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Behavioral Sciences
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Young Children's Learning with Digital Media
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Young Children's Learning with Digital Media

A special issue of Behavioral Sciences (ISSN 2076-328X). This special issue belongs to the section "Educational Psychology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 April 2026) | Viewed by 2400

Editor

Dr. Astrid Wirth

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Education, University of Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria
Interests: digital media in early childhood; home kearning environments; emergent literacy; media literacy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Digital media is transforming the ways in which children acquire knowledge, develop skills, and engage with the world around them. From educational apps in early childhood education to interactive learning platforms and AI-based tutoring systems, children are increasingly engaging with digital technologies from a very young age, making digital media increasingly important. While digital media offers new opportunities for adaptive and flexible learning, it also raises questions about the cognitive, emotional, and social dimensions of learning with digital media.

The aim of this Special Issue is to bring together current research on how children learn with and through digital media. We are particularly interested in contributions that examine children’s social adaptation to digital media, the factors increasing children’s learning with digital media, and family-related factors. Studies may address, but are not limited to, the following topics:

  • Early childhood learning with digital media;
  • Screen time and attention regulation;
  • Children’s digital literacy;
  • Digital media and language acquisition;
  • Social–emotional learning in digital contexts;
  • Adaptive learning technologies and personalization;
  • The role of parents and educators in mediating digital learning;
  • Socioeconomic disparities in the access to and use of digital tools;
  • Methodological challenges in researching children’s digital engagement.

By collecting different perspectives, we seek to advance our understanding of how digital media shape children’s learning and development across diverse contexts and developmental stages. Therefore, we welcome empirical studies from different disciplines, including psychology, education, cognitive science, and related fields.

Abstract Deadline: 30.09.2025.

Notification of Abstract Acceptance: 14.10.2025.

Dr. Astrid Wirth
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Behavioral Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • digital media
  • media literacy
  • children’s learning
  • early childhood education
  • learning environment
  • digital tools
  • media education
  • media use
  • screen time
  • cognitive development

