Exploring the Impact of Digital Media on Primary School Students'

Learning Outcomes and Its Contribution to Teachers' Teaching

Effectiveness: A Case Study of Lvtang Primary School in Zunyi City,

Guizhou Province

Junxin Li

Department of English, School of Foreign Languages, Tianjin University of Commerce, Tianjin, 300134, China

Keywords: Digital Media, Primary School Students, Teachers, Learning Outcomes, Teaching Effectiveness.

Abstract: With the rapid development of digital media, both primary school students and teachers increasingly rely on

various digital tools for learning and teaching. This trend has sparked widespread attention in the education

sector. This study aims to explore the impact of digital media on young learners' outcomes and its contribution

to teachers' teaching effectiveness. The study selected five primary school students from the same school,

covering different subjects and grade levels, and four teachers, using semi-structured interviews to gather data.

The results show that digital media has a dual effect on students' learning outcomes. On one hand, digital

media enhances interest and engagement, promoting independent learning. On the other hand, excessive

reliance on digital media was noted to cause distraction. This dual perspective highlights the potential benefits

of digital media in education, along with the risks associated with overuse, suggesting the need for a balanced

integration in the learning environment.

1 INTRODUCTION

In the era of advanced digital media, the widespread

dissemination and application of digital tools have

profoundly changed the way information is

communicated and exchanged, especially in

education. Digital technology is subtly transforming

how knowledge is acquired, skills are developed, and

career choices are made. By integrating with

education, digital technology has broken through

traditional boundaries, allowing for the adoption of

innovative and non-traditional teaching and learning

methods. This integration has facilitated educational

reforms, fostering new ways of thinking and

interacting with content (Beardsley, etal, 2021).

Digital media encompasses tools and technologies

used in teaching and learning in the digital age. These

include, but are not limited to, personal computers,

laptops, tablets, smartphones with internet access, as

well as television, digital games, interactive websites,

and other digital devices (Donohue, 2015). These

tools provide unprecedented opportunities for

learners and educators, making knowledge

acquisition more convenient and efficient. With the

rapid development of internet technology, digital

media has become an indispensable part of young

people's lives. Studies show that 95% of people aged

10 to 15 own a smartphone (Anderson, 2018). This

phenomenon has sparked discussions among parents,

educators, and policymakers about the use and misuse

of digital media by young people (Choudhury &

McKinney, 2013).

Primary school students can access a wealth of

learning resources anytime and anywhere, and

teachers can utilize a wide range of digital tools to

enhance classroom interaction and teaching

effectiveness. In this context, digital media functions

not only as a learning tool but also as an important

bridge that promotes interaction and engagement

between teachers and students. Through effective use

of media, educators can increase student engagement

and learning motivation, thereby improving teaching

effectiveness. However, this shift is not without

challenges. Information overload, distractions, and

the impact on traditional learning methods are all

issues educators must face in the digital

transformation. Additionally, the use of digital media

may also lead to a decline in social skills, and over-

reliance on technology can affect students' critical

thinking and problem-solving abilities. Therefore,

254

Li, J.

Exploring the Impact of Digital Media on Primary School Students’ Learning Outcomes and Its Contribution to Teachers’ Teaching Effectiveness: A Case Study of Lvtang Primary School in

Zunyi City, Guizhou Province.

DOI: 10.5220/0013982200004912

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Innovative Education and Social Development (IESD 2025), pages 254-258

ISBN: 978-989-758-779-5

addressing these potential challenges while

effectively integrating digital media to promote

learning has become a key issue in the field of

education.

