The role of play in children's learning across cultural contexts

Is Play Significant in Helping Children Learn and Understand?

Gap Analysis Chart: Is Play Significant in Helping Children Learn and Understand?

ARTICLE # 1

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Research Article (must be relevant, empirical, and published within the last 10 years)

(Where applicable, older articles may be used)

Provide article reference in APA Style. (If you use an electronic APA Style reference generator, double check the formatting to ensure it follows the APA Guidelines.)

Wu, S.-C. (2015). What can Chinese and German children tell us about their learning and play in kindergarten? Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 29(3), 338-351.

Best Practice

List one ECEC best practice as identified in your chosen article.

Adult Involvement in Peer Interactions

Problem/Issue in the Field

How does the article relate to your research problem of interest?

From your own experience, describe the current reality in the field/ community, and explain how it is different from best practice.

The article offers more insights on the impact of play in assisting children in learning and understanding.

In most cases, teachers cannot be present at all times to guide and interact with children. There are instances when the teacher might be preoccupied with other children and fail to notice a struggling child.

Data Collection Methods

What instrument was used to collect data?

Was the data qualitative, quantitative, or both (mixed)?

The researchers made use of observation and semistructured interviews to collect data for the study.

The data collected for the study was qualitative.

Participant Demographics

Provide details about the study participants (i.e., position, gender, age, language, economic status, geographic location).

The study was conducted in two nonprofit Hong Kong kindergartens and two German kindergartens. The participants comprised 24 children from the Hong Kong kindergartens and 24 children from the German kindergartens. The age of the 48 children ranging between 3 to 5 years.

Recommendations for Future Research

What do the author(s) recommend for future research on the topic?

The authors recommend extending the current study to investigate the children\'s view on play-based learning and playing to uncover elements of a play-based approach from the children\'s perspectives.

Potential Research Project Themes

Identify 2-3 key themes related to your research problem. (These themes will be useful when writing your Literature Review.)

Play assist children to understand cause and effect.

Play assists children to explore their world.

Identifying interesting and important quotations

Choose two quotations which relate to your research problem. (If appropriate, you may choose to use these in your Literature review)

*Note quotations should be used carefully in a literature review. You can also choose a phrase or expression rather than the whole sentence

“Chinese children are always informed what to learn and what has been learned in the classroom context. Their concepts of learning are cultivated and reinforced in such a sociocultural environment.”

“It would be challenging to implement play-based learning in such curriculums, particularly when children and teachers have a strong sense of the differences between playing and learning.”

After reviewing this article, which reference might you pull out as “a primary source”?

Within your article, you may have noticed a reference the author has used or referred to. Look in the reference list and make a note of the full reference. Find one “primary source” per article.

Smith, A., Duncan, J., & Marshall, K. (2005). Children’s perspectives on their learning: Exploring methods. Early Child Development and Care, 175(6), 473–487.

Are personal intentions examined, for example did you note any bias?

When reading your article, did you notice any bias from the author? Did the article itself or the question suggest the “research orientation” of the author. For example, were the arguments balanced or not. Why? What did you notice?

No bias was noticed from the author of the article. The arguments placed forth by the author were balanced. The author determined there were differences in the perception of play between the German and Chinese children. German children associated play with learning, while the Chinese children saw play and learning as separate activities.

Has adequate attention been made to various contexts? For example, have they critiqued themselves, the data collection methods, or the type of analysis?

Within academic articles, it is expected that the authors examine why their data may have revealed certain points of view. You may also expect to see some reference to their data collection methods and any issues they may have encountered and/or limitations of their research. Make some comment here on what you found.

The study limitations had to do with the memory of the children. Children can also recognize things in memory but find it difficult to recall them. The children struggled with verbal expression due to their age.

Professor comments

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ARTICLE # 2

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Research Article (must be relevant, empirical, and published within the last 10 years)

(Where applicable, older articles may be used)

Provide article reference in APA Style. (If you use an electronic APA Style reference generator, double check the formatting to ensure it follows the APA Guidelines.)

Edwards, S., & Cutter-Mackenzie, A. (2013). Pedagogical play types: What do they suggest for learning about sustainability in early childhood education? International Journal of Early Childhood, 45(3), 327-346.

Best Practice

List one ECEC best practice as identified in your chosen article.

Adaptations of Space, Materials, and Equipment

Problem/Issue in the Field

How does the article relate to your research problem of interest?

From your own experience, describe the current reality in the field/ community, and explain how it is different from best practice.

Without a proper understanding of what is required in play and learning, teachers cannot properly offer children the necessary materials for incorporating play and learning.

