Project Details
Description
How educators in early childhood education enable children’s play through resisting more formal approaches to learning.
Layman's description
In early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings, children's play is often marginalised. Such restrictions on play limit opportunities for crucial early experiences of being physically active, social and independent. One of the reasons behind this is the perception that more formal instruction is prioritised in early learning through education policies, assessment demands, and inspection procedures. Yet many ECEC professionals resist formalised approaches because they hold strong beliefs about children’s right to play and are actively seeking ways for play to flourish in schools and settings. This project will seek to define and understand these ‘acts of resistance’ which have to date been under-researched in how they are enacted. From understanding how materials, time and space is made for children to play, this project aims to contribute to our knowledge of early childhood practices that are resistant to formalisation. The project research team will collect and record stories from across the early years sector. The aim is to share these stories about how educators protect young children’s right to play to support and inspire others.
Short title | Resistance stories |
---|---|
Status | Active |
Effective start/end date | 1/09/24 → 30/06/26 |
Keywords
- early childhood education
- play
- resistance
Fingerprint
Explore the research topics touched on by this project. These labels are generated based on the underlying awards/grants. Together they form a unique fingerprint.