Geography Learning in Primary School: Comparing Face-to-Face versus Tablet-Based Instruction Methods

Touchscreen tablet technology is being widely adopted in primary and secondary schools throughout the world. Current research largely explores how to use this technology to teach reading and writing, mathematics, and to a lesser extent science. However a research gap exists in exploring tablet technology to teach geography. The research in this article examines if any differences in learning outcomes exist between a more traditional teaching method and one that is centered on using touchscreen tablet technology when teaching USA states’ shapes and locations to second-graders. The results indicate that there is no statistically significant difference between the two teaching methods, but that combining the two methods may lead to significant improvements in learning outcomes.