This study aims to explore the impact of digital

media on primary school students' learning outcomes

and its contribution to teachers' teaching

effectiveness. In this context, digital media functions

not only as a learning tool but also as an important

bridge that promotes interaction and engagement

between teachers and students. By using media

effectively, educators can enhance student

engagement and learning motivation, thereby

improving teaching outcomes. To gain a deeper

understanding of this phenomenon, the study

conducted semi-structured interviews with five

primary school students and four educators to explore

their experiences with digital media and their views

on learning outcomes. This method provides rich

qualitative data to better understand the real

experiences and challenges faced by students and

teachers in a digital learning environment. Research

on the impact of digital media on learning and

teaching has been accumulating. Many scholars point

out that using digital media can significantly improve

student engagement and motivation, especially in

highly interactive learning environments. Studies

show that social media and online learning platforms

can promote communication and collaboration

among students, enhancing the social aspects of

learning. Additionally, teachers' effective integration

of digital media in the classroom can help them better

organize lessons and provide real-time feedback, thus

improving students' learning outcomes. However,

despite the positive impact of digital media revealed

in research, studies on its specific impact on teachers'

teaching effectiveness and how to effectively use

these tools in actual classrooms are still relatively

limited.

2 RESEARCH METHODS

This study adopts a qualitative research method,

using semi-structured interviews as the primary

method. This approach allows for the collection of

rich, detailed information. Under the guidance of pre-

set questions, it also allows researchers to conduct

deeper exploration based on participants' responses,

facilitating a more thorough investigation of the topic

(Shoozan & Mohamad, 2024). The aim is to explore

the impact of digital media on education and deepen

the understanding of its use in education, with a

particular focus on its effects on young learners'

experiences.

By directly communicating with groups of

primary school students and teachers, the study

collects their perspectives and experiences, hoping to

reveal the potential trends and challenges of digital

media in educational practice. This process not only

helps gain a deeper understanding of participants'

experiences but also provides valuable insights for

educational policies and practices. The advantage of

this method lies in its ability to capture the genuine

feelings and views of participants, providing rich

contextual information and detailed insights for the

research.

The open-ended interview questions were

designed around learner engagement, innovation in

teaching methods, and access to resources.

Participants were divided into two categories:

educators and learners. The learners consisted of five

primary school students, identified as A, B, C, D, and

E. These students came from different subject

backgrounds and could reflect various learning needs

and experiences. The participants also included four

educators: two high school teachers, two university

lecturers, and an educator from a higher education

institution.

This study adheres to ethical principles, ensuring

that all participants voluntarily participate and that

information remains confidential. Participants have

the right to withdraw from the study at any time, and

the information they provide will only be used for

academic research purposes. Through this approach,

the study aims to comprehensively reveal the dual

effects of digital media in education and provide

empirical evidence for related policies and practices.

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

3.1 Impact of Digital Media

When asked about the convenience of learning with

digital media, Student A mentioned, "If you don’t

understand something, you can find the answer

without running back and forth." Student B

emphasized the ability to quickly identify areas of

confusion, noting, "They can consult online

teachers." Student C highlighted the possibility of

consulting online teachers anytime, saying, "This

speeds up the understanding of unfamiliar

knowledge." "It fills in the gaps during the learning

process." Using learning apps to supplement missing

knowledge makes learning more efficient. Student E

stated, "I search for related instructional videos on

Exploring the Impact of Digital Media on Primary School Students’ Learning Outcomes and Its Contribution to Teachers’ Teaching

Effectiveness: A Case Study of Lvtang Primary School in Zunyi City, Guizhou Province

255

Bilibili to expand my knowledge." "During the

review phase, you can easily find many learning

materials through these digital media." Digital media

is seen as a method to expand knowledge and improve

review efficiency.

However, despite the convenient learning

resources offered by digital media, participants also

pointed out distractions, especially from social media.

Student A commented, "Overall, it's okay, but it is

easy to get distracted." Student E noted, "The learning

platform is unsupervised when completing tasks

assigned by the teacher, and while watching learning

videos, attention often drifts or is even skipped,

resulting in unsatisfactory learning outcomes."

