Self-regulated learning of early childhood education students making oral storytelling with an app Maria Maria

This research analyses the level of self-regulation -based on the dimensions autonomy and affective-emotional reaction- of early childhood education students (N = 93) doing narrative tasks supported by the story-creation app Imagistory. To do that, a mixed methodology was employed: qualitative, through the systematic observation paying attention to 2 dimensions during the narrative process, and quantitative, with a non-experimental descriptive and correlational character. According to the results, it is verified that the autonomy in learning and the affective reaction increase during the narrative task supported by the app, irrespective of genre, age and tablets use. However, the extroversion and the skill level with the app are related to the increase of students' self-regulation and affective reaction. The experiences with app can be enriching at this educational level, as they contribute to self-regulation of students' learning, increasing their autonomy and spontaneity to carry out narrative tasks. They also favor communicative competence through oral expression based on illustrations and foster digital competence and visual literacy. Besides, the story supported by app offers children the opportunity to express their emotions, empathize with the characters, and increase their interest, curiosity, security and enjoyment, as they get involved in the story.