Research Article
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Assessing the Influence of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) Technologies on the Development of Basic School Learners in Nigeria

Year 2025, Volume: 58 Issue: 3, 1279 - 1304, 15.12.2025

Abstract

The Nigerian society is witnessing an increase in depression, and cyberbullying among the young generation, which has been traced to the constant use of technology, thereby raising concerns about its impact on a child’s development. This study examined the influence of 4IR technology on learner’s development. The research method for this study was a descriptive survey. All Basic school pupils in Ogun East Senatorial district served as the population. The study’s sample consisted of 2400 basic five5 students. A researcher-designed questionnaire was used for this study. The reliability of the questionnaire was carried out using the test-retest method with an index 0.83 obtained via Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC). Percentage and grand mean were used to answer the research questions. Multivariate regression analysis was employed to test the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. It was discovered that 4IR has the highest positive influence on cognitive development, while it did not influence the emotional development of basic school learners or their social and physical development. The government should develop educational apps, and virtual classrooms, that should include modules that promote empathy, and emotional regulation, to support the development of emotional and social skills alongside cognitive abilities.

References

  • Akintola, M. A., Adebayo, A. A., & Odutayo, A. O. (2025). Innovative Strategies for Integrating Entrepreneurship into Teacher Education: A Systematic Review. Ilorin Journal of Education, 45(2), 306–321. https://ije.unilorinedu.sch.ng/index.php/ije/article/view/257
  • Alotaibi, T., Almuhanna, R., Alhassan, J., Alqadhib, E., Mortada, E., & Alwhaibi, R. (2020). The relationship between technology use and physical activity among typically-developing children. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 8(4), 488-494. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare8040488
  • Baaitjies, R. (2019). The 4th Industrial Revolution: Implications for 21st century local governance, Transformer Journal, 20(1), 56-65.
  • Brody, J. (2015). Screen addiction is taking a toll on children - The New York Times. Retrieved from https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/07/06/screen-addiction-is-taking-a-toll-onchildren/?_r=0
  • Cantwell, A. (2020). Impact of internet on the social interaction of k12 children. Journal of Counselling, 15(1), 68–76. https://doi.org/10.751/6292.003.0003
  • Chukwu, C. (2018). Joint attention in the development of child’s interaction. Science of Development, 27, 62–81.
  • Cooke, J. E., Kochendorfer, L. B., Stuart-Parrigon, K. L., Koehn, A. J. & Kerns, K. A. (2019).Parent–child attachment and children’s experience and regulation of emotion: A meta-analytic review. Emotion, 19(6), 1103-1126. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000504
  • Corfe, S. (2019). Tech in the town: How the Fourth Industrial Revolution could transform local government, Social Market Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.smf.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Tech-in-the-Town.pdf
  • D’Amico, A. (2018). The Use of Technology in the promotion of children’s emotional intelligence: The multimedia program “developing emotional intelligence”. International Journal of Emotional Education, 10(1), 47-67.
  • Ebunoluwa, R. (2017). The impact of digital technologies on child wellbeing. Minet Publisher.
  • Engberg, E., Figueiredo R. A. O., Rounge T. B., Weiderpass E., Viljakainen H. (2019). Heavy screen users are the heaviest among 10,000 children. Sci. Rep., 9, 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-46971-6
  • Evans, M. (2019). The influence of television on cognitive development and educational achievement. [Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis], Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
  • Fairlie, R. W. & Cruz, S. (2016). The effects of computers on children’s social development and school participation: evidence from a randomized control experiment. Discussion Paper No. 10398, Retrieved from https://docs.iza.org/dp10398.pdf
  • Gottschalk, F. (2019). Impacts of technology use on children: Exploring literature on the brain, cognition and wellbeing. OECD Education Working Paper No. 195. Retrieved from https://one.oecd.org/document/EDU/WKP%282019%293/En/pdf
  • Hardell, L. (2018). Effects of mobile phones on children’s and adolescents’ mental health: A commentary. Child Dev., 89, 137–140
  • Hong, N., & del Busto, C. T. (2020). Collaboration, scaffolding, and successive approximations: A developmental science approach to training in clinical psychology. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 14(3), 228.
  • James, D. (2020). Motor development leads to changes in visual processing in the childhood brain. Science Developmental, 31, 88-97.
  • Johnson, M. (2019). Computers in the family context: Perceived impact on family time and relationships. Family Review, 23(1), 23–35.
