Play-based Pedagogy Research Articles

Motivación docente por el uso del juego como dispositivo para el aprendizaje

Even though play has been widely recognized as a social and cultural practice where children naturally learn, evidence shows that international school practices have tended to reduce spaces for play, relegating it to nearly sporadic levels. Teaching practices in initial education have become increasingly scholastic; despite being recognized as a foundational principle, play has been left to the side of central learning activities, which may affect the development of children. For Chile, a country where standardized assessments have permeated the entire educational system, research has reported a schema of classes centered on adulthood that progressively structure and stiffen classroom activities. Play makes its appearance only as an instructional resource (instructional play), and does so with no measurable certainty of its effectiveness on impacting learning. Given such a gap in the literature regarding how teachers understand play-based education and their motivations toward implementing it at school, this work aimed to explore teacher motivations toward game-based learning in educational contexts under a mixed-methods sequential design. The first stage of the research design surveyed 221 primary education teachers (87.8 % women; average, 29.05 years ± SD 8.74; average teaching experience, 3.67 years ± SD 6.15) with the Motivation Scale for the use of educational games (Munoz & Valenzuela, 2014) based on the Expectancy Value motivational theory. In the second stage, four focus groups were formed to inquire about the conceptions that these teachers hold regarding play in school settings. Focus group participants were, in total, 29 currently-active primary education teachers (6 men, and 23 women; average age, 41 years ± SD 11.16). Quantitative results show high valuation for different components of motivation, though with significant differences. The most valued dimension corresponded to utility , while the least were expectancy and cost components. No differences were observed by sex or by years of professional experience. These results are consistent with teacher self-reports, who indicate that time, cost, and lack of knowledge in implementing games are inhibiting factors for effective inclusion in the classroom. Moreover, teachers tended not to recognize themselves as players, or engage in play with students; rather, they believe their function is to observe and monitor to maintain order. Within costs , teachers also included loss of control in the classroom as a relevant element: the freedom (or even chaos) that classroom play can lead to is seen as a threat to the teacher. Additionally, teachers have a vague, non-specific –or even idealized– conception of games. They may see play as a series of classroom activities that are decidedly not within educational play; or, even if characterizing games as spontaneous, voluntary, dynamic, and entertaining activities, do not recognize these attributes when placing games in educational contexts. Indeed, games are seen as tools rather than a methodology in itself. Some also idealize play from “the way things used to be”, arguing that children no longer know how to play and blaming new technologies as responsible for this “lack of play” in present childhood. This background highlights the need for explicit evidence-based training of future teachers in the use and incorporation of games as an educational resource.

Exploring The Meaning and Revitalization of Outdoor Play for Play-based Education

Exploring The Meaning and Revitalization of Outdoor Play for Play-based Education

The theory–practice challenge: International early childhood education students making connections in Australia

Increasing numbers of international students are enrolling in Australian universities in early childhood teaching degrees. For many of these students understanding the early childhood education pedagogies and approaches is a different way of viewing teaching and learning from their own cultural perspective. Many of these students struggle to understand the teaching and learning theory that underpins early childhood education in Australia which draws on play-based pedagogies, child centred learning, and intentional teaching. This small-scale case study sought to gain insights into how international students undertaking a Master of Teaching (Early Childhood) in an Australian university were enabled to link their theoretical learning to practical applications of being an early childhood teacher. Using questionnaire data, the study found that the international students struggled to connect the theory and pedagogical thinking that underpins early childhood education. What was most significant for these students was the experiences they gained through their practical placements.

Play for Adults: Play-Based Approaches in Teacher Training

Although play exemplifies one of the highest forms of experiential learning and can foster creativity and innovation in adults, it is less frequently used explicitly in adult training. This short article explores a play-based approach to enhance teachers’ confidence in using play-based pedagogy through a case study on the Continuum of Teacher Training (COTT), Right To Play International’s in-service teacher training programme. The CoTT is a 21-day programme, which is contextualized and delivered in 16 countries. It integrates play-based learning methods into teaching practice while aligning with local curriculum and infusing academic content with social-emotional skills development. The article concludes with preliminary insights on the impact of the model on children’s social-emotional learning and academic achievement and argues for the critical importance of play for adults to support intergenerational relationships and quality play-based approaches.