The open-ended play was the focus of this study, and it was clear that teachers could not implement it in terms of biodiversity education. Children could not adapt to the space and use the materials since teachers did not allow them.

Data Collection Methods

What instrument was used to collect data?

Was the data qualitative, quantitative, or both (mixed)?

Data collection for this study involved journal entries by the teachers, video recording of the play and teaching activity, and interviews of the children and teachers.

The data collected for the study was qualitative.

Participant Demographics

Provide details about the study participants (i.e., position, gender, age, language, economic status, geographic location).

The study was conducted in sixteen early learning centres across Melbourne, Australia. The study focused only on pre-schools with children aged 4-5 years. The total number of children participants was 114. The teachers who participated in the study were 16, with 13 females and three males.

Recommendations for Future Research

What do the author(s) recommend for future research on the topic?

Future research should focus on how teachers can use the different combinations of the three pedagogical play types to support children\'s engagement.

Potential Research Project Themes

Identify 2-3 key themes related to your research problem. (These themes will be useful when writing your Literature Review.)

Impact of open-ended play.

Play assists children to explore their world.

Identifying interesting and important quotations

Choose two quotations which relate to your research problem. (If appropriate, you may choose to use these in your Literature review)

*Note quotations should be used carefully in a literature review. You can also choose a phrase or expression rather than the whole sentence

“Open-ended play was found to be least likely to prompt teachers to identify biodiversity concepts and pedagogical strategies for engaging children than either modelled or purposefully framed play.”

“Developing an approach to sustainability education in early childhood is therefore possible.”

After reviewing this article, which reference might you pull out as “a primary source”?

Within your article, you may have noticed a reference the author has used or referred to. Look in the reference list and make a note of the full reference. Find one “primary source” per article.

Hedges, H., Cullen, J., & Jordan, B. (2011). Early years curriculum: Funds of knowledge as a conceptual framework for children’s interests. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 43(2), 185–205.

Are personal intentions examined, for example did you note any bias?

When reading your article, did you notice any bias from the author? Did the article itself or the question suggest the “research orientation” of the author. For example, were the arguments balanced or not. Why? What did you notice?

The authors seemed more interested in open-ended play. However, the findings of the study suggest otherwise. Teachers did not implement this strategy as expected by the researchers. Instead, they focused more on modelled and purposefully framed play.

Has adequate attention been made to various contexts? For example, have they critiqued themselves, the data collection methods, or the type of analysis?

Within academic articles, it is expected that the authors examine why their data may have revealed certain points of view. You may also expect to see some reference to their data collection methods and any issues they may have encountered and/or limitations of their research. Make some comment here on what you found.

The teachers struggled to implement the three types of play when it came to biodiversity concepts. However, most of them found it easy to use the purposefully framed play to identify specific biodiversity concepts. Teachers should be trained further on using all three concepts of play to teach biodiversity concepts.

Professor comments

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ARTICLE # 3

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Research Article (must be relevant, empirical, and published within the last 10 years)

(Where applicable, older articles may be used)

Provide article reference in APA Style. (If you use an electronic APA Style reference generator, double check the formatting to ensure it follows the APA Guidelines.)

Vogt, F., Hauser, B., Stebler, R., Rechsteiner, K., & Urech, C. (2018). Learning through play–pedagogy and learning outcomes in early childhood mathematics. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 26(4), 589-603.

Best Practice

List one ECEC best practice as identified in your chosen article.

Monitoring Children’s Learning

Problem/Issue in the Field

How does the article relate to your research problem of interest?

From your own experience, describe the current reality in the field/ community, and explain how it is different from best practice.

Mathematics can be a challenging subject for many children. However, children can better understand mathematics using play-based learning, which contributes to the research under study.

The reality is that if children are not given a good base for mathematics, they will struggle later in their mathematics studies. Therefore, creating a good base will assist all children in learning and understanding mathematics.

Data Collection Methods

What instrument was used to collect data?

Was the data qualitative, quantitative, or both (mixed)?

Quantitative data were collected by analyzing the children’s mathematical competencies using the test developed by Zahlenstark. Qualitative data was collected using interviews. An independent researcher interviewed the kindergarten educators.

The study used both qualitative and quantitative data.

Participant Demographics

Provide details about the study participants (i.e., position, gender, age, language, economic status, geographic location).

The study was conducted in the Canton of St. Gall in Switzerland. All kindergarten educators were randomly invited to participate in the study and randomly assigned one of the groups. A total of 35 kindergarten educators and 324 children aged six years old participated in the study. The training program had 12 kindergarten educators and 111 children, the play-based approach had 11 kindergarten educators and 91 children, and the control group had 12 kindergarten educators and 127 children.