  • Jules, T. D. (2017). Public policy and governance. the global educational policy environment in the fourth industrial revolution: Gate, regulated, and governed. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/s2053-7697201726
  • Komolafe, Y. (2018). An analysis of technology on cognitive outcomes among children and adolescents. [Unpublished Masters Dissertation], Abia State University, Abia State.
  • Kostyrka-Allchorne, K., Cooper, N. & Simpson, A. (2017). The relationship between television exposure and children’s cognition and behaviour: A systematic review. Developmental Review, 44(1), 67-78. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2016.12.002
  • Lee, E., Spence, J. & Carson, V. (2017). Television viewing, reading, physical activity and brain development among young South Korean children. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 20(7), 672-677. http://doi.org/10.1016/J.JSAMS.2016.11.014
  • Limone, P. & Toto, G. A. (2021). Psychological and emotional effects of digital technology on children in COVID-19 pandemic. Brain Sci., 11, 11-26. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11091126
  • Liu, W., Tan, L., Huang, D., Chen, N., & Liu, F. (2021). When pre-schoolers use tablets: The effect of educational serious games on children’s attention development. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 37(3), 234–248. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2020. 1818990
  • Loes, C. N. & Saichaie, K. (2016). Cognitive effects of technology over four years of college. Journal for the Study of Postsecondary and Tertiary Education, 1,181-196. https://doi.org/10.28945/3506
  • McCoy, T. (2015). Researchers: Using an iPad or smartphone can harm a toddler’s learning and social skills. Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/02/02/usingan-ipad-or-smartphone-can-harm-a-toddlers-brain-researchers-says/
  • McLeod, S. (2024). The Concrete Operational Stage of Cognitive Development. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/concrete-operational.html
  • Odutayo, A. O. & Fonseca, K. (2024). Making quadratic functions interesting: Students teams-achievement division instructional strategy. EURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 20(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/14092
  • Odutayo, A. O. & Ramsaroop, S. (2023). Experiences of Student-Teachers: Implications for Refined Student-Support. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 22(7), 87–103. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.22.7.5
  • Odutayo, A. O., Adebayo, A. A. & Adewuyi, H. O. (2024). Teachers’ management of everyday-living skills of intellectually challenged learners. Indonesian Journal of Early Childhood Education Studies, 13(2), 126-143. https://doi.org/10.15294/ijeces.v13i2.283
  • Oswald, T. K., Rumbold A. R., Kedzior S. G. E., & Moore V. M. (2020). Psychological impacts of “screen time” and “green time” for children and adolescents: A systematic scoping review. PLoS ONE, 15, 23-27. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0237725
  • Pérez-Edgar, K. (2019). Through the looking glass: Temperament and emotion as separate and interwoven constructs. In: LoBue V, Pérez-Edgar K, Buss K, eds. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-17332-6_7
  • Peters, M. A. (2017). Technological unemployment: Educating for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Journal of Self-Governance and Management Economics, 5(1), 25-33. https://doi.org/10.22381/JSME5120172
  • Saarinen, A., Lipsanen, J., Hintsanen, M, Huotilainen, M. & Keltikangas-Järvinen, L. (2021). The use of digital technologies at school and cognitive learning outcomes: A population-based study in Finland International Journal of Educational Psychology, 10(1), 1-26. https://doi.org/10.17583/ijep.2021.4667
  • Sherman, L. E., Greenfield, P. M., Hernandez, L. M., & Dapretto, M. (2018). Peer influence via instagram: effects on brain and behavior in adolescence and young adulthood. Child development, 89(1), 37–47. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12838
  • Siregar, A. O. & Yaswinda, Y. (2021). Impact of gadget use cognitive development. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, 668, 168-172. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.220602.035
  • Uncapher, M. R., Lin, L., Rosen, L. D., Kirkorian, H. L., Baron, N. S., Bailey, K., Cantor, J., Strayer, D. L., Parsons, T. D. & Wagner, A. D. (2017). Media multitasking and cognitive, psychological, neural, and learning differences. Pediatrics, 140(Suppl 2), 62-66. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-1758D
  • Unicef (2014). Early childhood development: The key to a full and productive life. UNICEF. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/dprk/ecd.pdf
  • Yusuf, H. T., Akintola, M. & Odutayo, A. O. (2018). Lecturers’ readiness towards the integration of social media for teaching in a Nigerian University. International Journal for Innovative Technology Integration in Education (IJITIE), 1(1), 56-64. https://ijitie.aitie.org.ng/index.php/ijitie/issue/view/3
  • Zakaria, M. Z., Yunus, F., & Mohamed, S. (2021). Drawing activities enhance preschoolers’ socio emotional development. Southeast Asia Early Childhood Journal, 10(1), 18–27. https://doi.org/10.37134/saecj.vol10.1.2.2021