An Exploration of the Direction of Play-based Education: Beyond Representation Toward Event

An Exploration of the Direction of Play-based Education: Beyond Representation Toward Event

Embodied Cognition: Laying the Foundation for Early Language and Literacy Learning

For children, hands are the critical conduit for learning the world and constructing mental models of its size and shape. Such embodied cognition (EC) is mediated through language in the social environment. In this paper we review the literature and develop the conceptual underpinnings for a framework for play-based pedagogy that integrates sensorimotor, cognitive, and linguistic systems that lay the foundations for early literacy experiences expected in the kindergarten and Grade 1 year. We provide suggestions for incorporating games and tasks in a play-based program that will promote EC.

The Anji Play Ecology of Early Learning

While play seems a most natural activity for children, educators must innovate to incorporate “true play” that originates from the interests and direction of children themselves. The Anji Play approach is a model of innovative play-based education in China that is inspiring the world.

Trends in Early Childhood Education Practice and Professional Learning with Digital Technologies

This literature-based article explores key trends in the integration of digital technologies in education and aims to highlight issues and challenges in the relationship between technology, pedagogy and early years’ education practices. The article explores how technology, teacher training initiatives and productive play-based pedagogy could be used to improve digital literacy outcomes for early childhood learners. While situated within the Australian context, more global literature is also reviewed to provide an international perspective. This review of trends in the integration of digital technologies in education is timely due to the national and international focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education, arguably for economic sustainability and the quality standards expected in early childhood education. The role of digital technologies in early childhood is increasingly discussed and negotiated in learning centres. Educators are wanting support in understanding how young children can be creators of technology rather than simply being consumers of digital products.

Play-based pedagogy under threat? A small-scale study of teachers’ and pupils’ perceptions of pedagogical discontinuity in the transition to primary school

ABSTRACTThis study explored teachers’ and pupils’ perceptions of pedagogical discontinuity in the transition from Reception to Year 1. Data were collected through interviews with one Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) teacher and one Year 1 teacher in the same setting. A questionnaire distributed to Year 1 children (n = 23) provided supplementary data. Findings revealed that teachers and pupils were aware of pedagogical discontinuity in the transition from EYFS to Year 1. Teachers attributed pedagogical discontinuity to the constraints of the National Curriculum. Pressures to ensure children are ‘school ready’ also have implications for bridging pedagogical discontinuity through play.

‘We set up a small world’: preschool teachers’ involvement in children’s imaginative play

ABSTRACTGrounded in Vygotsky’s cultural-historical theory, this paper examines how often teachers are involved in children’s imaginative play and discusses their beliefs about their role in supporting children’s imaginative play. To investigate this problem, video (65 hours of digital observations) and interview data (two hours and 30 minutes) of 60 children with 7 teachers from two preschools in Australia were analysed. Using Vygotsky’s [1966. “Play and Its Role in the Mental Development of the Child.” Voprosy Psikhologii 12 (6): 62–76] cultural-historical concept of play, and Kravtsov and Kravtsova’s [2010. “Play in the L.S. Vygotsky’s Nonclassical Psychology.” Journal of Russian and East European Psychology 48 (4): 25–41] conception of ‘subject positioning’ (being inside and outside of the play), it was found that despite the general importance of play, teachers’ involvement in developing children’s imaginative play appears to be minimal. The interviews showed that teachers’ beliefs about their role in children’s imaginative play are directly related to the distance of their physical proximity and understanding of the play narrative being enacted. This paper argues that focusing on teachers’ involvement in children’s play is an important but under-researched dimension of play-based pedagogies in early childhood education.

Relational play-based pedagogy: theorising a core practice in early childhood education

A commitment to long-standing child-centred ideologies and recent emphases on academic outcomes have both perpetuated narrow interpretations of play-based pedagogy in early childhood education. Instead, teachers might proactively and spontaneously deepen children’s thinking and understandings related to children’s own interests and motivations during thoughtful pedagogical interactions that arise from play. This paper draws on findings from a qualitative case study in Aotearoa, New Zealand where teachers used their professional expertise to engage with children’s thinking and understandings. We analyse the professional knowledge, strategies and skills teachers brought to these relational and play-based interactions. We offer new conceptualising of teaching in highlighting the need to position a sophisticated blending of play, learning and teaching within participatory and relational pedagogies as a core practice of early childhood education. Further, we argue that two constructs – everyday and scientific concepts, and the zone of proximal development – position theoretically ways in which teachers’ knowledge, expertise and engagement might contribute to these ‘in the moment’ rich, thoughtful understandings of what we term relational play-based pedagogy.

