Play In Early Childhood Education Research Articles

Preservice teachers’ perspectives of play in early childhood education

ABSTRACT Identifying preservice teachers’ perspectives about play and their role as a teacher in play is critical because their perspectives are related to how they organise and involve play in early childhood education. However, very few empirical studies have been conducted to examine how preservice teachers view play. In the present study, 46 preservice teachers’ perspectives of play after they took a semester-long play course were uncovered. Content analysis results revealed that preservice teachers reaffirmed the developmental benefits of play they learned about in this course through observing and documenting children’s play. Many preservice teachers in this study viewed play from multiple developmental perspectives, including physical, social and emotional, cognitive and language development. Additionally, preservice teachers developed active roles as teachers in play. The play course contributed to forming preservice teachers’ perspectives about play. Discussions are provided.

Play with Butterfly

This article explores the role of play in early childhood education, specifically in the context of project-based science learning at Thammissalam Kindergarten in Thailand. Playing is considered important because it helps develop children's concentration, creativity, motor skills, and cognitive development. Project-based learning is seen as an effective approach to integrating science education into the curriculum, stimulating children's critical and creative thinking. This research uses a qualitative, case study type. Data was taken at Thammissalam Kindergarten, Thailand. We made observations on children in Thammissalam Thailand when the project was carried out. We conducted interviews with teachers and the headmaster about this project. This project was carried out for 1 year. The result of this project is that children understand scientific and cognitive processes because they know the growth of butterflies from the beginning of metamorphosis. Children learn to manage their emotions because they understand that this project will not last for a short time. They also learn cooperation because butterflies need a home. They prepared it all. The project can be implemented in the classroom in stages, for example, when children see caterpillars, they will learn about caterpillars, what caterpillars eat, and how caterpillars move to practice gross motor skills. Maybe it could be researched more deeply about evaluating the long-term effects of project-based learning on child development. Measuring the lasting impact of project-based learning on children's cognitive, social, and emotional development over the longer term. It can also be related to technology. Explore how technology can enhance children's engagement and learning in a project context. It can also be researched further on the differences between using technology and not.

Early foreign language education: play as a site for child agency

ABSTRACT Understanding the role of play in early childhood education is crucial. Current research suggests that play is increasingly seen as a vehicle for achieving pre-established curricular aims that prioritise school readiness, often reducing opportunities for stimulating child agency. This paper reports on a study conducted within the context of foreign language education in the early years (English as a foreign language in the Catalan context), which aimed to address the following questions: To what extent do pre-primary EFL teachers (1) recognise child agency and take it into account in foreign language education; (2) recognise the affordances play scenarios offer for children to enact their agency? A small-scale qualitative study was designed which included self-reporting questionnaires, an elicitation technique in the form of a Play Scenario Evaluation Activity, and online interviews with teachers to reflect on the Evaluation Activity and their own practice. Findings raise concerns about the ever-widening gap between understandings and implementations of play in general early childhood education and the foreign language classroom. Prevailing assumptions regarding best practice in early years ELT (teacher-centred practice, target language only policies, emphasis on fun) limit children’s opportunities for enacting agency and taking an active role in their own development.

The quality of interaction with children in collective play: Children's agency

AbstractThere is a growing body of studies on increasing the quality of infant–toddler education and care. Yet little attention has been directed towards how to bring toddlers' agency and perspective to their personally meaningful learning in collective play. In this paper, we draw on cultural–historical concepts of agency, play and imagination to investigate toddlers' collective play with their teacher. We explain how the teacher can take the toddlers' perspectives and values and acknowledge toddlers' agency in play, to sustain and share toddlers' agentic imagination, thus supporting their play engagement and personally meaningful learning. Herein, we select and analyse one activity in which six toddlers (aged 2–3 years, mean 2.6 years) collectively play with teachers in Melbourne, Australia. We use visual narrative methodology to perform a deep analysis of the dynamic interactions in the collective play. The lens is centred on toddlers' agency and perspectives and the dynamic interactions between them and their teacher in collective play, through which their agentic imagination is sustained. In contrast to previous studies which focus on the teacher's role in play with infants–toddlers to monitor the surrounding dangers, arrange the play space and observe from a distance, the results of this study identify how toddlers' perspectives and agency in play can be valued and acted on by the teacher in collective play, to support toddlers' meaningful learning and improve the quality of play in early childhood education.

