Play-based Pedagogy Research Articles

Early Childhood Education Teachers’ Use of Teaching Learning Resources in the Implementation of Play-Based Activities within the Hemang Lower Denkyira District of Ghana

The main purpose of this study was to assess ECE Teachers’ use of teaching learning resources in the implementation of play-based activities within the Hemang Lower Denkyira District. The study adopted the qualitative research approach. The case study design was adopted for this study. Semi-structured interview guide and observation checklist were the instruments utilized to collect data from ten (10) participants, nine (9) professional Early Childhood Education Teachers and one (1) District Early Childhood Coordinator for this study. The purposive sampling was used in selecting the participants for the study. The data were analyzed thematically with the help of Taguette, an online qualitative analysis software. The findings of the study revealed that, Early Childhood Centres do not have audio materials like Bluetooth speakers for oral and listening activities. The study also found that, most schools have no access to electricity and so lack television set and computers to aid in audio-visual lessons. Lastly, it was revealed from the study that, most Early childhood teachers used improvised materials instead of realia to enhance first hand experiences of learners. The study hence recommends that; The Stakeholders of education such as; Parent Association (PA), School Management Council (SMC), Headteachers, Teachers and the Mission units should resource Early Childhood Centres with enough, varieties, and developmentally appropriate play resources/materials and equipment to facilitate play-based pedagogies at the early childhood centres. It could be concluded from the study that; teachers’ ability to meaningfully use TLRs in their lessons and to create the necessary environment and opportunities for their children to have access to the TLRs and to manipulate them is central to the successful implementation of play-based pedagogy. Therefore, relevant resources/materials such as Audio, audio-visual and concrete materials are to be provided to promote play-based pedagogies at the early childhood centres.

Values in English and Swedish Pre School Teachers: a comparative case study in early childhood settings

ABSTRACT This doctoral case study research aims to explore the values of English and Swedish pre-school teachers, focusing on their roles and the experiences they provide for 3 and 4-year-old children. Values are beliefs held by individuals to which they attach special worth or priority; and this research recognises that values are personalised and shaped by the social, cultural and political contexts in which the teachers are situated and they act as a prism through which practice is realised. The theoretical framework titled, situated pedagogy is used to help contextualise. Two ‘day in the life of’ videos were filmed (in a Swedish and an English pre-school) using polyvocal ethnography to capture two teachers’ multiple ‘voices’. This aim was to ascertain their values through ongoing dialogue, telling and retelling of their ‘stories’ provoked by their reflections on the video footage. The findings revealed many similarities in the teachers’ values, especially regarding relationships, a play-based pedagogy, valuing parents as partners, the layout of the environment and types of resources utilised, valuing the voice and rights of the child. It is concluded that these similarities are shaped by the underpinning educational policy and the curricula in the teachers’ respective countries.

Telling stories of learning and beyond: using the learning story approach to help kindergarten teachers to conceptualise play-based teaching and learning in China

ABSTRACT Play-based teaching and learning approaches are recognised as enabling teachers to interact with children and support learning in a relaxed environment to promote children’s holistic development. Recent studies increasingly emphasise that teachers’ engagement can promote children’s opportunities to learn through play. This article presents results from a qualitative case study undertaken in a kindergarten in China, with three Chinese kindergarten teachers exploring play-based teaching and learning in their classrooms. Learning story, a narrative assessment approach, was introduced to the Chinese kindergarten teachers prior to the research as a tool for them to record and reflect on their play-based learning practices. Nine learning stories were collected and nine follow-up semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore three research questions: 1). what was the teacher’s role in playful activities? 2). what learning was identified? 3). how were play and learning linked and sustained over time? Findings indicate that the three Chinese teachers demonstrated a continuum of guidance for their interaction with children in play and that cultural factors played a role in teachers’ conceptualisation and implementation of play-based learning. These findings contribute to understanding of play-based pedagogy in a particular cultural context.

