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Children’s educational and recreational engagement with digital technology and its potential learning and developmental outcomes from the perspective of practitioners and parents / HASAN GOKCEOGLU
Swansea University Author: HASAN GOKCEOGLU
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Copyright: the author, Hasan Gokceoglu, 2026. Distributed under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
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DOI (Published version): 10.23889/SUThesis.71605
Abstract
Children’s play in contemporary society is influenced by digital devices, both in their homes and educational settings, including preschool children. This thesis explores children's digital play within and outside of educational settings from the perspective of practitioners and parents, addres...
| Published: |
Swansea University
2026
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| Institution: | Swansea University |
| Degree level: | Doctoral |
| Degree name: | Ph.D |
| Supervisor: | Howard, J. and King, P. |
| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa71605 |
| Abstract: |
Children’s play in contemporary society is influenced by digital devices, both in their homes and educational settings, including preschool children. This thesis explores children's digital play within and outside of educational settings from the perspective of practitioners and parents, addressing gaps in understanding how children’s digital play in different environments and their potential learning and developmental outcomes. Adopting a mixed-method approach, the thesis combines quantitative and qualitative research to provide a holistic understanding of digital play. Quantitative data consisted of 188 parents who attended the online survey, while qualitative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with 11 parents and 12 practitioners.Quantitative data were analysed using chi-square tests, with Gamma used for ordinal relationships and Cramer’s V for measuring the strength of associations between nominal variables. It demonstrated that older children spend more time using computers and reading/writing apps. Boys spent more time playing video games, whereas girls preferred drawing apps. Qualitative data were analysed employing thematic analysis, and Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (EST) was adapted to contextualise digital play. Qualitative data identified the similarities and differences between digital engagement at home and in school. Both parents and practitioners asserted the value of educational and recreational engagement. They reported the impacts of recreational and educational engagement on children’s cognitive, language, creative, social-emotional, and physical development, including problem-solving skills, language acquisition, imagination and social-emotional skills. Educational engagement was more structured and goal-driven, while recreational play allowed more child autonomy. Furthermore, parents and practitioners raised concerns about the negative consequences of excessive screen time and inappropriate content, such as addiction, negative behaviours, speech delay and reduced attention span. Practitioners underscored the importance of parental active mediation and involvement in children’s digital play to mitigate adverse effects.Although the data aim to investigate micro- and meso-systems of children’s digital play, the findings also reveal influences from the exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem, such as school conditions, the effects of cultural norms and the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, understanding digital play through EST offers a multi-dimensional perspective by incorporating parents, practitioners and policymakers, providing valuable implications for educational practice and policy development. |
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| Keywords: |
Digital Play, Early Childhood Education, Children’s Development, Parental Mediation, Practitioner Perspectives, Ecological Systems Theory |
| College: |
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Funders: |
Republic of Türkiye, Ministry of National Education, Directorate General for Higher Education and Overseas Education |