INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY IN THE PRESCHOOL EDUCATION IN ROMANIA

Information and communication technology (ICT) is a major factor in shaping the global economy, while generating rapid changes in society, including the educational process. Using ICT in the educational process in kindergartens in Romania is a real challenge both for children and educators. The research was conducted on a sample of 114 people: 103 teachers and 11 principals selected out of 17 kindergartens/schools with preschool classes from Bucharest, 10 public schools/kindergartens and 7 private schools / kindergartens. The methods and data collection tools were: survey-based questionnaire and interviews. Some of the results of the research are the following. For example, teachers and executives believe that modern IT tools significantly increase the attractiveness of the educational process. The use of new technologies helps children develop their schooling skills and adapt more easily from the abstract to the concrete. The integration of new technologies into education is beneficial, greatly stimulates intellectual potential leading to an increase in cognitive performance. The paper presents the quantitative and qualitative studies that were made, together with the analysis of the results and its conclusions. The results of this research provide insights into the opinions of teachers on the use of new technologies in the teaching and learning process in the preschool education.