THE FORMATION OF PRE-SERVICE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS' PERCEPTIONS ABOUT ICT USE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AFTER AN EXPERIENTIAL APPROACH

This research focuses on the views of the pre-service early childhood educators concerning the use and exploitation of computers in preschool children's education. It is attempted through this research to capture their perceptions before the attendance of a relevant laboratory course and it is compared with the formation of their views after the attendance of this course. During the laboratory course, students contact and interact with children of preschool age, ones that are occupied with computers, in order to gain a biomatic experience. Their views, initially, are recorded as cautiously positive, though it appears to be independent of their degree of familiarity with the use of computer. After gaining the experience with children, their views are configured as positively reinforced. The result suggests that the biomatic experience and the contact with children help future early childhood educators in shaping positive attitudes with regard to the use of computers in preschool children’s education.