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

25 pages, 584 KB  
Article
Children’s Interest in Digital and Traditional Literacy Activities: A Mixed-Methods Study of Parents and Children
by Galia Meoded Karabanov and Dorit Aram
Behav. Sci. 2026, 16(7), 1222; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs16071222 (registering DOI) - 18 Jul 2026
Abstract
This mixed-methods study examined preschoolers’ digital home environment (DHE), parent–child digital and traditional literacy activities, children’s interest in literacy across modalities and parent and child perspectives on literacy practices. Participants included 121 Israeli parents of preschool-aged children and their children. Quantitative data were [...] Read more.
This mixed-methods study examined preschoolers’ digital home environment (DHE), parent–child digital and traditional literacy activities, children’s interest in literacy across modalities and parent and child perspectives on literacy practices. Participants included 121 Israeli parents of preschool-aged children and their children. Quantitative data were collected via parent questionnaires assessing joint digital literacy activities, general digital activities, parental involvement in selecting digital content, traditional literacy activities, and children’s interest in digital and traditional literacy. Qualitative data comprised parents’ open-ended responses about children’s digital media exposure and children’s perspectives on digital writing. Findings revealed positive associations between digital and traditional literacy practices in the home. Parent–child joint digital literacy activities emerged as the strongest predictor of children’s interest in digital literacy, beyond the effects of children’s age and traditional literacy practices. Conversely, parental involvement in selecting digital content was negatively associated with children’s interest in digital literacy activities. Qualitative findings indicated that parents perceived digital media use as offering educational opportunities while also raising developmental concerns, and placed strong emphasis on parental mediation and supervision. Children associated digital writing with learning, letters, and school-related literacy activities, while also linking computers with play and entertainment. Children’s preferences for handwriting versus keyboard writing were nearly equally divided, with explanations reflecting varied perceptions of convenience, enjoyment, and the meaning of writing in digital contexts. Together, these findings suggest that young children’s digital literacy experiences are shaped less by technology per se and more by the socially mediated interactions surrounding digital media use. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Young Children's Learning with Digital Media)
19 pages, 1340 KB  
Article
Educators’ Beliefs and Motivational Orientations as Predictors of ICT Use in Early Childhood Education
by Franziska Cohen, Theresia G. Hummel and Yvonne Anders
Behav. Sci. 2026, 16(7), 1219; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs16071219 (registering DOI) - 18 Jul 2026
Abstract
Digital technologies are an integral part of young children’s everyday lives, yet their pedagogical integration in early childhood education and care (ECEC) remains limited and highly variable across ECEC centers. Drawing on the extended Structure–Process (SP-E) framework, this study examines how structural characteristics [...] Read more.
Digital technologies are an integral part of young children’s everyday lives, yet their pedagogical integration in early childhood education and care (ECEC) remains limited and highly variable across ECEC centers. Drawing on the extended Structure–Process (SP-E) framework, this study examines how structural characteristics of ECEC centers, particularly the range of available ICT equipment, and educators’ ICT-related professional competencies, especially beliefs and motivational orientations, predict ICT implementation in pedagogical practice. Data from the DIGIPaed project comprised 266 educators across 97 German ECEC centers. Hierarchical regression models with cluster-adjusted standard errors were estimated for two outcomes: ICT use with children and pedagogical ICT activities. Results revealed distinct predictor patterns for the two outcomes. The range of available ICT equipment was positively associated with pedagogical ICT activities but not with ICT use with children. ICT-related self-efficacy was the only professional competence variable to predict both outcomes, explaining additional variance beyond structural conditions and beliefs. Centers with higher proportions of children with a migration background showed lower levels of ICT use with children. These findings suggest that ICT implementation in ECEC is not a unitary construct and that different dimensions of implementation may depend on different conditions. Self-efficacy emerged as a particularly promising target for professional development aimed at supporting meaningful ICT integration in ECEC centers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Young Children's Learning with Digital Media)
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17 pages, 269 KB  
Article
The Role of Digital Media in Early Childhood Education and Care: A Qualitative Analysis of Educators’ Perceptions
by Josipa Jurić, Linda Podrug Krstulović and Ines Blažević
Behav. Sci. 2026, 16(6), 970; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs16060970 - 11 Jun 2026
Viewed by 357
Abstract
Digital media is increasingly shaping the ways in which children learn, communicate, and participate in everyday activities from an early age. The aim of this study was to examine how educators in early childhood education and care perceive the role of digital media [...] Read more.
Digital media is increasingly shaping the ways in which children learn, communicate, and participate in everyday activities from an early age. The aim of this study was to examine how educators in early childhood education and care perceive the role of digital media in children’s learning, behaviour, and development, with particular emphasis on patterns of use, educational potential, and the role of educators and parents in mediating children’s digital experiences. The study specifically contributes to understanding these issues within the Croatian preschool context, where qualitative research on educators’ everyday experiences with digital media remains limited. The study employed a qualitative approach using focus groups conducted with a sample of 20 female educators from Croatia, organised into four focus groups. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings suggest that educators perceive digital media as a useful yet complex pedagogical tool whose value depends on the way it is used. A distinction was particularly evident between passive and active use of digital content, with active, guided, and purposeful use perceived as having greater educational potential. At the same time, educators also recognised the potential of digital media to support children’s learning, motivation, creativity, and engagement when integrated meaningfully into educational activities. Educators emphasized the importance of their own role in guiding children’s digital experiences, as well as the significant influence of the family environment on patterns of media use. They also highlighted challenges related to excessive screen exposure, the lack of clear pedagogical guidelines, and the need for additional professional support. The findings suggest the importance of strengthening educators’ digital competences, supporting collaboration with parents, and developing clearer pedagogical guidance for the use of digital media in early childhood education and care. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Young Children's Learning with Digital Media)
20 pages, 348 KB  
Article
Digital Home Learning Activities in Early Childhood: Associations with Socio-Emotional Difficulties
by Katerina Krousorati, Athanasios Gregoriadis and Anastasia Vatou
Behav. Sci. 2026, 16(5), 740; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs16050740 - 9 May 2026
Viewed by 418
Abstract
Families play a central role in shaping young children’s learning and development through everyday interactions and shared activities in the home environment. As digital technologies have become increasingly embedded in family life, digital home learning activities have emerged as a meaningful dimension of [...] Read more.
Families play a central role in shaping young children’s learning and development through everyday interactions and shared activities in the home environment. As digital technologies have become increasingly embedded in family life, digital home learning activities have emerged as a meaningful dimension of the broader Home Learning Environment, although research in this area remains limited. The present study examined the psychometric structure and characteristics of digital home learning activities and explored their associations with preschool children’s socio-emotional difficulties, as well as demographic factors related to variation in these activities across families. Data were collected from two independent parent samples (N = 308) of families with preschool-aged children. Digital home learning activities were assessed using the digital home learning activities subscale of the Home Learning Environment Questionnaire, while children’s socio-emotional difficulties were measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (Group A) and selected items from the Child Behavior Checklist (Group B). Confirmatory factor analyses supported a unidimensional structure with satisfactory reliability across both samples. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that digital home learning activities were generally not associated with children’s socio-emotional difficulties after demographic characteristics were taken into account. However, parent age and parent education were associated with variation in these activities across families. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Young Children's Learning with Digital Media)
29 pages, 429 KB  
Article
How Do Children Evaluate Scientific Explanations Provided by Digital Voice Assistants, Teachers, and Peers?
by Amanda S. Haber, Sona C. Kumar, Melia Swenson, Kara Bode and Elizabeth Ruel
Behav. Sci. 2026, 16(5), 661; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs16050661 - 27 Apr 2026
Viewed by 721
Abstract
As of 2025, there are approximately 154.3 million voice assistant users in the United States (Emarketer, 2025). Given the prevalence of digital voice assistants in children’s lives, it is critical to understand how children interact with and learn from such digital technologies. Across [...] Read more.
As of 2025, there are approximately 154.3 million voice assistant users in the United States (Emarketer, 2025). Given the prevalence of digital voice assistants in children’s lives, it is critical to understand how children interact with and learn from such digital technologies. Across two experiments, we utilized a modified selective trust design to explore children’s (N = 310) information-seeking behaviors towards technological and human sources in the science domain. In Experiment 1 (N = 143), we asked whether children (aged 4–6) are more likely to direct scientific questions towards and trust in scientific explanations from a digital voice assistant or a peer. The experiment included three parts: (i) scientific ask and endorse phase (ii) explicit judgement phase and (iii) digital voice assistant familiarity question phase. In the first part of the scientific ask and endorse phase, children were asked who they would rather ask to answer certain scientific questions. In the second part of this phase, the digital voice assistant and the peer each provided an explanation in response to that question. Half of the children were assigned to a condition where the digital voice assistant provided a noncircular explanation, and the other half of the children were assigned to a condition where the peer provided a noncircular explanation. In Experiment 2 (N = 167), we examined children’s preference to pose scientific questions to and trust in explanations from a digital voice assistant or a classroom teacher. Across both studies, children preferred to ask questions and trust scientific explanations from the digital voice assistant rather than the peer or the teacher. By understanding how children learn with and through digital technologies in the domain of science, we can design future interventions that leverage conversational AI to further enhance children’s science engagement and critical thinking skills during the early childhood years. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Young Children's Learning with Digital Media)
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