Recommendations for Future Research

What do the author(s) recommend for future research on the topic?

Future studies should target a broader range of mathematical competencies to determine play-based approaches to mathematics teaching.

Potential Research Project Themes

Identify 2-3 key themes related to your research problem. (These themes will be useful when writing your Literature Review.)

Improving mathematical competencies in kindergarten children.

Impact of play in mathematics teaching.

Identifying interesting and important quotations

Choose two quotations which relate to your research problem. (If appropriate, you may choose to use these in your Literature review)

*Note quotations should be used carefully in a literature review. You can also choose a phrase or expression rather than the whole sentence

“The study effectively demonstrates that innovative approaches to early math can be successfully based on play.”

“The play-based approach was evaluated more positively, as it was considered more fun and less school-like.”

After reviewing this article, which reference might you pull out as “a primary source”?

Within your article, you may have noticed a reference the author has used or referred to. Look in the reference list and make a note of the full reference. Find one “primary source” per article.

Gasteiger, H., A. Obersteiner, and K. Reiss. 2015. “Formal and Informal Learning Environments: Using Games to Support Early Numeracy.” In Describing and Studying Domain-Specific Serious Games, edited by J. Torbeyns, E. Lehtinen, and J. Elen, 231–250. Cham: Springer.

Are personal intentions examined, for example did you note any bias?

When reading your article, did you notice any bias from the author? Did the article itself or the question suggest the “research orientation” of the author. For example, were the arguments balanced or not. Why? What did you notice?

No bias was noted from the authors. There was no indication of the researcher’s orientation from the study. Therefore, this was a balanced study with arguments supporting either of the two approaches to studying mathematics. The authors noted that children would benefit from the play-based approach and others from the training led approach.

Has adequate attention been made to various contexts? For example, have they critiqued themselves, the data collection methods, or the type of analysis?

Within academic articles, it is expected that the authors examine why their data may have revealed certain points of view. You may also expect to see some reference to their data collection methods and any issues they may have encountered and/or limitations of their research. Make some comment here on what you found.

The authors acknowledge there is no a one size fits all approach that will be effective in teaching mathematics to children. Some children learn better using play others through training. Therefore, kindergartens should use a training method suited to the individual child.

Professor comments

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ARTICLE # 4

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Research Article (must be relevant, empirical, and published within the last 10 years)

(Where applicable, older articles may be used)

Provide article reference in APA Style. (If you use an electronic APA Style reference generator, double check the formatting to ensure it follows the APA Guidelines.)

Aras, S. (2016). Free play in early childhood education: A phenomenological study. Early Child Development and Care, 186(7), 1173-1184.

Best Practice

List one ECEC best practice as identified in your chosen article.

Adults’ Guidance of Children’s Free-Choice Activities and Play

Problem/Issue in the Field

How does the article relate to your research problem of interest?

From your own experience, describe the current reality in the field/ community, and explain how it is different from best practice.

The study focuses on the perceptions of early childhood teachers on free play and how they get involved in the children\'s free play. Understanding the thoughts of kindergarten teachers on play determines its effectiveness and areas of improvement.

Many teachers do not see the relationship between play and learning as vital. They et children play alone without using playtime as a time for learning too.

Data Collection Methods

What instrument was used to collect data?

Was the data qualitative, quantitative, or both (mixed)?

The researchers used interviews and observation to collect data for the study.

The study made use of qualitative data.

Participant Demographics

Provide details about the study participants (i.e., position, gender, age, language, economic status, geographic location).

Four early childhood teachers were used for the study. The four teachers were working in different public and private schools in Turkey. Two of the study participants had an undergraduate degree, and two had a graduate degree in early childhood education.

Recommendations for Future Research

What do the author(s) recommend for future research on the topic?

Further research should be conducted to determine why teachers do not get involved in children’s playtime, while it is recommended.

Potential Research Project Themes

Identify 2-3 key themes related to your research problem. (These themes will be useful when writing your Literature Review.)

Play assist children to understand cause and effect.

Play assists children to explore their world.

Identifying interesting and important quotations

Choose two quotations which relate to your research problem. (If appropriate, you may choose to use these in your Literature review)

*Note quotations should be used carefully in a literature review. You can also choose a phrase or expression rather than the whole sentence

“One of the possible explanations for teachers’ un-involvement in children’s play may be explained self-efficacy of teachers.”

