Between Parents and Screens: The Impact of Parental Support and Gadget Use on EFL Learning in Early Childhood

Marsika Sepyanda, Fenni Kurnia Mutiya

2025

Abstract

This study explores the impact of parental involvement and gadget use on early English as a Foreign Language (EFL) acquisition among preschool-aged children. In the recent digital age, young learners are increasingly exposed to screen-based media, while the role of parents remains critical in shaping children's language development. This study was a quantitative correlational design which involved 65 parents of children aged 4 to 6 years. They were selected through volunteer random sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire including 26 Likert-scale items divided into three parts: parental involvement, gadget use, and EFL acquisition. Statistical analysis discovered that both parental involvement and gadget use significantly correlated with children’s language development, with a higher correlation for parental involvement (r = 0.6909) compared to gadget use (r = 0.5238). Multiple regression analysis showed that 65.36% of the variance in EFL acquisition was explained by the two variables combined, with parental involvement (β = 0.53111) employing a stronger influence than gadget use (β = 0.28867). These findings suggest that active parental engagement through language-rich interaction and guided screen mediation plays a dominant role in encouraging early EFL learning, while responsible gadget use helps as a supportive tool. The study emphasizes the importance of involving parents in home-based language practices and promoting digital literacy strategies to optimize early language development in young learners.

Paper Citation

in Harvard Style

Sepyanda M. and Mutiya F. (2025). Between Parents and Screens: The Impact of Parental Support and Gadget Use on EFL Learning in Early Childhood. In Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Early Childhood Education - Volume 1: ICECE; ISBN 978-989-758-788-7, SciTePress, pages 17-23. DOI: 10.5220/0014068200004935

in Bibtex Style

@conference{icece25,
author={Marsika Sepyanda and Fenni Kurnia Mutiya},
title={Between Parents and Screens: The Impact of Parental Support and Gadget Use on EFL Learning in Early Childhood},
booktitle={Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Early Childhood Education - Volume 1: ICECE},
year={2025},
pages={17-23},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0014068200004935},
isbn={978-989-758-788-7},
}

in EndNote Style

TY - CONF

JO - Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Early Childhood Education - Volume 1: ICECE
TI - Between Parents and Screens: The Impact of Parental Support and Gadget Use on EFL Learning in Early Childhood
SN - 978-989-758-788-7
AU - Sepyanda M.
AU - Mutiya F.
PY - 2025
SP - 17
EP - 23
DO - 10.5220/0014068200004935
PB - SciTePress