Exploring Hong Kong student teachers’ perspectives on children’s play and learning

Tracy Chui-Yi Wong; Suzannie Kit-Ying Leung; Luyao Liang

doi:10.37291/2717638X.202561516

Authors

Tracy Chui-Yi Wong Chinese University of Hong Kong https://orcid.org/0009-0004-4173-7962
Suzannie Kit-Ying Leung Chinese University of Hong Kong https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9300-4830
Luyao Liang Western Sydney University https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7386-4756

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37291/2717638X.202561516

Keywords:

Student teachers, Learning through play, Play-based curriculum, Early childhood education

Abstract

The concepts of learning through play and a play-based curriculum have gained widespread recognition and popularity in the 21st century. However, in Hong Kong (HK), parents, teachers, and other stakeholders still exhibit limited confidence and capacity in applying these notions to the field of early childhood education (ECE). Moreover, how ECE student teachers perceive and understand these concepts remains largely unknown. To address these issues, this research adopted the ecological system theory as a theoretical framework to 1) investigate HK ECE student teachers’ views on implementing a play-based curriculum and 2) understand the associated difficulties they encounter in the HK context. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, including a Play Belief Survey and a qualitative focus group interview. In total, 200 survey responses and 100 minutes of interview data were collected from a group of ECE student teachers from teacher education institutes in HK. The findings revealed a salient contradiction and concern among student teachers, who expressed positive beliefs about a play-based curriculum yet faced insufficient support in terms of its practical implementation in local ECE settings. This finding underscores the need to closely scrutinise a play-based curriculum in terms of the uniqueness of the HK ECE context. In addition, the implications of this research for the wider Asia-Pacific region are discussed.

References

Adcock, S. G., & Patton, M. M. (2001). Views of effective early childhood educators regarding systemic constraints that affect their teaching. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 15(2), 194–208. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02568540109594960

Aquino, L. N., Mamat, N., & Che Mustafa, M. (2017). Comparing the kindergarten curriculum framework of the Philippines and Malaysia. Southeast Asia Early Childhood Journal, 6, 27–40. DOI: https://doi.org/10.37134/saecj.vol6.4.2017

Baker, F. S. (2014). Teachers’ views on play-based practice in Abu Dhabi kindergartens. International Journal of Early Years Education, 22(3), 271–286. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09669760.2014.944884

Bennett, N., Wood, L., & Rogers, S. (1997). Teaching through play: Teachers’ thinking and classroom practice. Open University Press eBooks. https://shorturl.at/hCvn6

Bernard, H. R. (2018). Research methods in anthropology: Qualitative and quantitative approaches. Rowman & Littlefield. https://shorturl.at/IT7qh

Bronfenbrenner, U. (1994). Ecological models of human development. In M. Gauvain & M. Cole (Eds.), Readings on the development of children (2nd ed., pp. 37–43). Freeman.

Bubikova-Moan, J., Næss Hjetland, H., & Wollscheid, S. (2019). ECE teachers’ views on play-based learning: A systematic review. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 27(6), 776–800. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2019.1678717

Cheng, D. P. W. (2012). The Relation between early childhood teachers’ conceptualization of “play” and their practice: Implication for the process of learning to teach. Frontiers of Education in China, 7(1), 65–84. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03396935

Chinese University of Hong Kong [CUHK]. (2023). BEd in early childhood education (5-year). The Chinese University of Hong Kong. https://www.fed.cuhk.edu.hk/bece/en/about-the-programme/

Clevenger, M. T. (2016). Preservice teachers' beliefs about play in kindergarten (Publication No. 1874575514) [Dissertation]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global: The Humanities and Social Sciences Collection. https://www.proquest.com/openview/438aa0dafd573647ea3d329664c9e41b/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750

Curriculum Development Council. (2017). Kindergarten education curriculum guide. Hong Kong Government Printer. https://www.edb.gov.hk/attachment/en/curriculum-development/major-level-of-edu/preprimary/ENG_KGECG_2017.pdf

Department of Early Childhood Education. (2023). Learning and teaching courses. The Education University of Hong Kong. https://www.eduhk.hk/ece/en/

Education Bureau. (2023). Kindergarten administration guide. Hong Kong Government Printer. https://www.edb.gov.hk/attachment/en/edu-system/preprimary-kindergarten/free-quality-kg-edu/KG%20Admin%20Guide_Eng_2023_Dec.pdf

Fesseha, E., & Pyle, A. (2016). Conceptualising play-based learning from kindergarten teachers’ perspectives. International Journal of Early Years Education, 24(3), 361–377. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09669760.2016.1174105

Fok, W. P. (2007). Internationalisation of higher education in Hong Kong. International Education Journal, 8(1), 184–193.