“The studies indicated that play helps children to perform better on conversation tasks, promotes reasoning and divergent thinking skills, and contributes to children’s ability to solve problems.”

After reviewing this article, which reference might you pull out as “a primary source”?

Within your article, you may have noticed a reference the author has used or referred to. Look in the reference list and make a note of the full reference. Find one “primary source” per article.

Bergen, D. (2009). Play as the learning medium for future scientists, mathematicians, and engineers. American Journal of Play, Spring, 1(4), 413–428.

Are personal intentions examined, for example did you note any bias?

When reading your article, did you notice any bias from the author? Did the article itself or the question suggest the “research orientation” of the author. For example, were the arguments balanced or not. Why? What did you notice?

The study participants could have been a limitation for the study. Four early childhood educators seem to be a small sample and might not be representative of the population. The researchers did not note this as a limitation, which could indicate bias. Therefore, additional research with an increased number of participants should be conducted to determine if the results will be similar.

Has adequate attention been made to various contexts? For example, have they critiqued themselves, the data collection methods, or the type of analysis?

Within academic articles, it is expected that the authors examine why their data may have revealed certain points of view. You may also expect to see some reference to their data collection methods and any issues they may have encountered and/or limitations of their research. Make some comment here on what you found.

The authors have noted that teachers have a lot of paperwork, and they use playtime to complete most of their work. It is for this reason that teachers are not involved in children\'s playtime. However, if there is a reduction in official paperwork, teachers could be better involved in children\'s playtime.

Professor comments

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ARTICLE # 5

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Research Article (must be relevant, empirical, and published within the last 10 years)

(Where applicable, older articles may be used)

Provide article reference in APA Style. (If you use an electronic APA Style reference generator, double check the formatting to ensure it follows the APA Guidelines.)

Wu, S.-C., Faas, S., & Geiger, S. (2018). Chinese and German teachers’ and parents’ conceptions of learning at play–similarities, differences, and (in) consistencies. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 26(2), 229-245.

Best Practice

List one ECEC best practice as identified in your chosen article.

Adult Involvement in Peer Interactions

Problem/Issue in the Field

How does the article relate to your research problem of interest?

From your own experience, describe the current reality in the field/ community, and explain how it is different from best practice.

The article focuses on the perception of parents and teachers regarding learning at play. This is in line with our current research study.

Many parents believe children cannot learn at play, and they assume there is a clear distinction between play and learning.

Data Collection Methods

What instrument was used to collect data?

Was the data qualitative, quantitative, or both (mixed)?

The researchers used interviews and observation to collect data for the study.

The study made use of qualitative data.

Participant Demographics

Provide details about the study participants (i.e., position, gender, age, language, economic status, geographic location).

The study was carried out in two Hong Kong and two German kindergartens. The study participants comprised 28 teachers and 12 parents. There were 6 German, and 6 Chinese kindergarten teachers interviewed to obtain their perspectives on learning at play.

Recommendations for Future Research

What do the author(s) recommend for future research on the topic?

The authors have recommended that future research focus on the relationship between parents\' and teachers\' conceptions regarding educational terms like learning at play.

Potential Research Project Themes

Identify 2-3 key themes related to your research problem. (These themes will be useful when writing your Literature Review.)

Play assist children to understand cause and effect.

Play assists children to explore their world.

Identifying interesting and important quotations

Choose two quotations which relate to your research problem. (If appropriate, you may choose to use these in your Literature review)

*Note quotations should be used carefully in a literature review. You can also choose a phrase or expression rather than the whole sentence

“Chinese parents and teachers were concerned about whether children learned anything from the play/game.”

“German teacher believed that children at play learn through teachers’ support, mainly language support, when teachers accompany them”

After reviewing this article, which reference might you pull out as “a primary source”?

Within your article, you may have noticed a reference the author has used or referred to. Look in the reference list and make a note of the full reference. Find one “primary source” per article.

Faas, S., S.-C. Wu, and S. Geiger. 2017. “The Importance of Play in Early Childhood Education: A Critical Perspective on Current Policies and Practices in Germany and Hong Kong.” Global Education Review 4 (2): 75–91.

Are personal intentions examined, for example did you note any bias?

When reading your article, did you notice any bias from the author? Did the article itself or the question suggest the “research orientation” of the author. For example, were the arguments balanced or not. Why? What did you notice?

The authors have presented the findings of the study without any bias. They allowed the teachers to select a group based on their beliefs, which means the authors did not control the study participants. The study is well balanced as each teacher focused on the children based on what they know and are comfortable with.