STEM Practice in the Early Years

In 2015 and 2017, we observed four pre-school centres, researching science, maths and technology pedagogy and how opportunities presented themselves for learning in outdoor settings. The purpose of this paper is to interrogate STEM practises in the early years, practices that are informed by play-based education pedagogies, to understand approaches to STEM education. The research adopted a mixed methods approach which, in addition to our observations, included a pilot survey and educator interviews. These data are brought together to examinepractices of STEM education in pre-schools. We were able to view pre-school centres as places that provide varied, rich experiences for children to develop understandings of STEM. Importantly, we observed that children’s STEM experiences enhance their self-belief in their ability to learn STEM, and these early years’ opportunities trigger STEM appreciation and its value to everyday life. We were able to conclude from the research results that integrated STEM, particularly science and mathematics, arise through children’s play and themes arising from their interests. The findings importantly highlight how different practices and pedagogies are used to support STEM learning.

The Relation between Early Childhood Teachers' Conceptualization of "Play" and Their Practice: Implication for the Process of Learning to Teach.

For centuries, educators and psychologists have advocated “play” as the ideal activity for the development of young children. Actually, play has been found currently to be the central pedagogy in the learning of young children in 21 countries in the world. However, the quality of play-based pedagogy is becoming a key concern across countries. Scholars found that play is either too loosely framed to result in children’s optimal development; or it is too “teacherly” and looses the essence of play. The recent report released by OECD highlighted its concern about play in early childhood education and, urged international researchers and educators to make efforts to bridge the gap. Hong Kong is not an exception on the issue of play enactment. Though resources have been put in for the professional upgrading of early education teachers in the last two decades, the learning and teaching style is still didactic and there appears to be a misinterpretation of play-based pedagogy. The present paper attempts to explore the issue through early childhood teachers’ conceptualization of “learning and teaching through play” with the aim of understanding the problem and shedding light for better ways to prepare teachers in this sector.

In ‘Numberland’: play-based pedagogy in response to imaginative numeracy

ABSTRACTThe overarching interest of this study concerns how to outline learning opportunities and support in early childhood education (ECE) without losing its play-based character. More specifically, the study reports an empirical investigation into the evolving activity of a 6.5-year-old child and an adult conversing about the child’s drawing of ‘Numberland’. What the child’s drawing and his discussion about it with the adult tell us about his emergent mathematics skills is analysed. How the child shifts between speaking and enacting as if and as is, and how the adult supports his mathematics understanding through entering into the play-frame are analysed. How imaginary, play-based activities like this can provide the means for ECE and what this implies for the teacher are discussed.

Developing Timorese early years teachers’ pedagogy through an Australian mentoring programme

ABSTRACTThis paper explores the successful mentoring of Timor-Leste early years teachers by Australian teachers to expand their knowledge and practice of child-centred play-based pedagogy. The mentoring programme for the Timorese teachers occurred through an extended visit to a school in Victoria, Australia, for eight weeks to work with mentor teachers in their early years classrooms. Data were collected to explore the effectiveness of the programme through classroom observations and participant interviews. Observations were conducted in the classrooms of the mentees before the programme to provide context for the interviews and after the programme for indications of pedagogical change. The mentoring programme supported the Timorese teachers to reflect and review early years pedagogy. It led to changes in their teaching philosophy, design of learning activities and the inclusion of assessment practices. After two years the Timor-Leste teachers were using a child-centred play-based model of teaching and learning to guide the development, organisation and facilitation of learning activities at their kindergarten. The foundation of the mentor programme’s success was the trusted and equitable relationships between the teachers and the organisations involved. Understanding of cultural differences was acknowledged and supported the robust discussions and reflections that empowered teachers to take action.

Exploring Language, Literacy, and Identity Connections through Play-Based Education in Rural, Remote, and Indigenous Communities

Exploring Language, Literacy, and Identity Connections through Play-Based Education in Rural, Remote, and Indigenous Communities

Play-based Learning and Intentional Teaching: Forever Different?