Effects of play-based education for sustainable development of young children’s environmental preservation knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors - Focus on environmental dimension

Effects of play-based education for sustainable development of young children’s environmental preservation knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors - Focus on environmental dimension

Examining Teachers' use of Play-Based Pedagogy in Mathematics Learning in Basic Schools

This study examines the use of play-based pedagogy by basic school mathematics teachers in the Ho West district, addressing a significant gap in the existing literature. Through a comprehensive review of previous studies, the study identifies key insights and informs the investigation. Employing a descriptive survey design with a quantitative approach, the study surveys a stratified random sample of 400 basic school teachers in the Ho West District, collecting data through a reliable questionnaire and analyzing it using various statistical methods. The findings reveal that teachers perceive play-based pedagogy as effective in enhancing students' mathematical understanding, promoting creativity, and fostering collaborative learning. However, the study also identifies challenges faced by teachers, including time constraints, curriculum alignment, resource inadequacy, behavior management, and assessment difficulties, despite the implementation of diverse play-based activities. Based on these findings, the study recommends targeted workshops and seminars for teachers, emphasizing the benefits of play-based pedagogy, introducing a range of activities, and allocating resources to address the identified challenges.

A conceptual model of an effective early childhood physical literacy pedagogue

Physical inactivity has become increasingly prevalent among young children in early childhood education and care settings. One promising way to intervene and promote physical activity in these settings is to develop children’s physical literacy. Where most children spend their weekday in early childhood settings in the care of early childhood educators, the educators are viewed as ‘change agents’ and become responsible for developing children’s physical literacy. Thus, early childhood educators must possess adequate skills, knowledge, and practices to promote such development. However, research has yet to conceptualize a theory which identifies the significant capabilities and competencies that make early childhood educators, what we propose, an Effective Early Childhood Physical Literacy Pedagogue. Therefore, this paper draws on early childhood research regarding physical literacy, physical activity, and active play, to present a conceptual model theorizing an Effective Early Childhood Physical Literacy Pedagogue. Within this model, we propose educators’ professional identity and implementation of play-based pedagogy are essential characteristics of an Effective Early Childhood Physical Literacy Pedagogue. Furthermore, educators’ physical literacy capabilities (psychomotor, affective, social, and cognitive) are recognized as the vehicle that drives the aforementioned characteristics to be the Effective Early Childhood Physical Literacy Pedagogue. This conceptual model provides implications for future research to appropriately assess and target physical literacy interventions towards early childhood educators.

A Systematic Review of Early Childhood Education and Primary School Readiness for Transition Through Play-Based Pedagogies

This systematic review is based on studies that explored school readiness and transition through play-based pedagogies in Early Childhood and Primary Education. Relevant literature involved global literature whose search was conducted by independent researchers following the keyword string, which included among others, stakeholders’ roles in school readiness, transition, and play-based pedagogies. The literature search was done from May to August 2022 following the Preferred Reporting Item for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA). Twenty peer-reviewed studies were identified, appraised, and included in the review. Findings from international literature showed that teachers’ implementation of play-based pedagogy revealed a significant and positive relationship to all domains of children’s holistic development. Learner assessment for school readiness and transitioning from pre-primary to primary through play-based pedagogies included academic, social, and personal learning during periods of play. The types of play-based assessments for school readiness identified included: (1) withdrawal assessment, (2) observational assessment, (3) embedded assessment, (4) teacher questioning/interview, (5) Photographs/videos and (6) documentation walls. While literature showed a positive connection between parental involvement and a child’s readiness for school including successful transition from preprimary to primary school, there was limited evidence pointing specifically to the influence of parental involvement in play-based pedagogies for school transitioning.

Exploring Early Childhood Education Teachers' Play-Based Learning Pedagogical Practices in Zambia

Although learning takes place throughout life, that which occurs during childhood will never be equaled (UNICEF, 2018). Play is a legitimate right in early childhood (Smith, 2013) and one of the most natural pathways to exploration and learning (Saskatchewan, 2018). However, although play is a legitimate right way of learning in Zambia (MOGE 2013), in practice its implementation varies from school to school (Lungu, 2023). This study explored the play-based pedagogies related to play-based learning of ECE teachers in Zambia and their preparedness to use play as a teaching technique. The study employed a concurrent or convergent parallel mixed-method design. A total of 30 ECE teachers across three districts of Zambia participated in this study. One-to-one interviews were used to collect qualitative data, while structured questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data for the study. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 was used to generate descriptive statistics while qualitative data was analysed using content analysis. The findings revealed that a considerable portion (83%) of ECE teachers perceived their training as sufficient for teaching using play-based pedagogies, but a notable minority expressed the need for more effective training and support in this regard. Further, the findings revealed that PBL was widely incorporated in ECE in Zambia. Among the commonly employed PBL pedagogical practices, teachers consistently incorporated elements such as games, role plays and dramatic play, storytelling, outdoor activities, individual work, pair work, group work, demonstrations, as well as rhymes and songs. However, the study noted a concern about the connectedness of play activity with the content of the day. It was observed that there was no connectedness between play activities and the content of the day. In addition, learning was not captivating enough as teachers were not so creative in using play as a vehicle to deliver curriculum content to the learners. These findings have crucial implications for the enhancement of ECE in Zambia. They underscore the value of competency, focused Continuing Professional Development programmes, creative teaching approaches, diversification of play activities, and the intentional alignment of PBL with curriculum content.