Fowler Jr, F. J. (2013). Survey research methods. SAGE Publications.

Fung, K. H. (2007). Practice–expectation gap and the pedagogical decision making of teachers in pre-primary sector in Hong Kong (Publication No. 3326140) [Doctoral dissertation, The Chinese Univeirsty of Hong Kong]. https://repository.lib.cuhk.edu.hk/tc/item/cuhk-344112

Fung, C. K. H., & Cheng, D. P. W. (2011). Consensus or dissensus? Stakeholders’ views on the role of play in learning. Early Years, 32(1), 17–33. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09575146.2011.599794

Fung, C. K. H., & Lam, C. C. (2008). The pedagogical decision making of kindergarten teachers in Hong Kong: Professional autonomy versus market oriented [Paper presentation]. The 10th Cross-Strait Conference on Curriculum Decision Making.

Head Start. (2006). Head Start program. https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/programs/article/head-start-programs

Hesterman, S., & Targowska, A. (2020). The status-quo of play-based pedagogies in Western Australia: Reflections of early childhood education practitioners. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 45(1), 30–42. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1836939119885305

Hong Kong Government. (1986). Education Commission report no. 2. Hong Kong Government Printer.

Ivankova, N. V., Creswell, J. W., & Stick, S. L. (2005). Using mixed-methods sequential explanatory design: From theory to practice. Field Methods, 18(1), 3–20. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1525822X05282260

Jay, J., & Knaus, M. (2018). Embedding play-based learning into junior primary (Year 1 and 2) curriculum in WA. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 43(1), 112–126. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2018v43n1.7

Jung, E., Zhang, Y., & Zhang, Y. (2016). Future professionals' perceptions of play and intended practices: The moderating role of efficacy beliefs. Early Child Development and Care, 187(8), 1335–1348. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2016.1169178

Karuppiah, N. (2020). Parents’ perceptions of “play” and “holistic development” in the early years. Singapore, National Institute of Education. https://repository.nie.edu.sg/handle/10497/22185

Keung, C. P. C., & Cheung, A. C. K. (2019). Towards holistic supporting of play-based learning implementation in kindergartens: A mixed method study. Early Childhood Education Journal, 47(5), 627–640. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-019-00956-2

Keung, C. P. C., & Fung, C. K. H. (2020). Exploring kindergarten teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge in the development of play-based learning. Journal of Education for Teaching, 46(2), 244–247. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2020.1724656

Kim, M. (2004). Teachers’ philosophical orientation and practices: A study of novice preschool teachers in South Korea. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 5(3), 276–292. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2304/ciec.2004.5.3.3

Klassen, A. C., Creswell, J., Clark, V. L. P., Smith, K. C., & Meissner, H. I. (2012). Best practices in mixed methods for quality of life research. Quality of Life Research, 21(3), 377–380. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-012-0122-x

Lam, P. C. (2018). Bridging beliefs and practices: A study of Hong Kong kindergarten teachers’ perceptions of “learning through play” and the implementation of “play” in their practices (Publication No. 10936814) [Doctoral dissertation, Northeastern University]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses. https://repository.library.northeastern.edu/files/neu:m0449b715/fulltext.pdf

Li, P. H., & Chen, J. J. (2023). The glocalization of early childhood curriculum: Global childhoods, local curricula (1st ed.). Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003274865-1

Li, H., Rao, N., & Tse, S. K. (2012). Adapting Western pedagogies for Chinese literacy instruction: Case studies of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Singapore preschools. Early Education and Development, 23(4), 603–621. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2010.536441

Malaysian Ministry of Education. (2017). Preschool education: Curriculum and assessment standards document 2017 revision. National Preschool Standard Curriculum. Putrajaya, Ministry of Education.

McKendrick, J. H. (2019a). Realising the potential of play in Scottish education. Scottish Educational Review, 51(2), 137–142.

