‘Uncharted territory’: teachers’ perspectives on play in the earlychildhood classroom during the pandemic
2021
School closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic have disrupted the education of 91%
of students worldwide. As a critical process in supporting young children’s resilience,
play is increasingly recognised as a valuable pedagogical strategy within a shifting
educational landscape during the pandemic. This study reports on findings from a
survey on play in early childhood education of 310 early childhood teachers during
primary school closures in Ireland. Eighty-two per cent of teachers recommended play
strategies to parents during remote teaching and home schooling and almost all teachers
(99%) intended to use play as a pedagogical strategy upon school reopening. Teachers
believed play was an especially important pedagogical tool in supporting young
children’s social-emotional development, learning and transition back to school. Over
a third highlighted uncertainty surrounding capacity to use play upon school reopening
given COVID-19 regulations, emphasising the need for greater guidance to support
teachers’ commitment to play-based pedagogical strategies.
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