The Integral Role of Play in Early Childhood Education of Pakistan: A Fresh Perspective

The Integral Role of Play in Early Childhood Education of Pakistan: A Fresh Perspective

Resgate do brincar: reflexões no âmbito da educação física escolar

Play is an inherent and indispensable activity for child development that can be used with intention and quality in pedagogical action. The objective is to develop a narrative review of the literature on play in school physical education in early childhood education. Studies with different theoretical-epistemological approaches were used. The issues more latent was: (1) The manifestation of play in play enables the playful culture of those who allow themselves to play; (2) The importance of play as an educational practice that considers children as actors in the multiple dimensions of human expressiveness; and (3) The contributions of the physical education teacher to play in early childhood education. There are different childhoods and different social determinants that positively or negatively impact play. Reduced opportunities to experience play can be detrimental to the child. The curriculum component of physical education can be an important tool for promoting play in early childhood education. By emphasizing the importance of play for the full development of children, it is considered a privileged subject in physical education about the different ways of moving with spontaneity, creativity, meaning and significance.

The Application of Playing in Early Childhood Education Based on Piaget’s Way of Thinking

Childhood is identic with playing, and children are also said to be Homo Ludens or creatures of play. The Indonesian government is promoting criteria emphasizing play as a learning process. In addition, an emancipated curriculum means that children are given the opportunity for freedom of choice and activities so that students can build their knowledge. This policy contributes to Piaget's concept of thinking, which sees how children learn by constructing their knowledge. This study looks at the application of play in early childhood education based on Piaget's way of thinking. This study uses a systematic literature review research method. The results of this study discuss how Piaget views the concept of play in early childhood. The update of this article from the previous article is that it will explain early childhood play activities more precisely according to Piaget's views. Piaget asserts that knowledge development occurs through imagination in new experiences, which actively builds and modifies prior knowledge, and play is the primary medium in which this process occurs. The results of this paper are useful for educators and parents who know better how play can provide an unconscious learning process in children.

(In)visibility of ludic-aggressive play in early childhood education: understandings from children

Este artigo analisa a (in)visibilidade das brincadeiras lúdico-agressivas na Educação Infantil, em diálogo com pressupostos teórico-metodológicos da Sociologia da Infância. A partir do uso etnografia, com episódios de interação, a produção de dados evidenciou categorias de análise sobre a escuta e a participação infantil: aproximações, registros e diálogos com e entre as crianças. Como resultado, destacamos que as produções culturais infantis para que sejam reconhecidas, necessitam de visibilidade e precisam fazer sentido para que seja possível construir pontes e atalhos com as próprias crianças, a fim de sinalizar que o cotidiano pode revelar uma harmonia a partir das diferenças de olhares, ações e compreensões.

Investigating Sensory Play Implementation with Loose Parts Media In Early Childhood Education

This research aims to investigate the implementation of sensory play with loose parts as a pedagogical approach in early childhood education, with a focus on a case study conducted at Daycare Baiturrahmah, Kota Bandung. The study employed a qualitative case study approach involving three educators and five toddlers as research participants. Data collection methods included observations, document study, and semi-structured interviews. Findings emerged regarding the factors supporting effective implementation, such as material selection and collaborative teacher efforts. Challenges were identified, including emotional management and combatting boredom, suggesting the need for ongoing adaptation and innovative strategies. The study also highlighted the positive feedback from parents, indicating high levels of child engagement and satisfaction. The research findings resonate with existing literature, underlining the value of sensory play in early childhood education. Implications for practice emphasize the significance of embracing sensory play as a pedagogical strategy. Future research directions include exploring long-term effects, innovative strategies for challenges, and enhanced parental involvement.

Perezhivanie: An investigation into drama and emotions as children enter a conceptual Playworld

A growing number of studies have investigated play in early childhood education, with some bringing forward the development of emotions in imaginary play situations. Of significance, is the creative pedagogy of play developed by Lindqvist (1995) who drew on a cultural-historical concept of play to bring forward emotions in Playworld. This paper investigates how children experience different perezhivanie within the Playworld settings in Indonesia. The cultural-historical concept of play, perezhivanie, and the social situation of development are used to understand how a 4-year-old boy experienced contradictions during collective imaginary play. Eight hours of digital-visual observation data selected from 98 h of group-play activities were used to show how nine teachers interacted with 38 children during the play (3.5 to 5 years old, mean age 4.4 years). The findings show how the cultural device used in the Playworld provides rich opportunities and conditions for children to experience different emotions in play, and where a dynamic perezhivanie emerges through the contributions of the play partners to the play that results in development of emotional regulation. By drawing attention to children's perezhivanie, Playworld can be seen as a promising play pedagogy that offers rich social interactions in play that support children's development.

