IMPACT OF MOBILE GADGETS IN THE BEHAVIORAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE

PRE-KINDERGARTEN LEARNERS IN BARANGAY BALAYBAY

Submitted to

ROSARIO D. DACUNO, PhD

Professor

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements in the Course,

MA210 (RESEARCH METHODOLOGY)

Hanna Kiela R. Meru

Date of Submission

April 6, 2024

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 Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Nowadays children that is born during digital world are more tech savvy. They are the

one who explore new application and that is part of their lives. They are influenced by

immersion of technology since birth which they had the potential to be occupied with gadgets. In

article of gadgets and their impact on child development by Zain, ZM., Jasmani, F. N. N., Haris,

N.H and Nurudin, S.M. (July 2022) says that gadgets have been used by many parents as a

medium control for their children. Some parents also established the idea of having gadgets for

their children is an obligation which is parallel in their modern life. Parents forget to guide their

children in the correct use of gadgets that result of improper use of gadgets.

Technology has a great contribution to man daily life but despite of all this it also has a

negative effect on people. If a person abuses the use of technology, it can may affect him badly.

Mobile gadgets like mobile phones, smartphones, laptop and desk top are some technologies that

have greatly contributed to the lives of many people but it also has a harmful effect on people.

According to a website of Kids Health (2023) there are ten harmful effects on mobile phones and

this are radiation exposure, impaired cognitive function, sleep disturbances, increased stress

levels, eye strain and vision problems, neck and back pain, increased risk of accidents, decreased

social skills, addiction and poor academic.

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 The first five years of child development are crucial to their health, well-being and the

overall trajectory of their lives in various ways. One of the best way a family can help promote

child good development is to be a supportive and encouraging environment to them. If the child

experience neglection at their young age, it may often manifest into deep-rooted issues that stay

with them throughout their child life. It may also have impact on the child’s emotional

intelligence, emotional development, social skills, and child self- esteem.

According to Sta. Ana, M.M.R Sped Division of the Department of Education estimates

that 12% of the children population in the Philippines have special which 2% of them are gifted

while 10% of them has learning disabilities. Autism, dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity

disorder, dyscalculia, dysgraphia and dyspraxia are some learning disabilities encountered by

teacher in schools. World vision a website that promote limit the child in using gadgets stated

that children who spend too much time on gadgets may result in experience speech or language

delay, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning problems, anxiety, childhood

depression, and may also have a negative impact on character development.

This study aims to determine the impact of mobile gadgets in the behavioral development

of the pre-kindergarten learners in terms of gross motor domain, fine motor domain, self-help

domain, receptive language domain, expressive language domain, cognitive domain and social

emotional domain. The result of this study can help teachers, parents and other people to be

aware of using mobile gadgets in early age.

Significance of the Study

This study is important because it aims to inform about the effects of early use of mobile

gadgets on child behavioral development of pre-kindergarten learners. The result of this study

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will provide guidance and information to pre-kindergarten learners, parents and guardians,

teachers and future researchers on the proper use of mobile gadgets for children.

Pre-kindergarten Learners. This study may help the children to know the possible

effect of mobile gadgets to them and also inform them the proper use of mobile gadgets.

Parents/ Guardians of Pre-kindergarten Learners. This study is useful and helpful to

all parents and guardians of the pre-kindergarten learners in proper guidance of using mobile

gadgets of their children.

Teacher in Pre-kindergarten Learners. This study may give them information about

the effect of early use of gadgets to children so that they may also have trainings and seminars

for all the parents and guardians of their learners about the possible effect of mobile gadgets in

behavioral development of their children and the proper parenting to their child.

Future Researchers. This study gives them guide and encouragement in conducting a

new researcher about the impact of mobile gadgets in the children especially in early using of

mobile gadgets in the pre-kindergarten learners.

Statement of the Problem

The study is sought to determine the effect of mobile gadgets in behavioral development

of Pre-kindergarten learners in Balaybay, Castillejos.

This study will answer the following questions:

1. What is the demographical profile of the respondents in terms of the following

1.1 Class Session;

1.2 Gender;

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 1.3 Age;

1.4 Types of gadgets; and

1.5 Hours of using mobile gadgets?

2. What is the behavioral development by the respondents in terms of:

2.1 Gross motor domain;

2.2 Fine motors domain;

2.3 Self- Help Domain;

2.4 Receptive language domain;

2.5 Expressive language domain;

2.6 Cognitive domain; and

2.7 Social emotional domain?

3. Is there significant difference in the effect of the mobile gadgets in the respondent when

group according to the respondent profile?

Scope and Limitation of the Study

This study will focus only on 60 pre-kinder learners in different child development

center/day care center in barangay of Balaybay, Municipality of Castillejos in school year 2023-

2024.