PLAY-BASED LEARNING IS a cornerstone of early childhood education provision. Play provides opportunities for young children to explore ideas, experiment with materials and express new understandings. Play can be solitary, quiet and reflective. Play can also be social, active and engaging. While play is commonly understood as the basis for learning in early childhood education, this is not always the situation in all settings. Cultural variations in learning and play suggest that social interactions and observational learning also create powerful pedagogical learning environments for young children. International and national research highlights the value of sustained and reflective interactions between children and educators in promoting children's learning. Increasingly, the notion of quality in play-based pedagogy invites educators to integrate traditional beliefs about play with new insights into the role of social interactions, modelling and relationships in young children's learning.Overseas, the movement towards quality play-based pedagogy reflects debate and policy initiatives captured by the notion of intentional teaching. In Australia, the Early Years Learning Framework makes explicit reference to intentional teaching. Intentional teaching arguably engages educators and children in shared thinking and problem solving to build the learning outcomes of young children. However, the pedagogical relationship between play-based learning and intentional teaching remains difficult to conceptualise. This is because the value placed on the exploratory potential of play-based learning can appear to be at odds with the role of intentional teaching in promoting knowledge development. This paper reaches beyond binary constructs of play and intentional teaching, and invites consideration of a new Pedagogical Play-framework for inspiring pedagogical and curriculum innovation in the early years.This paper was a keynote address at the 2016 Early Childhood Australia National Conference addressing the theme Inspire-be inspired to reach beyond quality.

Teacher-Guided Play: Implications for Chinese Early Childhood Education in the Context of Curriculum Reform

The construct of play is more and more emphasized in preschool practice in China in recent years in the context of early childhood education reform. However, the conflict between emphasis on free play by the reform efforts and traditional value on academic learning through hard work makes the implementation of play-based pedagogy in Chinese preschools problematic. This paper discusses the tension between play and learning reflected in educational reform efforts and argues that different types of play have positive effects on learning, including learning of academic skills. Compared with free play emphasized in Shanghai-China preschool curriculum, the author proposes that teacher-guided play is more appropriate for Chinese context and should be conducted more as a balance between direct instruction and free play in Chinese early childhood education.

The Play-Literacy Interface in Full-day Kindergarten Classrooms

The increasing accountability framework in Kindergarten education has put pressure on teachers to ensure that students reach certain literacy milestones before proceeding to the subsequent grade. One result of this shift is a tension between an emphasis on academic learning and the use of developmentally appropriate practices, such as play. However, there is evidence that play can be an effective context for literacy development. This study investigated the enacted integration of literacy learning and play-based pedagogies. Semi-structured interviews with 12 teachers who taught using a play-based Kindergarten program revealed differences in their beliefs about the role of play for literacy learning. Two groups of teachers emerged from the data analysis. The play and development group. Consisted of five teachers who dichotomized play and learning while the integrated play and learning group consisted of seven teachers who combined play and learning. Teachers in the play and development group expressed the concept that play may not be the best approach for literacy learning and were less likely to integrate the two. Teachers in the integrated play and learning group believed play was important for children’s literacy learning and articulated a range of strategies for integration. Classroom observations of children’s play showed evidence of more literacy-play integration by students in the integrated play and learning group. Teachers in this group were also more likely to become involved in children’s play, which supported children’s literacy engagement during play. Although there were differences in play-literacy integration between the groups, all teachers expressed challenges associated with implementing a play-based learning program.

‘They get enough of play at home’: a Bakhtinian interpretation of the dialogic space of public school preschool

ABSTRACTThis dialogic analysis, on the professional identities of five public preschool teachers from a major metropolitan school district in the United States, examines the dialogic space of participants in a context where discourses of play-based pedagogies and academic readiness were in competition. In discussing the pedagogical tensions that ensued for these preschool teachers, we explore how each engaged in dialogue with official discourses that best aligned with their values and beliefs as informed by their personal histories. The findings, part of a larger narrative inquiry focused on life histories and teacher practice, demonstrate the importance of understanding the connection between personal histories, competing discourses within personal narratives and teaching practice as each relates to teachers’ construction of their professional identities and the role of play in their work.