TPACK FRAMED DIALOGIC READING WITH DIGITAL VS PRINT STORYBOOKS: EVIDENCE FROM A PRESCHOOL INTERVENTION

This study investigates the comparative effects of dialogic reading with digital and printed storybooks on preschool children’s early literacy development. Guided by the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, the research examines whether digital formats, when combined with structured dialogic strategies, support literacy outcomes as effectively as print. A quasi-experimental pretest– posttest control group design was employed with 39 children aged 5–6 attending two public kindergartens in Istanbul. Participants were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 19), which engaged in dialogic reading via the digital reading platform, or a control group (n = 20), which used printed versions of the same texts. Both groups participated in eight small-group sessions (20-25 minutes each) over two weeks, facilitated by the researcher using scripted prompts based on PEER and CROWD dialogic reading frameworks. Data were collected using a researcher-developed Early Literacy Skills Evaluation Form measuring vocabulary acquisition, listening comprehension, and narrative retelling. Due to the small sample size and non-normal data distribution, the Wilcoxon signed-rank and Mann–Whitney U tests were applied. Findings showed significant literacy gains within both groups, but no statistically significant differences between digital and print conditions. While the digital group demonstrated slightly higher mean scores in several subdomains, the limited intervention period may have constrained observable effects. These results indicate that the effectiveness of digital storybooks depends less on the medium itself and more on teachers’ ability to integrate technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge. The study underscores the need for professional development that builds teachers’ TPACK to maximize the pedagogical potential of digital dialogic reading in early childhood education.