Has adequate attention been made to various contexts? For example, have they critiqued themselves, the data collection methods, or the type of analysis?

Within academic articles, it is expected that the authors examine why their data may have revealed certain points of view. You may also expect to see some reference to their data collection methods and any issues they may have encountered and/or limitations of their research. Make some comment here on what you found.

Allowing teachers to stick with their beliefs when it comes to teaching children could have impacted the study results. The authors note that teachers’ beliefs directly impact the kind of teaching method the teacher will select. Therefore, the authors should have randomly assigned teachers to different groups to determine if the study results would be similar.

Professor comments

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ARTICLE # 7

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Research Article (must be relevant, empirical, and published within the last 10 years)

(Where applicable, older articles may be used)

Provide article reference in APA Style. (If you use an electronic APA Style reference generator, double check the formatting to ensure it follows the APA Guidelines.)

Gray, C., & Ryan, A. (2016). Aistear vis-à-vis the Primary Curriculum: the experiences of early years teachers in Ireland. International Journal of Early Years Education, 24(2), 188-205.

Best Practice

List one ECEC best practice as identified in your chosen article.

Monitoring Children’s Learning

Problem/Issue in the Field

How does the article relate to your research problem of interest?

From your own experience, describe the current reality in the field/ community, and explain how it is different from best practice.

The authors are looking for reasons preventing the implementation of play in learning in Ireland kindergartens. There are limitations beyond teacher\'s attitudes impacting play learning, and without uncovering these limitations, teachers will continue to use the old teaching methods.

Teachers cannot embrace new education strategies if they are not supported. Without support, most teachers stick with what is availed to them for school work.

Data Collection Methods

What instrument was used to collect data?

Was the data qualitative, quantitative, or both (mixed)?

The researchers used interviews and classroom observation to collect data for the study.

The study made use of qualitative and quantitative data.

Participant Demographics

Provide details about the study participants (i.e., position, gender, age, language, economic status, geographic location).

The study participants comprised six teachers (all female) aged between 20 and 59 years. All the teachers had a teaching degree. The locale of the study was the county of Dublin in Ireland. The researchers were allowed to observe teachers conducting their teaching sessions involving play.

Recommendations for Future Research

What do the author(s) recommend for future research on the topic?

Future research should focus on the limitations of implementing the Aistear. The study focused on what the teachers stated as the limitations. However, there is a need to determine if these are the actual hindrances or other underlying issues.

Potential Research Project Themes

Identify 2-3 key themes related to your research problem. (These themes will be useful when writing your Literature Review.)

Brennan, C. 2012. “Learning to Play and Playing to Learn.” In Early Childhood Education and Care: An Introduction for Students in Ireland, edited by M. Mhic Mhathúna and M. Taylor, 161–167. Dublin: Gill and Macmillan.

Identifying interesting and important quotations

Choose two quotations which relate to your research problem. (If appropriate, you may choose to use these in your Literature review)

*Note quotations should be used carefully in a literature review. You can also choose a phrase or expression rather than the whole sentence

“Teachers in the Republic of Ireland are similarly charged with driving up standards and meeting hard-edged targets.

“Child–child contact is restricted and controlled by the fact that children remain seated at their desk during play-based sessions.”

After reviewing this article, which reference might you pull out as “a primary source”?

Within your article, you may have noticed a reference the author has used or referred to. Look in the reference list and make a note of the full reference. Find one “primary source” per article.

Bottini, M., & Grossman, S. (2005). Centre-based teaching and children’s learning: The effects of learning centres on young children’s growth and development. Childhood Education, 81(5), 274–277.

Are personal intentions examined, for example did you note any bias?

When reading your article, did you notice any bias from the author? Did the article itself or the question suggest the “research orientation” of the author. For example, were the arguments balanced or not. Why? What did you notice?

The authors wanted to uncover the perceptions of teachers in Ireland who have to use the new teaching program, Aistear. Teachers noted a lack of support by the policymakers, which led to the failure to implement the play-based teaching method fully. The discussion presented by the authors is well balanced, and it focuses on what the teachers stated, comparing it to what other researchers have uncovered regarding the new system.

Has adequate attention been made to various contexts? For example, have they critiqued themselves, the data collection methods, or the type of analysis?

Within academic articles, it is expected that the authors examine why their data may have revealed certain points of view. You may also expect to see some reference to their data collection methods and any issues they may have encountered and/or limitations of their research. Make some comment here on what you found.

The study population was too small to be representative of the population. With over 61 schools being present in Dublin, interviewing only six teachers could not be assumed to represent the population of teachers.

Professor comments

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