Multimodal play: A threshold concept for early childhood curriculum?

Abstract

AbstractA challenge for early childhood (EC) educators internationally is how to increase the integration of popular culture, media and digital technologies in EC settings to promote children's learning with digital media. But an ongoing puzzle is why the practices of some educators change, while others remain the same. Much research about teaching practice positions the locus of change in teacher beliefs, attitudes, values and knowledge. Re‐mediation by cultural tools (i.e., concepts and artefacts) offers an alternative explanation, but this still does not consistently result in hoped‐for shifts in practice. To gain further clarity, we investigated the idea of multimodal play as a ‘threshold concept’ for EC curriculum. Multimodal play integrates popular culture, media and digital technologies in ways that can promote children's learning. Considering multimodal play as a threshold concept may assist educators to adopt new practices in response to children's significant interest in and rapidly changing life worlds of popular culture, media and digital technologies. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Play is the signature pedagogy of early childhood education (ECE). Professional development (PD) by EC educators about digital technologies, media and popular culture produces little change to established practices. Successful ways to integrate digital technologies, media and popular culture in EC curricula are needed. What this paper adds Draws on extant literature and empirical data to explain why multimodal play could be a threshold concept in ECE. Offers an alternative explanation to re‐mediation about why practices are difficult to change. Implications for practice and/or policy Research and PD about digital technologies, media and popular culture should treat multimodal play (not digital technologies) as a threshold concept in addressing signature pedagogies. Popular culture, media and digital technologies can add to rather than displace multimodality in children's play.