Dördüncü Sanayi Devrimi (4IR) Teknolojilerinin Nijerya’daki Temel Eğitim Öğrencilerinin Gelişimi Üzerindeki Etkisinin Değerlendirilmesi

Year 2025, Volume: 58 Issue: 3, 1279 - 1304, 15.12.2025

Abstract

Nijerya toplumunda genç nesil arasında depresyon ve siber zorbalık vakalarında artış gözlemlenmekte olup, bu durum yoğun teknoloji kullanımına bağlanmakta ve çocuk gelişimi üzerindeki etkileri konusunda endişeler duyulmaktadır. Bu çalışma, Nijerya’daki temel eğitim öğrencileri arasında 4. Sanayi Devrimi (4IR) teknolojilerinin öğrencilerinin gelişimlerinin çeşitli boyutları üzerindeki etkisini araştırmaktadır. Araştırmada betimleyici tarama yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Gelişim ve sosyo-kültürel öğrenme teorilerine dayanan bu çalışma, Ogun Doğu Senato Bölgesi’ndeki 160 okulda öğrenim gören 2.400 Beşinci Sınıf öğrencisi ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Veriler, araştırmacı tarafından hazırlanan ve geçerliliği sağlanmış anket aracılığıyla toplanmış, yüzde, genel ortalama ve çoklu regresyon analizleri ile değerlendirilmiştir. Anketin güvenilirliği test-tekrar test yöntemi ile ölçülmüş ve Pearson Momentler Çarpımı Korelasyon (PPMC) ile 0,83 güvenilirlik indeksi elde edilmiştir. Bulgular, 4IR teknolojilerinin bilişsel gelişim üzerinde istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir etkiye sahip olduğunu göstermiştir (β = .360, p < .001); bu da dijital araçların öğrencilerin hafıza, dikkat ve problem çözme becerilerine olumlu katkı sağladığını işaret etmektedir. Ancak, duygusal, sosyal ve fiziksel gelişim alanlarında anlamlı bir etki gözlemlenememiş, bu durum yapılandırılmamış veya denetimsiz dijital maruziyetin bütünsel gelişim üzerindeki sınırlamalarını ortaya koymuştur. Araştırmanın bulguları, Nijerya’daki temel eğitim programlarına sosyo-duygusal öğrenme ve öğretmen rehberliğinde dijital etkileşimin entegre edilmesini öngören eğitim politikalarının önemini vurgulamaktadır.

