"I think we should be doing much more play now since COVID...". A study exploring teachers' attitudes towards Play-Based Learning in England.

Abstract

Play is the way by which children instinctively discover and learn about the world around them. Play-based learning is a pedagogical approach aimed at supporting and encouraging child-led, needs-led, and interests-led education for children. Currently, it is mandated in the Early Years Foundation Stage in England for children. However, when 5-year-old children progress to primary school, the emphasis on building on this play-based approach has been overlooked in favour of assessment, measurement, and standardisation achieved through didactic pedagogical approaches. This abrupt shift in learning environment coupled with the premature imposition of formal learning has a negative impact on long-term educational outcomes (Margetts, 2007). Additionally, the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on long-term outcomes is an extra cause for concern.
The main aim of this study was to explore the attitudes of primary school teachers towards play-based learning. A secondary aim was to explore their beliefs regarding the impact of COVID-19 on primary school education. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven Key Stage 1 teachers. The interviews were focused on teachers’ attitudes towards, and experiences of, play-based learning, constraints they were subject to, and views regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Reflexive Thematic Analysis was used to develop common themes and subthemes among the teachers.
The findings indicated teachers understand the role that play has in in children’s development and an enthusiasm to harness its power in learning. The teachers’ priority was the holistic development of well-rounded, happy, and capable children. However, the main constraint faced was the top-down pressure to conform to ideological requirements. Teachers expressed a lack of time, resources and support. This is compounded by a perceived lack of cohesion within schools. The consensus was that COVID-19 presented a golden opportunity for the implementation and expansion of play-based learning. However, this opportunity was spurned.
Conclusions are drawn, along with potential implications of this exploratory study for Educational Psychologists, and recommendations of avenues for future research.
 

Date of Award	23 Jan 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bristol
Supervisor	Rob Green (Supervisor) & Dan P O'Hare (Supervisor)