Analysis of interviews with five learners clearly

shows the dual impact of digital media on students'

learning outcomes. On one hand, digital media

provides rich learning resources and convenient

methods, significantly improving the efficiency of

independent and collaborative learning. Students A,

B, C, and E emphasized the advantages of digital

media in quickly searching for information,

consulting experts, and filling in knowledge gaps.

These conveniences improve learning efficiency and

spark students' interest, making learning more

flexible and personalized.

On the other hand, the use of digital media also

brings issues such as distraction and information

overload. Students A and E mentioned that they get

distracted when using social media and learning

platforms, which may lower their learning efficiency.

Information overload makes it difficult for students to

effectively filter out valuable information from the

vast resources, reflecting differences in educators'

information processing abilities.

3.2 Impact of Different Types of

Interactive Digital Tools

Interviews with four educators revealed that different

types of interactive digital tools had varying impacts

on students' learning due to differences in teaching

design features (Hillmayr, etal, 2020). This diversity

enriches teaching tools, providing students with more

flexible and personalized learning experiences. For

example, Educator B1 mentioned that visualization in

teaching, especially in abstract subjects like

chemistry, effectively simplifies the understanding of

complex concepts and enhances student interest. This

suggests that the advantage of digital media lies in its

ability to concretize abstract knowledge, thereby

reducing students' learning difficulty. Educators A1

and C1 emphasized the importance of student

engagement and real-time feedback. Digital media,

through interactivity and immediacy, sparked

students' learning enthusiasm and helped teachers

quickly adjust their teaching strategies. This

bidirectional feedback mechanism significantly

improved teaching effectiveness. Additionally, as

Educator D1 pointed out, the application of digital

media in remote areas reveals its potential to promote

educational equity. Digital media, by breaking down

information barriers, provides more learning

opportunities for students in resource-scarce areas

and promotes the balanced distribution of educational

resources.

3.3 Future Developments

Looking towards the future, educators anticipate

technological advances and the realization of

personalized learning. Educator A1 hopes that more

advanced technologies can increase classroom

engagement, while Educator B1 suggests offering a

variety of learning resources. While emphasizing the

indispensability of high-tech tools in education,

Educator C1 calls for policy support and a

comprehensive plan for digital transformation to

strengthen infrastructure and promote digital teaching

models.

In the modern information society where digital

media is omnipresent, the internet has broken through

the limitations of time and space, becoming an all-

encompassing learning tool. Designing teaching and

learning activities for digital learning and flexibly

using technology tools are key issues in integrating

information technology with education (Lin, etal,

2017). Educators play a crucial role in promoting the

effective use of digital media. In the "education +

artificial intelligence" era, teachers can leverage

online and offline methods to access high-quality

educational resources. This method not only supports

students in reviewing and consolidating their learning

after class but also provides opportunities for more

capable students to engage in pre-learning.

Furthermore, it promotes the development of student

potential by offering a flexible learning environment

to meet diverse needs (Shi, 2024). At the same time,

using data analytics to design personalized learning

pathways for each student is crucial to ensure they

learn in ways best suited to them.

The introduction of virtual reality (VR)

technology for immersive learning provides students

with vivid experiences, increasing their engagement.

Additionally, innovation workshops encourage

teachers and students to share how to better utilize

digital media. Real-time feedback mechanisms help

students adjust strategies during the learning process,

IESD 2025 - International Conference on Innovative Education and Social Development

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improving outcomes. Teachers need not only to

master various digital tools but also integrate these

tools effectively into classroom teaching, providing

students with better learning experiences and results

in a rich learning environment. Digital learning

should be student-centered, emphasizing

personalized and autonomous learning. Teachers can

use online learning platforms to offer diverse learning

resources, allowing students to choose content based

on their interests and needs.

Research also indicates that the quantity of media

and information is constantly increasing. With the

fragmentation of learning information and the

widespread use of smart learning terminals, learning

becomes fragmented, non-linear, and flexible, easily

leading to distractions (Hu, 2020). From the students'

perspective, various strategies can be adopted to

maximize the positive impact of digital media and

minimize its negative effects. First, establishing

learning communities is an effective approach.

