What Untrained Practitioners in ECE Centers Understood Play and Learning in Childhood

Abstract

The aim of this study was to find out how the children’s play was understood by untrained practitioners in early childhood education (ECE) centres in Malaysia. Research on infants’ and toddlers’ play in ECE centres shows many benefits for children’s development including learning about social interactions with peers. This study uses Super and Harkness’ (1986) notion of the psychology of the caretakers as an essential component of the child’s developmental niche. By considering the practitioners’ perceptions of children’s interactions through the lens of Super and Harkness’s concept, it becomes possible to see that the practitioners’ perceptions can have an influence on children’s social interactions with peers. This study sits within a social constructivist worldview and uses a case-study approach. Ethical concerns were outlined and approved by the Human Ethics Committee. In collecting the data, this study interviewed untrained practitioners from three ECE centres in Malaysia. The findings of the study show that the complexity of children’s learning experiences remained hidden to the practitioners until they took part in this study. It provided the practitioners to deepen their thinking about children’s social interactions and to begin seeing them as linked with learning through play. The practitioners perceived that (i) sharing resources; (ii) communicating with peers; and (iii) understanding peers’ intentions, needs and emotions constituted important learning for children during playtime. A lot of opportunities for free play at the ECE centres should be encouraged so that children can benefit from the richness of learning that happens when they play together with peers.