"Unequal Click"- Understanding Power in Digital Adoption Among Early Childhood Educators

Abstract

The growing use of digital technologies in early childhood education (ECE) has changed teaching practice, administrative procedures and communication with families. Storypark and SeeSaw are among the digital platforms that have become integral to daily work in ECE settings in Aotearoa New Zealand. Nevertheless, educators’ use of these technologies remains uneven. Existing research has examined digital skills, access and organisational influences on technology use, but little is known about how organisational power shapes educators’ digital participation in ECE.

This interpretivist comparative case study involved 16 participants from two ECE centres in Auckland, nine from Centre A and seven from Centre B. Semi-structured interviews explored educators’ experiences of digital technology use, organisational decision-making and participation. The data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis and interpreted through the Circuits of Power framework.

Centre A had integrated digital technologies across most areas of its work. Centre B used them more selectively, as a deliberate pedagogical choice to protect hands-on learning. Educators described access as broadly available in formal terms but unevenly usable in practice. Managers led decisions, in consultation with governance groups or staff, and little resistance was reported. Educators experienced inclusion and exclusion mainly through informal recognition and professional expectations, rather than deliberate exclusion. Organisational norms and routines shaped what counted as appropriate digital practice, while the format and pace of support shaped who felt able to take part. The study suggests that power over digital adoption in these centres operated more through shared meanings and everyday routines than through open conflict. Its contribution is a contextual account of the difference between formal access to digital tools and meaningful participation. For ECE leaders, the findings highlight the importance of professional expectations, a manageable pace of change and support suited to