Cross-Country Document Analysis of Play-Based Learning in Early Childhood Education in Zambia and Beyond

This research examined the incorporation of play-based learning in Early Childhood Education (ECE) policies across Zambia and twenty other diverse countries. Through document analysis, it uncovers commonalities and disparities in play-based learning principles. While both Zambian and global documents emphasise the significance of play in child development, they differ in scope, regional practices, and emphasis on global advocacy and cultural variations. Zambia’s documents highlight specific practices, while global perspectives offer a broader international view. Both stress the multifaceted benefits of play in physical, cognitive, social, and emotional growth. In summary, the findings underscored a global consensus on the significance of play-based learning in early childhood education, emphasising its role in holistic child development. Additionally, they highlighted the imperative of recognising cultural diversity and aligning policies with child rights, particularly in the Zambian context. Furthermore, the recommendations were aimed at bolstering the effectiveness of play-based pedagogies in early childhood education. They advocated for celebrating diversity, fostering holistic development, and ensuring the availability of appropriate resources and guidelines to support this approach. These recommendations ultimately seek to enhance the quality of early childhood education in Zambia by embracing cultural diversity, promoting global collaboration, and aligning play-based pedagogies with local and international best practices.

Mixed methods study supporting the piloting and scaling of a Gender-Responsive Play-Based Learning training package for pre-primary teachers in Rwanda and Mozambique

Despite significant investments to increase access to and improve the quality of primary school education, fewer than half of the world's primary-level pupils have gained grade-level literacy and numeracy skills. While the learning crisis is complex, high-quality early childhood education (ECE) can be a critical piece of this puzzle. Integrating the use of gender equitable, gender responsive and play-based pedagogies into ECE curricula can be an important step towards enhancing the quality of ECE and supporting the school readiness of girls and boys, also in low-income contexts. This study explored the effectiveness of a Gender-Responsive Play-Based Learning (GRPBL) training package for ECE teachers Rwanda and Mozambique on classroom environment and child early learning and development. The study was mixed methods and used Focus Group Discussions, in-depth interviews and standardized classroom and child assessments using the globally validated International Development Early Learning Assessment (IDELA) toolkit. The study showed that in Mozambique, the training had positive effects on classroom environment and consequently on child early learning outcomes, with the strongest effect found on emergent literacy. The training did not succeed at improving the same outcomes in Rwanda. Contextual factors such as high student to teacher ratios, lack of teaching experience and limited support by school leaders and parents, likely constrained teachers in Rwanda to make deep changes to their instructional practices while we did see evidence of such changes in Mozambique. A training on GRPBL, can thus have powerful effects on classroom and child outcomes, even in low resource settings. However, effects may vary depending on the implementation context. To support policymakers, local and international implementers in their journey to improve the quality of ECE, more time needs to go into understanding what type of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) aligns with the existing ECE context and systems so that teachers, children and parents can optimally benefit from CPD opportunities.

Does environmental education work differently across sociopolitical contexts in the United States? Part II. Examining pedagogy in school field trip programs for early adolescent youth across political contexts

Political polarization in the United States has made many environmental issues strongly partisan, with Democrats largely receptive to environmental messaging and Republicans commonly pitted against it. This phenomenon may have meaningful implications for how environmental education is conducted for people from different sociopolitical contexts. We explored whether certain pedagogical approaches to single-day environmental education field trip programs were linked to better or worse outcomes for early adolescent youth (ages 10–14) from different sociopolitical contexts: majority Republican, majority Democrat, or mixed (roughly even). All observed effect sizes were small with one exception. Play-based pedagogies tended to yield less positive outcomes for students from Republican majority contexts than others, with a medium effect size. The findings suggest that some traditional approaches to play, such as role-playing as animals or pretending to be water droplets, may feel incongruent with the social identities of students from largely Republican communities.

