Mapping the quality of teacher-pupil interactions in lessons with and without the use of tablets during a typical school day in first grade

The quality of teacher-pupil interactions is important for pupils' learning and engagement, and teachers play an important role in facilitating learning. Tablets are often used in primary education. This study evaluated the quality of teacher-pupil interactions during first-grade lessons, with and without tablets, during a typical school day across 18 classrooms. The Classroom Assessment Scoring System (R) K-3 was used to assess the quality of the interactions, and the utilisation of tablets was coded using time sampling. Overall, the quality of teacher-pupil interactions for the domains of emotional support and classroom organisation were high, in contrast to the domain instructional support, which was low in quality. The quality of teacher-pupil interactions was generally consistent throughout the day; a small difference was identified where the quality was slightly lower for a positive climate, regard for student perspectives and language modelling in lessons with tablets, compared to those without.