References

  • Akintola, M. A., Adebayo, A. A., & Odutayo, A. O. (2025). Innovative Strategies for Integrating Entrepreneurship into Teacher Education: A Systematic Review. Ilorin Journal of Education, 45(2), 306–321. https://ije.unilorinedu.sch.ng/index.php/ije/article/view/257
  • Alotaibi, T., Almuhanna, R., Alhassan, J., Alqadhib, E., Mortada, E., & Alwhaibi, R. (2020). The relationship between technology use and physical activity among typically-developing children. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 8(4), 488-494. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare8040488
  • Baaitjies, R. (2019). The 4th Industrial Revolution: Implications for 21st century local governance, Transformer Journal, 20(1), 56-65.
  • Brody, J. (2015). Screen addiction is taking a toll on children - The New York Times. Retrieved from https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/07/06/screen-addiction-is-taking-a-toll-onchildren/?_r=0
  • Cantwell, A. (2020). Impact of internet on the social interaction of k12 children. Journal of Counselling, 15(1), 68–76. https://doi.org/10.751/6292.003.0003
  • Chukwu, C. (2018). Joint attention in the development of child’s interaction. Science of Development, 27, 62–81.
  • Cooke, J. E., Kochendorfer, L. B., Stuart-Parrigon, K. L., Koehn, A. J. & Kerns, K. A. (2019).Parent–child attachment and children’s experience and regulation of emotion: A meta-analytic review. Emotion, 19(6), 1103-1126. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000504
  • Corfe, S. (2019). Tech in the town: How the Fourth Industrial Revolution could transform local government, Social Market Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.smf.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Tech-in-the-Town.pdf
  • D’Amico, A. (2018). The Use of Technology in the promotion of children’s emotional intelligence: The multimedia program “developing emotional intelligence”. International Journal of Emotional Education, 10(1), 47-67.
  • Ebunoluwa, R. (2017). The impact of digital technologies on child wellbeing. Minet Publisher.
  • Engberg, E., Figueiredo R. A. O., Rounge T. B., Weiderpass E., Viljakainen H. (2019). Heavy screen users are the heaviest among 10,000 children. Sci. Rep., 9, 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-46971-6
  • Evans, M. (2019). The influence of television on cognitive development and educational achievement. [Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis], Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
  • Fairlie, R. W. & Cruz, S. (2016). The effects of computers on children’s social development and school participation: evidence from a randomized control experiment. Discussion Paper No. 10398, Retrieved from https://docs.iza.org/dp10398.pdf
  • Gottschalk, F. (2019). Impacts of technology use on children: Exploring literature on the brain, cognition and wellbeing. OECD Education Working Paper No. 195. Retrieved from https://one.oecd.org/document/EDU/WKP%282019%293/En/pdf
  • Hardell, L. (2018). Effects of mobile phones on children’s and adolescents’ mental health: A commentary. Child Dev., 89, 137–140
  • Hong, N., & del Busto, C. T. (2020). Collaboration, scaffolding, and successive approximations: A developmental science approach to training in clinical psychology. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 14(3), 228.
  • James, D. (2020). Motor development leads to changes in visual processing in the childhood brain. Science Developmental, 31, 88-97.
  • Johnson, M. (2019). Computers in the family context: Perceived impact on family time and relationships. Family Review, 23(1), 23–35.
  • Jules, T. D. (2017). Public policy and governance. the global educational policy environment in the fourth industrial revolution: Gate, regulated, and governed. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/s2053-7697201726
  • Komolafe, Y. (2018). An analysis of technology on cognitive outcomes among children and adolescents. [Unpublished Masters Dissertation], Abia State University, Abia State.
  • Kostyrka-Allchorne, K., Cooper, N. & Simpson, A. (2017). The relationship between television exposure and children’s cognition and behaviour: A systematic review. Developmental Review, 44(1), 67-78. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2016.12.002
  • Lee, E., Spence, J. & Carson, V. (2017). Television viewing, reading, physical activity and brain development among young South Korean children. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 20(7), 672-677. http://doi.org/10.1016/J.JSAMS.2016.11.014
  • Limone, P. & Toto, G. A. (2021). Psychological and emotional effects of digital technology on children in COVID-19 pandemic. Brain Sci., 11, 11-26. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11091126
