Assessment of the Use of Educational Apps in Teaching English Language in Nursery Schools in Lagos State

This study assesses the use of educational mobile applications in teaching English language to nursery school pupils in Lagos State, South West Nigeria. The early childhood education sector in Lagos State has witnessed increasing adoption of tablet-based learning applications, yet systematic evidence on their instructional effectiveness remains limited. A descriptive survey design was used, sampling 60 nursery school teachers and 20 school proprietors from private nursery schools in Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland, and Ikeja Local Government Areas. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire and structured interview guide. Findings reveal that English language apps are the most widely used category of educational applications in nursery settings, primarily for phonics, vocabulary, and storytelling activities. Most teachers rely on parental-supplied tablets rather than school-owned devices. Teachers reported high satisfaction with apps that include interactive audio and animated characters but low satisfaction with text-heavy interfaces unsuitable for pre-literate learners. Challenges include limited app availability in Nigerian English phonology variants and excessive in-app advertisement content. The study recommends that the Lagos State Ministry of Education develop a vetted list of approved educational apps for nursery instruction and that training in app-based pedagogy be included in early childhood teacher education curricula. Keywords: educational apps, English language, nursery school, Lagos State, early childhood education