McKendrick, J. H. (2019b). Scotland's school grounds: Playful and play-full learning environments? Scottish Educational Review, 51(2), 40-60.

McNair, L., Cameron, I., & Gilbertson, L. (2019). Adult roles in support of early childhood play, encouraging sensitivity to the individual and reflexive approaches. Scottish Educational Review, 51(2), 61–70.

Molinari, L., Cigala, A., Corsano, P., & Venturelli, E. (2017). Observing children’s triadic play. In T. Bruce., P. Hakkarainen, & M. Bredikyte (Eds.), The Routledge international handbook of early childhood play (pp. 216–229). Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315735290-21

Moon, K., & Reifel, S. (2008). Play and literacy learning in a diverse language pre-kindergarten classroom. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 9(1), 49–65. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2304/ciec.2008.9.1.49

Palinkas, L. A., Horwitz, S. M., Green, C. A., Wisdom, J. P., Duan, N., & Hoagwood, K. (2015). Purposeful sampling for qualitative data collection and analysis in mixed method implementation research. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 42(5), 533–544. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-013-0528-y

Pascoe, S., & Brennan, D. (2017). Lifting our game: Report of the review to achieve educational excellence in Australian schools through early childhood interventions. Government of Victoria. https://apo.org.au/sites/default/files/resource-files/2018-02/apo-nid130616.PDF

Patton, M. Q. (2014). Qualitative research & evaluation methods: Integrating theory and practice. SAGE Publications. https://ci.nii.ac.jp/ncid/BB18275167

Pyle, A., Prioletta, J., & Poliszczuk, D. (2018). The play-literacy interface in full-day kindergarten classrooms. Early Childhood Education Journal, 46(1), 117–127. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-017-0852-z

Rabiee, F. (2004). Focus group interview and data analysis. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 63(4), 655–660. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1079/PNS2004399

Rodriguez-Meehan, M. (2020). Pre-service teachers’ perceptions of play in kindergarten (Publication No. 27829022) [Doctoral dissertation, Florida Gulf Coast University]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global: The Humanities and Social Sciences Collection. (2385710408). https://scholarscommons.fgcu.edu/esploro/outputs/doctoral/PRE-SERVICE-TEACHERS-PERCEPTIONS-OF-PLAY-IN/99383341650106570

Rogers, S. (Ed.). (2010). Rethinking play and pedagogy in early childhood education: Concepts, contexts and cultures. Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203839478

Scottish Government. (2019). Incorporating the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into Scots law: Consultation. https://www.gov.scot/publications/childrens-rights-consultation-incorporating-uncrc-rights-child-domestic-law-scotland/

Scott-McKie, L., & Campbell, L. A. (2019). Play as a mode of capability development in Scottish primary schools. Scottish Educational Review, 51(2), 14–28.

Siu, A. F. Y., & Keung, C. P. C. (2022). Perceptions among Hong Kong parents on play in early childhood: A qualitative study. Asia-Pacific Journal of Research in Early Childhood Education, 16(1), 77–92. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17206/apjrece.2022.16.1.77

Spradley, J. P. (2016). The ethnographic interview. Waveland Press.

Tzuo, P. W. (2007). The tension between teacher control and children’s freedom in a child-centered classroom: Resolving the practical dilemma through a closer look at the related theories. Early Childhood Education Journal, 35(1), 33–39. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-007-0166-7

United Nations Children’s Fund [UNICEF]. (1989). Convention on the Rights of the Child. https://ecommons.cornell.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/c8f540df-36ad-4e6c-8dbb-7af0ab7bde7f/content

Vogt, F., Hauser, B., Stebler, P., 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. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2018.1487160

Wang, X., & Lam, C. B. I. (2017). An exploratory case study of an American-style, play-based curriculum in China. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 31(1), 28–39. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02568543.2016.1243175

Wu, S., 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. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2018.1442034

Yin, H., Keung, C. P. C., & Tam, W. W. Y. (2021). What facilitates kindergarten teachers’ intentions to implement play-based learning? Early Childhood Education Journal, 50(4), 555–566. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-021-01176-3

Yin, H. B., Lee, J. C., & Jin, Y. L. (2011). Teacher receptivity to curriculum reform and the need for trust: An exploratory study from Southwest China. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 20(1), 35-47.