Introduction In South Africa, only about 50% of children entering Grade 1 are school-ready, with even fewer in early learning programs adequately prepared for Grade R. Motor skills are a key component of school readiness, yet poor teacher training limits effective early childhood development (ECD). To address this, mobile learning (mLearning) offers a potential solution by providing accessible and affordable training for ECD teachers. However, these apps must be contextually relevant and include teachers in their development through iterative processes such as usability testing and heuristic evaluation.
Objectives This study aimed to develop a framework for designing mLearning apps that train ECD teachers in motor skills promotion. The research question explored the principles guiding the design and usability of such an app in low-resource settings. Objectives included identifying key video content characteristics, developing a high-fidelity prototype, conducting heuristic evaluations, and assessing usability using the System Usability Scale (SUS).
Methods Using a sequential mixed-methods approach, the study proceeded through four phases: (1) developing training content through a consensus workshop, (2) designing a prototype, (3) conducting a heuristic evaluation with experts, and (4) gathering usability feedback from teachers from the Cape Town Metropole area.
Results The results led to a new framework comprising six development steps and seven guiding principles, emphasizing culture-centered knowledge, stakeholder engagement, multilingual approaches, and iterative design.
Conclusion This framework establishes a structured approach for creating ECD teacher training apps tailored to South African contexts, ultimately improving teacher training accessibility and enhancing preschool education quality.