IMPORTANCE OF PLAY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CHILDREN’S RIGHT TO PLAY

Children’s play is first and foremost a matter of human rights. As declared in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC, 1989), all children and young people have the right to play and have an intrinsic need to play. Play provides opportunities for children and young people to be free to choose what they do, and to challenge themselves, take risks and enjoy freedoms. (Playboard Northern Ireland, Young researchers’ team, 2013). General Comment 17 of the UNCRC states that children need to play in order to grow, learn and that play is a way of taking part in everyday life. Play also provides opportunities to promote gender equality and is essential for children’s health and well-being. The importance of play in early childhood education (ECE) will be analyzed with a specific emphasis on the sociological dimension and as a right granted to children by the UNCRC.

The Role of Play and Objects in Children’s Deep-Level Learning in Early Childhood Education

This research investigates the significance of the physical environment in early childhood education and care (ECEC) institutions as a facilitator of deep-level learning. Building upon Laevers’ concept of deep-level learning, this study explores the interplay between objects in ECEC settings, children’s play, and their deep-level learning. The primary objective is to examine the potential mediating role of play in the relationship between objects and deep-level learning. The research methodology involves the analysis of a sample consisting of 928 two-minute video observations collected from eight ECEC institutions in Norway. The results demonstrate a positive association between children’s engagement in play, their utilization of objects, and deep-level learning. The findings suggest that constructive and symbolic play partly mediate the positive relationship between deep-level learning and object utilization. These outcomes highlight the pivotal role of play in early childhood education and emphasize how elements within the physical environment can effectively support children’s learning.

Play is a play, is a play, is a play… or is it? Challenges in designing, implementing and evaluating play-based interventions.

When a social-emotional learning (SEL) intervention is implemented in an early childhood classroom, it often involves play. Some interventions even list play as its main component. However, the advocates of play arguing for the return of play in early childhood education (ECE) classrooms still have difficulty convincing the proponents of more rigorous academic instruction. These proponents cite research pointing to the insufficient evidence of the positive effect of play on children's short- and longer-term social, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes as well as their overall well-being. We believe that there are multiple issues with play-based interventions' design, implementation, and evaluation that might account for this insufficient evidence. In our paper, we discuss the numerous ways play does (or does not) feature in SEL interventions and how it might affect the outcomes of these interventions. We also examine the methodological challenges of having child-controlled play as a component of an SEL intervention. While we are not proposing a specific protocol for re-evaluation of the results of existing interventions, we outline some ways such re-evaluation can be possible in the future, along with the development and evaluation of new play-based SEL interventions.

“Eu gosto quando luta”: as vozes das crianças e os usos das brincadeiras lúdico-agressivas na educação infantil

