Today’s pedagogical practices are largely permeated by the tools of the digital age, a period which has lately undergone changes metaphorically described as coming from the solid culture of the 19th and 20th centuries to the liquid information culture of the 21st century (Oliveira et al., 2014). Between new educational technologies belongs a device which reacts on the human touch – a tablet. With the expansion of tablets into lower secondary school traditional printed textbooks face a challenge in comparison with electronic textbooks. Since there is a huge expansion of ICT use in education, the question of the future of printed textbooks is essential. Does the print textbook still possess an important place in learning and instruction? Based on their perception, what kind of textbooks do pupils prefer for learning?

Regarding the acceptance of e-textbooks, a number of studies focusing on university students can be found (Sun, Flores & Tanguma, 2012; Quan-Haase & Martin, 2011; Rose, 2011). However, among lower secondary school pupils there is little evidence on the perception of e-textbooks.

There is no doubt about advantages of electronic textbooks. Some examples can be named. According to Oliveira et al. (2014) the advantage of electronic textbook is easiness to use for searching information and watching the video. Tomassini (2012, in Falc, 2013) sees advantages in a low price of the electronic textbook and adds that the electronic textbook costs a half less than the traditional printed textbook. Also the electronic textbook enables easier copying and pasting text (Li et al., 2011). Due to software base the content of the electronic textbook can be changed and updated without any need to print a new edition (Cavanaugh, 2004). However, the undergraduates prefer a print version because they find the e-text cumbersome to use (Birnbaum, 2004).

E-texts are considered a learning object since they support learning, are reusable, and provide a building block for digital course content (Ritzhaupt, 2010). The structure of an text allows a student to interact with the content in many ways i.e. reference material, practice problems, or as a test environment depending on the needs of the student (Stone & Eveleth, 2013).  Bradshaw (2005) noted that e-texts provide opportunities to employ a variety of styles to fit learners’ needs. However, Thurston (2000) stated that learners often need to adapt to the use of an e-text. Similarly, Schoch, Teoh, and Kropman (2006) found that many readers of an e-text have to change their study habits to cope with using an e-text. In the study of  Liu (2005) undergraduate students found digital text less interesting and the authors less credible. Expressed concern is that students frequently need to be tied to a monitor when reading digital text (Carlson, 2005).

To react on above mentioned issues, the following research question is raised: What is the pupils´ perception of electronic textbooks?

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