Objective: to design and evaluate the structure, process and efficacy of an educational intervention to encourage an adequate use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) among 10-to-11-year old children in Torrijos (Toledo, Spain).
Method: a quasi-experimental pre-post-intervention study in 6º grade students from three Primary schools. A 90-minute educational intervention was designed about the advantages and disadvantages of ICTs. Both students and external observers evaluated its structure and process through ad-hoc questionnaires. Its efficacy was evaluated through questionnaires self-completed by the students. Sociodemographic variables were collected, as well as regarding the habits of ICT use. Wilcoxon and McNemar tests were used for analysis, with statistical significance p< 0.05.
Results: the participation in the intervention was of 165 students (52.7% were girls) with a mean age of 11.2 years (SD= 0.46). The device most used by girls was the tablet (58,6%) and the console, by boys (58.4%), with a higher use by the latter (p< 0.001), where 35.8% played over two hours per day. There was also a higher use of YouTube and Twitch in boys, vs. TikTok and Snapchat in girls (p< 0.001). The intervention did not show any significant changes regarding the number of hours using internet or social networks. Students evaluated positively the intervention and the possibility to express themselves freely. External observers also valued the session positively, in terms of the mood perceived and participation.
Conclusions: the intervention had very good acceptance and turned out positive for maintaining ICT habits, although no changes were shown subsequently in terms of habits of ICT use.