ECE teachers’ views on play-based learning: a systematic review

Abstract

In recent years, play-based learning (PBL) has attracted attention, debate and controversy across different national contexts. There is no definitional consensus which may have undesirable consequences for enacting its potential in professional practice. The aim of our study was to synthesize international research on ECE practitioners' views on PBL. Based on a meta-synthesis of 62 studies from 24 national contexts, we show that they have differing views on the degree of conceptual compatibility between play and learning. While they may adopt numerous roles in PBL, they also express uncertainties as to how and when to get involved. Lastly, practitioners report on experiencing many challenges in enacting PBL, most importantly, policy and curricular delivery pressure. Throughout our review, we underscore both general trends and local nuances.

Pedagogical intentions or practical considerations when facilitating children's play? Teachers’ beliefs about the availability of play materials in the indoor ECEC environment

“…The discourse and lack of consensus about play and learning within ECEC in Norway are possibly influencing teachers' beliefs and confidence. These results are similar to the results from the kindergarten teaching profession report, who identified how Norwegian teachers often experience difficulties mitigating play and learning as a basis for child development (MER 2018), which correlates with Bubikova-Moan et al (2019) findings in reviewing the literature about play-based learning.…”

“…Competing concepts of quality have caused controversies over the core elements of ECEC, where tension has formed two positions in a professional dispute over what best serves children's interests (Tuastad et al 2019). A public discourse amplifies an image of ECEC pedagogy as a binary choice between more learning and between free child-initiated play with no adult intrusion (Bubikova-Moan et al 2019).…”

Participation in play activities in the children’s peer culture

“…Children are aware of different ways of acting in order to pursue their objectives in these two cultures (Köngäs, 2018). This has been used as an advantage when concentrating on a play-based learning but also this method has risen up the problematics of two culture such combining play and direct instructions, play is less structured so difficult to plan, and teachers are uncertain how to implement guided play (Bubikova-Moan, Naess Hjetland, & Wollscheid, 2019;Fesseha & Pyle, 2016;Pyle, Poliszczuk, & Danniels, 2018).…”

Promoting children-nature relations through play-based learning in ecotourism sites

“…Despite a common agreement about the relevance of play in early childhood, there is no universally accepted definition of play-based learning (Bennett et al, 1997;Bergen, 2014;Bubikova-Moan et al, 2019). Indeed, the stream of literature on play-based learning draws most attention to its conceptual diffusion and complexity, rather than offering a universal definition (see Bubikova-Moan et al, 2019;Sutton-Smith, 1997).…”

“…Despite a common agreement about the relevance of play in early childhood, there is no universally accepted definition of play-based learning (Bennett et al, 1997;Bergen, 2014;Bubikova-Moan et al, 2019). Indeed, the stream of literature on play-based learning draws most attention to its conceptual diffusion and complexity, rather than offering a universal definition (see Bubikova-Moan et al, 2019;Sutton-Smith, 1997). In line with Wood (2009), play-based learning can be defined as the ways in which early childhood professionals make provisions for play and playful approaches to learning and teaching, how they design play/ learning environments, and all the pedagogical decisions, techniques and strategies they use to support or enhance learning and teaching through play.…”