Children's voices through play-based practice: listening, intensities and critique

PurposeThis paper offers a reflection of a research process aimed at listening to young children's voices in their everyday school life through a play-based context in a Scottish school. Throughout the research process, the complexity of conducting this research was kept in mind as listening to children's voices presents methodological and conceptual difficulties and tensions. Reflecting on the research process after the data was collected, the process was critiqued using Deleuze-Guattarian ideas. The critique aims at opening and challenging each researcher, allowing them to think-again about the next research project aimed at listening to children's voices.Design/methodology/approachThe research involved an observation study that took place over one week in a primary school in Central Scotland. As part of the educators' approach to play-based pedagogy, children had the opportunity to engage in free play throughout the day. Observations were chosen as the main approach to “capture” children's voices in their natural settings.FindingsThe empirical research brought forth two main ideas, that of children as agents, and how children amplify their voices through play. The reflective part offers the possibility of understanding the intensities and forces when conducting such research and the possibilities of engaging with these.Originality/valueThis paper offers a critique of research aimed at listening to children's voices. The aim is not to limit engagement in researching children's voices but to open, or make complex, such processes.

Disrupting the Aistear hour: working towards a play-based curriculum in early childhood classrooms in Irish primary schools

ABSTRACT In a climate of pandemic recovery and taking this opportunity to be reflective and reflexive in our practice we set out to examine how we can make a change to the playful experiences of children aged 4–6 years old in Irish infant primary classrooms. As teacher educators in play and play-based learning, in higher education, we are confronted by pedagogical cultures and classroom experiences within early primary settings that turn play on and off for a period during the day. This is a practice commonly referred to as the ‘Aistear hour’. The aim of this project was to explore our own current understandings and to improve our professional approaches to teaching student teachers about play-based pedagogy and practices. Participants (n = 9) in this small-scale survey research study were tutor colleagues involved in the teaching of elements of Early Childhood and Professional Practice Placement modules. The results indicate a serious need for a professional collective discussion on the adult ‘hijacking’ of play and the need for a rights-based approach to ensure very young children have control and voice in their play experiences in early primary classrooms.

Exploring the feasibility of outdoor indigenous games and songs to enhance play-based pedagogy in early childhood education

Indigenous play activities are crucial to cross-cultural knowledge and practice and are gaining ground as a pedagogical approach in early childhood education settings. The study aimed at systematically documenting culturally and developmentally appropriate outdoor indigenous games that could serve as resource materials for play-based learning in ECE centres. Participants comprising teachers, parents, grandparents, and adolescent girls and boys were drawn from Lufwanyama district of Zambia. Data was generated through Participatory Action Research to allow inter-cultural dialogue. Data was analysed using thematic categorisation. Results showed that documentation of indigenous games can serve as a resource capital for enhancing play-based learning practice in an early childhood education setting. The study further revealed that integrating indigenous games can strengthen home-school linkages through active community engagement. The study recommends that teachers can effectively implement play-based learning when the reservoir of developmentally appropriate indigenous games is easily accessible to them. We further argue for rethinking early childhood education pedagogical practice so that learning and development are seen as being influenced more by contextually responsive play and exploration, than by direct instruction and teaching.

Chinese early childhood teachers’ perspectives on mathematics education in play-based contexts

ABSTRACT Following the increasing impacts on the value of Western play-based pedagogy, early childhood (EC) teachers in China face developmental challenges related to understanding and implementing play-based mathematical education. The purpose of this paper is to explore Chinese EC teachers’ perspectives on play-based mathematics teaching. In this qualitative study, semi-structured interviews and lesson plans are collected from six EC teachers in a Chinese kindergarten. Hedegaard’s model is applied to frame analysis for capturing EC teachers’ views and practices from a holistic perspective. The findings show that all six EC teachers valued play as a pedagogical tool for teaching mathematics, while their pedagogical decisions in applying play to children’s mathematics are determined by the various demands from society, parents and children. The multiple demands from different perspectives result in challenges for teachers in designing collective play. This study revealed that only when play activity caters to the possibility of satisfying those demands can teachers pedagogically implement play for children’s mathematical learning. The insights emerging from this study might address the pragmatic challenges that teachers face by enhancing teachers’ professional development to support the advance of culturally sensitive play-based mathematics teaching in China.