  • Liu, W., Tan, L., Huang, D., Chen, N., & Liu, F. (2021). When pre-schoolers use tablets: The effect of educational serious games on children’s attention development. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 37(3), 234–248. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2020. 1818990
  • Loes, C. N. & Saichaie, K. (2016). Cognitive effects of technology over four years of college. Journal for the Study of Postsecondary and Tertiary Education, 1,181-196. https://doi.org/10.28945/3506
  • McCoy, T. (2015). Researchers: Using an iPad or smartphone can harm a toddler’s learning and social skills. Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/02/02/usingan-ipad-or-smartphone-can-harm-a-toddlers-brain-researchers-says/
  • McLeod, S. (2024). The Concrete Operational Stage of Cognitive Development. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/concrete-operational.html
  • Odutayo, A. O. & Fonseca, K. (2024). Making quadratic functions interesting: Students teams-achievement division instructional strategy. EURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 20(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/14092
  • Odutayo, A. O. & Ramsaroop, S. (2023). Experiences of Student-Teachers: Implications for Refined Student-Support. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 22(7), 87–103. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.22.7.5
  • Odutayo, A. O., Adebayo, A. A. & Adewuyi, H. O. (2024). Teachers’ management of everyday-living skills of intellectually challenged learners. Indonesian Journal of Early Childhood Education Studies, 13(2), 126-143. https://doi.org/10.15294/ijeces.v13i2.283
  • Oswald, T. K., Rumbold A. R., Kedzior S. G. E., & Moore V. M. (2020). Psychological impacts of “screen time” and “green time” for children and adolescents: A systematic scoping review. PLoS ONE, 15, 23-27. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0237725
  • Pérez-Edgar, K. (2019). Through the looking glass: Temperament and emotion as separate and interwoven constructs. In: LoBue V, Pérez-Edgar K, Buss K, eds. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-17332-6_7
  • Peters, M. A. (2017). Technological unemployment: Educating for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Journal of Self-Governance and Management Economics, 5(1), 25-33. https://doi.org/10.22381/JSME5120172
  • Saarinen, A., Lipsanen, J., Hintsanen, M, Huotilainen, M. & Keltikangas-Järvinen, L. (2021). The use of digital technologies at school and cognitive learning outcomes: A population-based study in Finland International Journal of Educational Psychology, 10(1), 1-26. https://doi.org/10.17583/ijep.2021.4667
  • Sherman, L. E., Greenfield, P. M., Hernandez, L. M., & Dapretto, M. (2018). Peer influence via instagram: effects on brain and behavior in adolescence and young adulthood. Child development, 89(1), 37–47. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12838
  • Siregar, A. O. & Yaswinda, Y. (2021). Impact of gadget use cognitive development. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, 668, 168-172. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.220602.035
  • Uncapher, M. R., Lin, L., Rosen, L. D., Kirkorian, H. L., Baron, N. S., Bailey, K., Cantor, J., Strayer, D. L., Parsons, T. D. & Wagner, A. D. (2017). Media multitasking and cognitive, psychological, neural, and learning differences. Pediatrics, 140(Suppl 2), 62-66. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-1758D
  • Unicef (2014). Early childhood development: The key to a full and productive life. UNICEF. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/dprk/ecd.pdf
  • Yusuf, H. T., Akintola, M. & Odutayo, A. O. (2018). Lecturers’ readiness towards the integration of social media for teaching in a Nigerian University. International Journal for Innovative Technology Integration in Education (IJITIE), 1(1), 56-64. https://ijitie.aitie.org.ng/index.php/ijitie/issue/view/3
  • Zakaria, M. Z., Yunus, F., & Mohamed, S. (2021). Drawing activities enhance preschoolers’ socio emotional development. Southeast Asia Early Childhood Journal, 10(1), 18–27. https://doi.org/10.37134/saecj.vol10.1.2.2021
There are 40 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Primary Education
Journal Section Research Article
Authors

Adesegun Odutayo 0000-0001-9309-6635

Submission Date April 17, 2025
Acceptance Date September 3, 2025
Publication Date December 15, 2025
Published in Issue Year 2025 Volume: 58 Issue: 3

Cite

APA Odutayo, A. (2025). Assessing the Influence of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) Technologies on the Development of Basic School Learners in Nigeria. Ankara University Journal of Faculty of Educational Sciences (JFES), 58(3), 1279-1304. https://doi.org/10.30964/auebfd.1678233

Ankara University Journal of Faculty of Educational Sciences is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0