The use of tablets and their impact on learning. A national research in Primary Education schools

Numerous studies on the benefits and potentialities of mobile learning have been published in the recent years. It is a technology that acts as a catalyst for change, generating new learning opportunities in the context of XXIst century education. However, the scientific literature of the moment lacks studies that show evidence on the impact that such use has on the learning outcomes of students, providing generally unrepresentative samples that do not allow to go beyond mere speculation. This article aims to describe the results of research carried out under the Samsung Smart School program during the 2015-2016 academic year, in collaboration with the National Institute of Educational Technologies and Teacher Training (INTEF), Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports and the Autonomous Communities, Ceuta and Melilla, whose objective is to promote students learning through the integration of mobile technology in the classrooms of Spanish public schools. The research, carried out in 29 public primary schools, with a sample of 826 students and 97 teachers, analyses, from different instruments: (a) the approximation of students, teachers and family to mobile technology, (b) the main didactic strategies used in classrooms with these devices, and (c) the perceived impact of such use on student learning. The results, in addition to demonstrating the ease with which this technology is incorporated in classrooms, show their educational potential along with dynamic, collaborative and interdisciplinary activities, their impact on attention, motivation and classroom climate, as well as an improvement in the development of students' key competencies. Finally, the limitations of the study and possible future streamlines are presented.