Technology education in early childhood education: a systematic review

Abstract

Technology education has become increasingly important during the last few decades. Previous studies, however, have paid insufficient attention to technology education for young children aged 3–8 years, compared to research in other age groups. This study presented a comprehensive overview of technology education in early childhood education studies, including curriculum, tools, research methods, and learning effects. The study found that technology education in ECE has grown fast as a result of technical breakthroughs, greater research funding, and increasing international interest in this field. Based on a systematic review approach, we confirmed the research focused on themes such as curriculum, robotics, programming, attitudes, and opinions between 2003 and 2021. This review examined 25 research papers on technology education in early childhood education. This study also indicated that future research directions, including comparing robot learning to traditional learning, using robots to improve students’ skills, thinking and problem-solving abilities, and assessing the effectiveness of using robots in learning and teaching. This study offers a holistic view of technology education research in early childhood education and provides future researchers with directions.