THE EFFECT OF TECHNOLOGY-ASSISTED LEARNING ON CHILDREN: A CASE STUDY OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA, PAKISTAN

Abstract

This paper intends to explore the use of technology in classrooms and its effects on the learning ability and social exposure of children at the private-sector schools in district Mardan and Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The population of this study involved the students of Kindergarten, Grade I, and II, studying at Beaconhouse School System, The City School, and Roots Millennium, located in these districts. 5o students from the said population were selected through simple random sampling and they participated in this study by filling out a close-ended questionnaire. As theoretical background, this study used Vygotsky’s (1978) perspective of technical tools in the digital age, affecting the cognitive development of a child. The data is represented quantitatively in terms of frequency (percentages) through column charts. The findings of this study reveal that these children learn with different forms of technology in their classrooms such as computers, internet, projector, iPad, and tablet. In addition, they memorize things easily with this way of learning. Such learning is not only limited to their classrooms but they have also these various forms of technology at homes. It is also concluded that social exposure of children is not affected if the teachers make careful use of technology in the classrooms. This paper also encourages the government-sectors schools to install various forms of technology in classrooms for better learning. However, there is a need to explore this study by increasing the number of students and to address the challenges pertinent to government regarding the implementation of technology-assisted learning in schools.