Shifting perspectives: developing and integrating educators’ notions of play and early math learning in kindergarten

Abstract

ABSTRACT Growing evidence promotes the suitability of play-based learning to support young children’s developmental and academic learning. Educators’ differing perspectives of play and learning, however, lead to differing implementations of play in classrooms settings that either dichotomise or integrate the constructs of play and academic learning. As contemporary notions of play advocate for the integration of play and academic learning, this current study sought to understand the ways in which kindergarten educators were successfully shifting their perspectives and practices to align with more current views of play-based learning in kindergarten education. Through thematic analysis of interview data, this study identified how educators progressed through four stages of evolution in their perspectives of both play and early math learning in kindergarten. This professional evolution led to an integrated perspective of how various approaches to play can support young children’s math learning in practice. Discussion of these findings will highlight the key factors that helped educators to make a positive change in their professional practice through shifting their perspectives of play and math learning in kindergarten.