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 Chapter II

FRAMEWORK OF THE STUDY

Review of Related Literature

Importance of Mobile Gadgets

Mobile gadgets help people making their lives easy and convenient in the way of

communicating with their love ones and carry out their work efficiently. Making phones calls,

send text messages, emails and even surf the internet are some features available of mobile

gadgets that make it become integral part of human lives. Liberty Title & Escrow (2023)

Smartphones, laptop, tablets, computer and e-readers are some gadgets where students

relay to support their learning and make their academic pursuits easier and more efficient.

Mobile gadgets give significant benefits in their lives as a student where they can access

information. They can use also mobile gadgets in conducting research, projects, assignment

which they eliminate of physical trips in libraries. Saigrace Academy International (2023)

Mobile phones have become a part of people daily lives, besides in communication there

are lots of apps that make humans daily life a lot easier. They say that this generation is called

“Era of Gadgets” which mobile phones is use to be connected to others. Mobile devices can read

book, listen to music, take pictures, watch videos, play games, create and edit documents, it can

use also to get a medical opinion and much more. Which people spent more time in using their

mobile phones and other gadgets which 39% of people was increased from 2019-2020. Radu, C.

(2022)

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 Mobile gadgets are one of the factors of transforming on how students learn and how

teachers teach which mobile phones help bridge the gap between in-classroom and at-home

learning. Mobile phones in learning offers three distinct advantages with the potential to improve

education. It simplifies access to content and experts also overcoming traditional constraints of

time, location and collaboration. It personalizes education solution for individual learners,

helping educators customize the teaching process using software and interactive media that adapt

difficulty levels to individual students understanding and pace. And addresses specific challenges

that lower the efficiency of educational system worldwide. Loveless, B. (2024).

Early Childhood Care and Development

The Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Council is a national government

agency in the Philippines mandated to implement the National ECCD System which focus to full

range of health, nutrition, early education and social services development programs that provide

for the basic holistic needs of young children from zero (0) to four (4) years old and it also

promote their optimum growth and development. Wikipedia (2023)

Republic Act 8980 is also known as the Early Childhood Care and Development Act

(ECCD Act), this act promotes the policy of the state to about the rights of children to survive,

development and also gives special protection with full recognition of the nature of childhood

and its special needs and to support parents in their roles as primary caregivers and as their

children first teacher. Objectives of this act are to achieve improved infant and child survival

rates by ensuring that adequate health and nutritional programs are accessible to young children

and their mothers from the pre-natal period throughout the early childhood years; to enhance the

physical, social, emotional, cognitive, psychological, spiritual and language development of

young children; to enhance the role of parents and other caregivers as the primary caregivers and

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educators of their children from birth onwards; to facilitate a smooth transition from care and

education provided at home to community or school-based setting and to primary school; to

enhance the capabilities of service providers and their supervisors to comply with quality

standards for various ECCD programs; to enhance and sustain the efforts of communities to

promote ECCD programs and ensure that special support is provided for poor and disadvantaged

communities; to ensure that young children are adequately prepared for the formal learning

system and that both public and private schools are responsive to the developmental needs of

these children; to establish an efficient system for early identification, prevention, referral and

intervention for developmental disorders and disabilities in early childhood; and to improve the

quality standards of public and private ECCD programs through, but not limited to, a registration

and credential system for ECCD service providers. ECCD Act purposes to full range of health,

nutrition. Early education, and social services programs that provide for the basic holistic needs

of young children from birth to age of six (6) to promote their optimum growth and

development. National Nutrition Council (2002).

Day Care Center in Philippines

A day care centers are institution that provides supervision and care of infants and young

children during the daytime, particularly so that their parents can hold jobs. The other term for

day care is day nursery or child care center and nursery school also provide preschool

educational programs for children. Britannica (2024)

Day care center assure to all parents/ guardians that their children is in a safe, healthy

environment where the teacher strive to provide emotional, social and physical needs of every

child. It also creates a happy, warm and exciting environment that inviting, comfortable, flexible

and manageable for the children. Day care center promotes respect for self and others with

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responsibilities and social skills are both enhance. Variety of developmentally appropriate

activities that includes arts and crafts, self-directed play, field trips, dramatic play, physical

activities, community service, reading, quiet time, and encourage homework for children. Caring

staff or teacher show genuine respect for children to have confidence with other and seek

promote the self-esteem of each child. This institution offers individual guidance to every child

based upon careful observation of each child’s needs and keeping with parents or guardian

direction. All children enrolled in day care center are assured safe and had a good welfare. Boys

& Girls Club of Worcester 2024.