Tem como objeto de estudo as brincadeiras de luta com crianças da Educação Infantil, com ênfase nas brincadeiras lúdico-agressivas. Analisa publicações sobre as brincadeiras de luta na Educação Infantil e a influência midiática em suas interações. Trata-se de uma pesquisa bibliográfica, de cunho exploratório entre 2010 e 2023, que utilizou como fonte uma revisão de literatura, por meio de artigos com os descritores brincadeiras de luta, Educação Infantil e mídia, associada a uma pesquisa etnográfica, com foco em episódios de interação de brincadeiras lúdico-agressivas. Tem como base teórica a Sociologia da Infância e os Estudos com o Cotidiano e as publicações pesquisadas sobre a temática da pesquisa. O conjunto de dados evidenciaram as seguintes categorias de análise: as vozes das crianças e os usos das brincadeiras de luta. Os resultados mostraram a necessidade de desocultar as vozes das crianças e o reconhecimento de suas produções culturais, contribuindo para que as brincadeiras de luta sejam reconhecidas na dinâmica curricular. Conclui que a valorização e a ressignificação das brincadeiras de luta devem incidir diretamente nas relações estabelecidas com as crianças na escola, apontando para uma pedagogia da escuta de suas experiências brincantes. Palavras-chave: brincadeiras de luta, brincadeiras lúdico-agressivas, mídia, educação infantil. “I like it when I fight”: the voices of children and the uses of ludic-aggressive plays in early childhood education ABSTRACT. The object of study is the rough-and-tumble play with children from Early Childhood Education, with an emphasis on ludic-aggressive plays. It analyzes publications about the rough-and-tumble play in Early Childhood Education and the media's influence on their interactions. This is exploratory bibliographical research from 2010 to 2023, that is used as a source of a literature review through scientific articles, with the descriptors rough-and-tumble play, Early Childhood Education and media, associated with ethnographic research through episodes of interaction with and between children of ludic-aggressive play. For the theoretical basis was chosen Sociology of Childhood and Studies with Daily Life and the researched publications on the research theme. The data set evidenced the following categories of analysis: the children's voices and the uses of rough-and-tumble play. The results showed the need to reveal the children's voices and the recognition of their cultural productions, contributing to the recognition of rough-and-tumble play in the curricular dynamics. It concludes that the valuing and reframing rough-and-tumble play has a direct impact on the relationships established with children at the school, pointing to a pedagogy of listening to their playing experiences. Keywords: rough-and-tumble play, ludic-aggressive play, media, early childhood education. “Me gusta cuando lucho”: las voces de los niños y los usos de los juegos lúdico-agresivos en la educación infantil RESUMEN. Su objeto de estudio son los juegos de lucha con niños de Jardín de Infancia, con énfasis en los juegos lúdico-agresivos. Se analizan publicaciones sobre juegos de lucha en Educación Infantil y la influencia de los medios en sus interacciones. Se trata de una investigación bibliográfica exploratoria de 2010 a 2023, que utilizó como fuente una revisión bibliográfica a través de artículos científicos, con los descriptores juegos de lucha, Educación Infantil y medios, asociada a una investigación etnográfica con los episodios de interacción de juegos lúdico-agresivos. Su base teórica es la Sociología de la Infancia y los Estudios con Daily Life y las publicaciones investigadas sobre el tema de investigación. El conjunto de datos evidenció las siguientes categorías de análisis: las voces de los niños y los usos de los juegos de lucha. Los resultados mostraron la necesidad de revelar las voces de los niños y el reconocimiento de sus producciones culturales, contribuyendo para el reconocimiento de los juegos de lucha en las dinámicas curriculares. Concluye que la valoración y resignificación de los juegos de lucha debe incidir directamente en las relaciones que se establecen con los niños en la escuela, apuntando a una pedagogía de la escucha de sus experiencias de juego. Palabras clave: juegos de lucha, juegos lúdico-agresivos, medios de comunicación, educación infantil.

The Challenges of Supporting Young Children’s Outdoor Play in Early Childhood Education and Care Settings

The Challenges of Supporting Young Children’s Outdoor Play in Early Childhood Education and Care Settings

유아교육에서 디지털 놀이 재개념화 및 현장사례 분석 연구

2019 개정 누리과정 방향에 따라 유아의 놀이 경험이 강조되고 있는 유아교육 현장에서 대면수업과 함께 원격교육이 병행되면서 디지털 놀이에 대한 재개념화가 요구되고 있다. 이에 유아교육에서 디지털 놀이와 관련된 문헌 분석을 통해 디지털 놀이 개념과 범주를 제시하였다. 또한 현직 유아교사들의 디지털 놀이에 대한 인식과 경험을 조사하였다. 본 연구의 결과, 디지털 놀이의 개념은 실세계의 놀이가 디지털로 재현되고 실제 세계와 디지털 세계의 경계가 없는 상황에서 유아가 주체로서 참여하며 디지털화된 대상물이나 상징을 활용, 변경, 구성하는 활동으로 정의될 수 있다. 놀이와 디지털 놀이는 “상호 확장적인 관계”를 가지지만 현직 교사들은 상호보완적 관계 혹은 경계가 모호하다는 관점이 비교적 높게 나타났다. 본 연구의 기대효과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 연구에서 재정립된 디지털 놀이의 개념과 사례 분석 결과들은 개정 누리과정에서 놀이중심의 교육에 적합한 디지털 기술의 활용 방안 및 교수학습 전략을 제공할 것으로 기대된다. 둘째, 유아교육 분야의 놀이 연구 지평을 확장할 수 있는 디지털 놀이에 대한 이론적 연구의 토대를 제공할 것으로 기대된다. 더 나아가 디지털 놀이의 효과 연구를 수행하는 연구자들에게 실증적 연구의 이론적 기반을 제공할 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.