Students can create or join online study groups,

regularly sharing resources and experiences to

motivate each other. Additionally, gamified learning

can increase the fun and motivation by incorporating

elements such as scores and challenges. Self-

monitoring tools, such as personal learning logs,

allow students to track their learning progress and

emotional changes, promoting a deeper

understanding of their learning patterns. Cross-

disciplinary learning and time-block learning

methods can improve comprehensive skills and

attention. The former combines knowledge from

different subjects through project-based learning,

while the latter breaks down learning time into short

blocks with rest and reflection, improving learning

efficiency.

Policy makers should also focus on the

application of digital media in education. Policies

should support the professional development of

teachers and provide necessary resources and

technical support to ensure effective implementation

of digital learning. Meanwhile, schools should

establish good technical infrastructure to ensure all

students can equally access and use digital tools. Only

in this way can we truly achieve deep integration of

information technology and education, promoting

educational equity and quality.

On the other hand, software developers can

support the learning process by innovating new

technologies and tools. Digital technology, as a

fundamental and revolutionary force, is profoundly

changing the way, pattern, and ecology of knowledge

dissemination (Xue, 2023). Developing smart

learning assistants that use AI to provide personalized

suggestions and resources based on students' learning

habits and progress is an effective way to improve

learning outcomes. At the same time, augmented

reality (AR) applications can combine virtual

information with real-world scenes, enhancing the

interactivity of learning. Creating social learning

platforms where students share their achievements

and experiences to create a positive learning

atmosphere is also a meaningful direction.

Additionally, emotional analysis tools can help

students identify and manage their emotions during

learning and provide appropriate support. Finally,

open APIs and community collaboration can

encourage third-party developers to create plugins or

applications, enriching the functionality and

resources of learning platforms, thus enhancing the

overall learning experience.

4 CONCLUSION

Through this study, it is found that digital media has

a significant impact on promoting primary school

students' learning and optimizing teachers' teaching.

Specifically, interactive digital tools enhance

students' engagement and interest in learning,

particularly in visualization, and help simplify the

understanding of complex concepts. This interactivity

and flexibility enable students to participate more

actively in learning, thus improving learning

outcomes. Therefore, teachers need to balance the use

of digital media to maximize its positive impact while

avoiding potential negative consequences. In terms of

teaching, digital media enriches teaching methods,

providing real-time feedback mechanisms that allow

teachers to quickly adjust teaching strategies. This

feedback not only improves the adaptability of

teaching but also fosters interaction between teachers

and students, enhancing teaching effectiveness.

Moreover, in remote areas, digital media breaks

down information barriers, providing more learning

opportunities for resource-poor students and

promoting educational equity. These findings suggest

that digital media is a teaching tool and an important

means of promoting educational equity and

improving teaching quality. This study fills the gap in

understanding the dual role of digital media in

education and emphasizes the importance of teachers

in teaching design. By analyzing the effectiveness of

different digital tools, this study offers practical

suggestions for educators on how to effectively

integrate digital media to enhance teaching

effectiveness and students' learning outcomes. The

findings are significant for educators, policymakers,

Exploring the Impact of Digital Media on Primary School Students’ Learning Outcomes and Its Contribution to Teachers’ Teaching

Effectiveness: A Case Study of Lvtang Primary School in Zunyi City, Guizhou Province

257

and educational technology developers, providing

insights for practical teaching and learning. Future

research should focus on best practices for using

digital media and explore how traditional teaching

methods can be effectively combined with digital

tools. In particular, the effectiveness of using digital

media in different subject contexts may vary, so

researchers should consider this factor and develop

more targeted teaching strategies. Furthermore,

current research has not deeply explored the specific

impacts of digital media on different age groups, and

future research should consider this dimension to

further enhance teaching effectiveness and students'

learning experiences.

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