Day care services established and operates day care center an institution as a venue for

development of child in their psycho-social, intellectual, physical and emotional functioning

based on accepted child development concepts. Republic Act 6972 mandated the establishment

of a day care center in every barangay, instating a total development and protection of children

program, appropriating funds therefor and for other purposes. Executive Order 340 directs

National Government Agencies and Government Owned and Controlled Corporations to provide

day care services for their employee children under six years of age. Early Childhood Care and

Development encourage day care center to monitor every child’s development aspect of gross

and fine motors skills, receptive and expressive language, cognitive abilities, self-help and

social-emotional growth. Nutiritous foods are served to children to supplement their daily food

requirements. Proper nutrition in the childhood years is vital in the total health and development

of the child. Kaisahang Buhay Foundation Inc. 2024

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), in prioritizing its

commitment to the human development concerns of children as a response to the country’s

ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) on July 26, 1990, where the

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Philippines is a state party, recognizes the significant role of Day Care Service in the

development of children’s well-being. Soliman, C. J. 2011

Conceptual Frameworks

Behavioral theories of child development focus on how environmental interaction

influences behavior and is based on the theories of theorists such as John B. Watson, Ivan

Pavlov, and B. F. Skinner. These theories deal only with observable behaviors. Development is

considered a reaction to rewards, punishments, stimuli, and reinforcement. Cherry, K.2023

This research will attempt to give insight into the impact of mobile gadgets in the

behavioral development of the pre-kindergarten learners.

Independent Variables Dependent Variables

Behavioral Development

A. Gross Motor Domain

Mobile Gadgets B. Fine Motor Domain
C. Self-Help Domain
D. Receptive Language Domain
E. Expressive Language Domain
F. Cognitive Domain
G. Social Emotional Domain

Moderating Variables
-Class Session
-Age
-Gender
-Types of Mobile Gadgets
-Hours of Using Mobile Gadgets

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 Figure 1 presents the conceptual frameworks of the study which in the first box are the

independent variables that is the impact of mobile gadgets, in the second box present the

behavioral development of the pre-kindergarten learners in seven domains and in the third box

present us the moderator this are the demographical profile of the respondent.

Hypothesis

This study is based on the following hypothesis:

1. There is no significant relationship between the use of mobile gadgets and the behavioral

development of learners.

2. The use of mobile gadgets is significantly associated with changes in the behavioral

development of learners.

Definition of Terms

In this part, the words that will be used are defined so that readers can better understand

the research. The terms are organized according to the presentation of the problem and defined

based on the conceptual and operational definition.

Behavioral Development. It is how a child conducts themselves. It refers to their

reaction, action and functioning in response to every environment and situation.

Cognitive Domain. It is the development of mental skills and acquisition of knowledge

of every child.

Expressive Language Domain. It refers to how children express their needs, wants, and

feelings to others through nonverbal and verbal communication.

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 Fine Motor Domain. It is the movement and coordination of small muscles, such as

those in the hands, wrists, fingers, toes, and feet.

Gross Motor Domain. It is the ability that let us do tasks that involve large muscles in

our torso, legs and arms.

Mobile Gadgets. A portable computing device that has a small form factor such that it

can easily be carried by a single individual; is designed to operate without a physical connection

(e.g., wirelessly transmit or receive information); possesses local, non-removable data storage;

and is powered on for extended periods of time with a self-contained power source.

Self-help Domain. Everything that a child needs to know to start being more independent

could be included in this domain includes the learning to dress oneself, feed oneself, using of

toilets, brushing, bathing, tying of shoes and others.

Social Emotional Domain. It is how children start to understand who they are, what they

are feeling and what to expect when interacting with others.

Pre-kindergarten. It is a voluntary classroom-based preschool program for children

below the age of five.

Receptive Language Doman. The Receptive Language Domain includes skills in

hearing and understanding sounds, listening comprehension, recognizing and discriminating

environmental sounds, completing sound patterns, shifting auditory attention, and auditory

sequencing tasks.

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 Chapter 3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter contains the research methodology. It covers the presentation of the research

design, respondent and selection method, instrument to be used, data collection method and data

analysis

Research Design

This study used a quantitative survey-research method in which the readers were willing

to open their minds to the means of recording the collected answers using the questions given by

the unique respondents. According to QuestionPro 2020, quantitative research is a process of

conducting research using research questionnaires that are sent to respondents to answer.

Quantitative research is a useful approach when a researcher seeks to describe or explain the

features of a large group or groups. With this research method, it will be faster to gather details

about what you just want to know in a population or your chosen respondent. The collected data

from the survey is statistically analyzed to draw meaningful research conclusions. In this case, a

survey can help a researcher identify select individuals or locations where further data can be

gathered.

