A Combination of Media: Paper & Screens in the Digital Academic Reading Practices of Future Teachers

Abstract

Digital reading practices are complex sociocultural activities that transcend the dichotomy between paper and screen. This study analyses how future teachers shape their academic reading practices based on their media preferences. The objectives are, on the one hand, to analyse the academic digital reading practices reported by students in an Early Childhood Education degree programme according to their media preferences (paper/screen). On the other hand, to identify the reading profiles of students based on these preferences when performing academic activities. A quantitative study of an exploratory, descriptive and correlational cross-sectional nature was developed, based on the application of a validated questionnaire (α=0.831) to a non-probabilistic sample of 487 participants (95% confidence level and 3% margin of error). The statistical analysis combined ANOVA tests to identify significant differences between groups and a multivariate automatic classification analysis to establish reader profiles according to media preference. The results show a majority preference for paper, coexisting with functional uses of screens. Hybrid and situated practices are identified, in which the medium is strategically adjusted to the task and context. These findings provide evidence of the need to train future teachers in flexible reading strategies that critically integrate both media.