Incorporating interactive electronic storybooks into shared reading programs by kindergarten teachers: A multiple case study

This qualitative study investigated how two kindergarten teachers used interactive electronic storybooks (referred to as e-storybooks) for shared reading, as well as their attitudes towards adopting this tool as a resource for shared reading. The research inquiry was guided by three research questions: 1) What instructional strategies did the kindergarten teachers employ to try to achieve pedagogical effectiveness of the e-storybooks for shared reading programs? 2) What problems did the kindergarten teachers encounter in utilizing the e-storybooks for shared reading programs, and how did they try to overcome them? 3) What were the kindergarten teachers’ attitudes towards adopting e-storybooks as a resource for their reading block? Three sources of data were collected: interviews, observations, and documents. Each teacher was required to conduct shared reading of the interactive e-storybooks with their participating students within six sessions of their reading block. Before each session, the researcher collected each teacher’s lesson plan for using the e-storybook along with the materials and worksheets given to the students. The researcher interviewed each teacher at three time points of the study: before using the e-storybooks, after using the first three e-storybooks, and after using all of the six e-storybooks. The researcher also observed each teacher’s application of the six e-storybooks in class. All these data were analyzed case by case through thematic analysis first and later by cross-case analysis. The results showed that the strategies both kindergarten teachers employed were identifying pedagogical objectives, analyzing the attributes of the e-storybooks, conducting instructional activities around using the e-storybooks, and evaluating the benefits and cost of using such resource. Their strategies were consistent with Salaberry’s (2001) four major considerations on how to achieve pedagogical effectiveness of technologies. However, the two teachers varied in their styles of presenting the e-storybooks. The teachers encountered a few common problems in utilizing the e-storybooks, and they also had their unique problems in using them. In face of those problems, the teachers found their ways to overcome them. Both teachers have been positive about adopting e-storybooks as a resource for their reading block, and they planned to continue using this resource after the research study. Finally, the implications of the results along with the strengths and limitations of the study were discussed