Kindergarten Teachers’ Understanding of the Creative Play

This article describes the results of research on ECE teachers regarding their understanding of the creative play. Creative play in early childhood education is defined as play-based learning that combines creativity and higher-order thinking skills to stimulate aspects of development in the context of constructing children's attitudes, knowledge, and skills in this millennial era. This creative play-based learning is known as HOTS learning for early childhood. This research was carried out in a survey by filling out a Google Form which was distributed through several WhatsApp groups. 400 respondents contributed to sending answers and were analyzed using the Excel application to find out the tendency of ECE teachers to understand the creative play. The results of this study found that ECE teachers tend not to understand creative play in early childhood. They tend to design play activities that are separate, not intact, and still at the C2 level in the cognitive realm.

Teacher experiences of facilitating play in early childhood classrooms during COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic posed major challenges for the lives of children in terms of school closures, loss of routine, reduced social contact, bereavement and trauma. The pandemic also gave rise to a focus on play as a fundamental support for children’s wellbeing. This study examined early childhood teachers’ reported practices of using play upon returning to school in Ireland after lockdown restrictions which included a 6-month period of school closures. Building on previous research on play in early childhood education during the early stages of the pandemic, 12 primary school teachers in early childhood classrooms (children aged 3–8 years) participated in focus groups aimed at exploring teachers’ experiences of using play upon returning to in-class teaching. Through reflexive thematic analysis of the focus groups, four themes were identified that encapsulated teachers’ experiences: play in the classroom embodied similar characteristics and qualities during COVID-19 as before the pandemic; play was considered a priority in early childhood education classrooms; teachers planned carefully for facilitating play in the classroom in response to COVID-19 regulations; teachers’ noted the importance of the social and relational components of play for children in the context of COVID-19 regulations. For educational policy, these findings highlight play as a ‘go-to’ strategy by teachers for supporting children in formal education during a pandemic and suggest play is a well-established context that can be used in educational policies to support children’s learning, especially during and after times of crises.

A randomised controlled trial of an implementation strategy delivered at scale to increase outdoor free play opportunities in early childhood education and care (ECEC) services: a study protocol for the get outside get active (GOGA) trial

BackgroundIncreased outdoor play time in young children is associated with many health and developmental benefits. This study aims to evaluate the impact of a multi-strategy implementation strategy delivered at scale, to increase opportunities for outdoor free play in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services.MethodsThe study will employ a parallel-group randomised controlled trial design. One hundred ECEC services in the Hunter New England region of New South Wales, Australia, will be recruited and randomised to receive either a 6-month implementation strategy or usual care. The trial will seek to increase the implementation of an indoor-outdoor routine (whereby children are allowed to move freely between indoor and outdoor spaces during periods of free play), to increase their opportunity to engage in outdoor free play. Development of the strategy was informed by the Behaviour Change Wheel to address determinants identified in the Theoretical Domains Framework. ECEC services allocated to the control group will receive ‘usual’ implementation support delivered as part of state-wide obesity prevention programs. The primary trial outcome is the mean minutes/day (calculated across 5 consecutive days) of outdoor free play opportunities provided in ECEC services measured at baseline, 6-months (primary end point) and 18-months post baseline. Analyses will be performed using an intention-to-treat approach with ECEC services as the unit of analysis, using a linear mixed effects regression model to assess between-group differences. A sensitivity analysis will be undertaken, adjusting for service characteristics that appear imbalanced between groups at baseline, and a subgroup analysis examining potential intervention effect among services with the lowest baseline outdoor free play opportunities.DiscussionIdentifying effective strategies to support the implementation of indoor-outdoor routines in the ECEC setting at scale is essential to improve child population health.Trial registrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12621000987864). Prospectively registered 27th July 2021, ANZCTR - Registration.

Children’s language play as collaborative improvisations–rethinking paths to literacy

Inspired by research in language play and linguistic ethnography, this article examines children’s language play in early childhood education and care (ECEC) as a locally situated generic practice created through children’s semiotic repertoires. The article is based on video-recorded linguistic ethnographic fieldwork in a Danish day care centre. By analysing two play sequences with 3–4 year old children, we examine how the children align to each other in an improvised way while co-creating social worlds. The multimodal micro-ethnographic analysis reveals how an assemblage of chunks of language, musicality, movements, affect and materiality is constitutive of children’s language play, and how language play appears as an integral part of children’s local language practices. The children’s use of a broad range of semiotic repertoires in language play represents a unique practice that might enhance our theoretical and empirical understanding of child language. We argue that empirical insight into children’s language play has the potential for developing paths to language and literacy that challenge the often highly prioritised ‘precursors to literacy’ strategy as the central aim for language learning in ECEC.