of obstacles to using modern technology in education from the point of view of student teachers came with a medium degree of approval, with an arithmetic mean (2.16 out of 3), and a standard deviation (0.35). The sample members’ approval of the dimension of administrative obstacles to using technology in education came at a medium approval level, with an arithmetic mean of (2.32 out of 3) and a standard deviation of (0.45). (5 paragraphs) of the dimension’s paragraphs obtained a high approval level, the highest of which was paragraph No. (1), which states (the lack of educational technology devices needed to teach children) with an arithmetic mean of (2.52 out of 3), and the lowest of which was paragraph No. (10), which states (poor maintenance of educational electronic devices), with an arithmetic mean of (2.37 out of 3), while the rest of the dimension’s paragraphs obtained medium approval levels from the research sample members, the highest of which was paragraph No. (6), which states (the weakness of the technical infrastructure provided by the kindergarten administration to activate technological learning) with an arithmetic mean of (2.33 out of 3), and the lowest of which was paragraph No. (7), which states (increasing unit activities limits the use of educational technologies), with an arithmetic mean of (2.08 out of 3). There are no statistically significant differences between the views of female students and teachers in early childhood on the obstacles to using modern technology in education on the dimensions (teaching barriers, administrative barriers, and total questionnaire score) are attributed to the variable of obtaining training courses.

Conclusion: The research concluded that early childhood teachers generally have positive attitudes towards the barriers to using modern technology in education (Prabahar et al., 2024) However, the main challenge identified was the lack of educational technology devices needed to teach children, poor maintenance of educational electronic devices, poor technical infrastructure provided by the kindergarten administration to activate technological learning, and increased unit activities limiting the use of educational technologies, which hinders the effective implementation of modern technology in early childhood education.

Research implications: This research highlights the need for better training and resources for early childhood teachers to use modern technology in education effectively in their teaching practices. It also emphasizes the importance of continuous cooperation and coordination between the administration, supervisors, teachers and student teachers to overcome obstacles and apply technology effectively.

Originality/Value: This research provides valuable insights into the perspectives of early childhood teachers to use modern technology in education effectively in their teaching practices, which contributes to following up on technological developments in the field of education, and benefiting from the latest tools and technologies to improve the education process.

Contributions: The research contributes to understanding the role of modern technology in education, especially in early childhood, and identifying the main obstacles that must be overcome for effective education.