Respondent and Sampling Technique

The study used quota sampling in which it took ten (10) pre-kindergarten learners in each

Child Development Center or Day Care Center. Quota sampling can be defined as a sampling

method in which selected respondents with specific characteristics are selected. The

effectiveness of quota sampling can be ensured if the researcher has a clear understanding of the

purpose of the research and deep knowledge about the population (Hitesh Bhasin, 2020).

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 The respondents of the study are the pre-kindergarten learners of Child Development

Center in Barangay Balaybay who are currently enrolled in year 2023-2024. The study had 60

respondents for better results of the study.

Research Locale

The study was done in six (6) Child Development Center, it is the Balaybay Proper I

Child Development Center, Balaybay Proper II Child Development Center, Balaybay

Resettlement Child Development Center I, Balaybay Resettlement Child Development Center II,

Balaybay Resettlement Child Development Center III and Balaybay Resettlement Child

Development Center V.

Figure 2. Map of the Research Locale

Research Instruments

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 The instrument that the researcher used is a research questionnaire which in the first part

refers to the demographic profile of the students (class session, gender, age, types of gadgets and

hours of using mobile gadgets). The next part in the questionnaire in which the behavioral

development, these are gross motor domain (4 items), fine motor domain (4 items), self-help

domain (4 items), receptive language domain (4 items), expressive language domain (4 items),

cognitive domain and social emotional domain (4 items). The behavioral development will

assess by 5 points scales; 5-excellent, 4-very good, 3-good, 2-fair and 1-poor. The questionnaires

will be administered to 60 pre-kindergarten learners currently enrolled in Child Development

Center in Barangay Balaybay.

Data Gathering Procedure

Data collection was done through the following steps.

–
Phase 1. Development and validation of the research questionnaire.re.

Phase 2. Initiation of pilot testing.

Phase 3. Analysis of pilot testing.

Phase 4. Securing of permission and approvals.

Securing consent form to teacher-respondents and parents of

Phase 5
learner-respondents.
.
Phase 6. Administration of the survey questionnaires.

Analysis and Interpretation of the data results gathered.

Phase 7.

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Figure 3. Procedure in Collecting Data

In phase 1, the researcher made a letter of permission for the head of Municipal Social

Welfare and Development Office and the researcher also made a survey questionnaire for the

respondents. In phase 2, the researcher initiated a pilot testing before it conducted to larger

respondents. In phase 3, the researcher analyzed the result of pilot testing if there any problem

before implementing the full survey. Phase 4, the researcher went to Municipal Social Welfare

and Development Office to submit and asked permission from the head office and to the child

development teachers in barangay Balaybay. Phase 5, the researcher gave the consent form to the

teachers and parents of the respondents. Phase 6. The researcher conducted and distribute the

survey questionnaires to the respondents by the help of their parents. And in the last phase, the

researcher collected all the data in survey questionnaires then interpret the result of data analysis.

Data Analysis

The researcher used different types of statistics on the data collected to give better

interpretation and result. The following statistical formula are:

Frequency and Percent Distribution. This will be used to find out the number of

respondents who answered the questions and their percentage distribution.

Weighted Mean. This will be used to find out the total of answers of the respondents.

The score obtained in the short test that measured the respondent level of behavioral

development was used with the interpretative values below:

Table 1 Interpretation of Likert Scale

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Number Saklaw Antas ng
pagkamakabansa
5 4.21-5.00 Excellent
4 3.41-4.20 Very Good
3 2.61-3.40 Good
2 1.81-2.60 Fair
1 1.00-1.80 Poor

Standard Deviation. This will be used to measure the distance and proximity of the

respondents' answers to each other.

T-test for Independent Samples. This will compare the means of two independent

groups in order to determine whether there is statistical evidence that the associated population

means are significantly different.

Anova. Also called the Analysis of Variance. Used to determine the relationship of

variables specified in the null hypothesis.

Ethical Considerations

To ensure compliance with ethical standards in this research, the researcher strictly

observed the following:

Pre-kindergarten learner names are not included in the survey to protect their identities.

Students were not forced to answer the questionnaire in this study. The researcher gives them a

free decision in answering the questionnaires. The researcher will respect whatever the students'

decisions are.

The researcher's collected information on the school was carefully compiled. The

researcher will not add or subtract any information to see the true results of the study. The

researcher wrote a letter for the principal of each school to allow them to answer the

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Questionnaires to the students. The researcher's letter will focus on the counselors to inform

them of the study to be conducted. The consent of the respondents will also be taken by the

students.

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 Chapter 4

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

This chapter discusses the analysis of the collected data regarding the demographic

profile of the respondent and the behavioral development of pre-kindergarten learners in Child

Development Centers which will help to further expand the knowledge of other according to the

impact of mobile gadgets. The researchers conduct survey questionnaires in all child

development center in barangay Balaybay.

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