Exploring social justice awareness in young children's shopping pretend play at ECEC settings and museums

ABSTRACT This article aims to provide insights of social justice awareness in young children’s pretend play (2–6 years old) involving shopping activities in the nursery and the children’s museum. Previous literature acknowledges the importance of grocery exhibits and relevant learning centres in the cognitive and socio-cultural development of children, but rarely addresses broader social justice issues. Educators’ narratives were analyzed using the Capability Approach to examine how children’s play experiences relate to Nussbaum’s central human functional capabilities. Thematic analysis indicated that interactions associated with payment transactions and budgeting concepts, healthy eating and consumerism, as well as cooperation in running the shop were instrumental in facilitating social justice awareness and developing a great variety of the central human capabilities. The nursery environment seemed to enable a more agentic stance and a stronger understanding of social justice-related issues, while practitioners’ prompts and an implicit pedagogical agenda towards active citizenship enriched play-based pedagogy with social justice objectives.

Developing Early Graders' Collaborative Skills through Group-Work, Play-Based Pedagogy

This study aimed to develop early grade learners' collaborative skills through group work and play-based pedagogy because collaboration is among the twenty-first century's core skills needed among learners. Thus, its development among early-grade learners is paramount, if they are going to fit seamlessly into the twenty-first century. Participatory-action research, as a research design and professional development workshop, guided this study. Three public primary schools (n = 3) and nine teachers (n = 9), who were purposely sampled, constituted the sample for the study. The study was conducted in the Owerri Education Zone, and the data were captured by using semi-structured interviews and learners' performance-rating scales. Respondent validity was employed through member checking to ensure the validity and reliability of the research instrument. Thematic data analysis was used to determine the results and the indings of the study. It was discovered that teachers' knowledge of group work play-based pedagogy was inadequate, thus hampering the development of collaboration skills among early-grade learners. Professional development workshops were mounted to solve the problem through teachers' capacity to use group play-based pedagogy to develop collaborative skills. Among the proffered recommendations was continuous in-service teachers' professional development of current collaborative pedagogical practices that encourage the active participation of early-grade learners.

Combination of picturebooks and toys for development of children’s literacy: advantages and limitations in the context of play-based pedagogy

Educators and parents are constantly searching for new ways to develop children’s literacy. Playing in a rich environment enables even the youngest children to explore literacy and develop their literacy skills. With the rapid development of technologies in book publishing, picturebooks are becoming an increasingly common element of such an environment. This article analyses how a picturebook can be used in the context of play-based pedagogy and linguistic diversity. The results of the study on reading a picturebook with children under 9 years of age are presented (N68). The research data demonstrated that reading a picturebook with a toy helped to raise interest and retain the attention of preschool children and primary school pupils, stimulated their linguistic activity, and helped to better understand the book; yet in some situations it had a negative effect on teacher-child interaction, distracted from the written work, and hindered the possibilities to develop active reading skills offered by the picturebook. Reading a picturebook with a toy could be seen as a means of individualising education when working with pre-schoolers or children with learning difficulties. The research shows that reading with a toy can both foster the interaction between the teacher and the learner and hinder it; so, the integrity of all the elements of the educational situation is important: the learner’s capabilities, peculiarities of the picturebook and the toy, as well as the teacher’s skillfulness./ Keywords: picturebooks, play-based pedagogy, linguistic diversity, elementary education, early education.

영유아교육기관 교사의 놀이신념과 교수창의성이 놀이지원 역량에 미치는 영향

Objectives The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of play beliefs and teaching creativity of teachers at early childhood educational institutions on play support competency.
 Methods The subjects of this study were 287 teachers at day care centers and kindergartens in Busan and Gyeongsangnam-do. The analysis method was Person's product-moment correlation using SPSS 23 program to examine the relationship between teacher's play belief, teaching creativity, and play support competency, and multiple regression analysis was conducted to verify the influence of teacher's play belief and teaching creativity on play support competency.
 Results As a result of data analysis, first, there was a positive correlation between teachers' play beliefs, teaching creativity, and play support competency. Second, among the sub-variables of play support competency, teacher's teaching creativity showed higher explanatory power in internal motivation, play goal, play design, and play operation, and teacher's play belief showed higher explanatory power in teacher's emotion and attitude, play support improvement effort, knowledge, play environment creation, and infant evaluation.
 Conclusions The results of this study are significant in that it reminded the importance of teachers' play beliefs, teaching creativity, and play support capabilities in order for play-based education and childcare courses to be well realized in early childhood education institutions, and that teachers' play beliefs and teaching creativity should be promoted in order to enhance teachers' play support capabilities.

Play-based pedagogy and creativity for early grade and preschool learners

Play-based pedagogy and creativity for early grade and preschool learners