The study provides an overview of teacher perceptions regarding young children’s internet use and media education in pre-schools. Two focus-group interviews with 24 Estonian pre-school teachers were carried out in order to analyze their experiences and opinions about factors that influence pre-school children’s computer and Internet use. Pre-school teachers’ perceptions about their own role in shaping children’s media literacy were also examined. The results indicate that teachers consider the role of the family on children’s computer use to be more significant compared to their own role. Although the teachers started to acknowledge their own role as supervisors and parents’ counselors as the interviews progressed, no curriculum-based media literacy shaping is done in the classrooms. Furthermore, rather than developing children’s awareness of the media, various new media had been used as “enrichment” and significantly fewer activities that would actually help to shape children’s media literacy were mentioned.

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This study examines connections between two main growth environments -home and pre-school -in the formation of young children's new media preferences in the context of the ecological techno-microsystem and peer culture. The study assembles the results of three focus group based sub-studies with pre-school teachers (N=24), parents (N=20) and children between the ages of 5 and 7 (N=61). Samples were formed in pre-school childcare institutions, which in Estonia is for children aged 1,5 to 7. Research shows that other members of the pre-school group influence children's preferences in their use of new media. Parents consider the shaping of their children's preferences to be less connected to the children's relations with their peers. Teachers, on the other hand, ascribe the children's preferences to different aspects of the influence that their peers, siblings and parents can have on them.

Väikelaste kokkupuude puutetundlike ekraanidega algab juba imikueas ning esimese eluaasta jooksul saavad lastest regulaarsed meediatarbijad. Paraku ei ole ühest vastust, mil määral väikelapsed on suutelised puutetundliku ekraani vahendusel õppima ning kui palju nad vajavad selleks lapsevanema kaasabi. Kuna laste tehnoloogiakasutus on mõjutatud lapsevanemate uskumustest, on nende uurimine oluline. Uurimuse eesmärk on välja selgitada Eesti lapsevanemate arva mused puutetundlike seadmete kasutamise vajalikkuse kohta ning nende hinnangud juhendamisstrateegiatele nutiseadme kasutamisel väikelapseeas. Uuringust, milles osales 400 lapsevanemat, kellel on laps(i) vanuses 0-36 kuud, selgub, et peredes, kus vanemad seavad laste nutiseadmete kasutamisele nii aja-kui ka sisupiiranguid, kasutavad lapsed nutiseadmeid sagedamini kui peredes, kus piiranguid ei seata. Lapsevanemad näevad nutiseadme kasutamise eelisena seda, et laps õpib uusi oskusi, saab uusi teadmisi ning seade pakub lapsele meelelahutust. Nutiseadme võimaldamise peamine põhjus on vanemate võimalus teha samal ajal oma asjatoimetusi. 0-3aastaste laste vanemate seas pole aga välja kujunenud selgeid ja konkreetseid juhendamisstrateegiaid, pigem kasutavad vanemad nii aktiivse kui ka keelava juhendamise elemente korraga ja omavahel seotult. Tulemustest ilmneb, et puutetundliku ekraani kasutamise sagedus suureneb lapse vanuse kasvades. Samas ei mõjuta lapsevanemate haridustase nutiseadme kasutamise sagedust ega vanemlikke juhendamisstrateegiaid.

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