Rao N., Wu Sh.-Ch. Chinese and German teachers’ conceptions of play and learning and children’s play behaviour
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Rao N., Wu Sh.-Ch. Chinese and German teachers’ conceptions of play and learning and children’s play behaviour // Preschool Education Today. 2014, Issue 4 -
p. 60–69.
This work is licensed under a Сreative Commons Atribiution - NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Abstract
Commonalities and distinctions in Hong Kong-Chinese and German kindergarten teachers’ conceptions of play and learning were examined. Six video clips of play episodes reflecting common play behavior and themes were selected from observations made during free play in two kindergartens in Hong Kong and two in Germany. Ten Chinese and seven German teachers viewed clips of children in their own and the other culture in small groups, participated in a semi-structured group discussion, and completed questionnaires, respectively. Results indicated that teachers in the two contexts had different views on the role of play in curriculum, teacher intervention during children’s play, and learning objectives in play. These differences may be a function of different ecological environments and preset learning objectives. Findings suggest that teachers’ cultural beliefs about play and learning are translated into actions (play arrangements) which, in turn, influence children’s play behavior.
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Brewer, J., and A. Hunter. 1989. Multi-method research: A synthesis of styles. London: Sage.
Bruce, T. 1991. Time to play in early childhood education. London: Hodder and Stoughton Educational.
Chan, L.K.S., and L. Chan. 2003. Early childhood education in Hong Kong and its challenges. Early Child Development and Care 173, no. 1: 7–17.
Cheng, D.P.W. 2001. Difficulties of Hong Kong teachers’ understanding and implementation of play in the curriculum. Teaching and Teacher Education 17: 858–69.
Colberg-Schrader, H., and P. Oberhuemer. 1993. Early childhood education and care in Germany. In Educational provision for our youngest children. European perspectives, ed. T. David, 56–77. London: P. Chapman.
Curriculum Development Council. 1996. Guide to the pre-primary curriculum. Hong Kong: Curriculum Development Institute, Education Development.
Curriculum Development Council. 2006. Guide to the pre-primary curriculum. Hong Kong: The Curriculum Development Council.
DeVries, R. 2002. Play in the early education curriculum: Four interpretations. In Developing constructivist early childhood curriculum: Practical principles and activities, ed. R. DeVries, B. Zan, C. Hildebrandt, R. Edmiaston and C. Sales, 13–34. New York: Teachers College Press.
Fang, Z. 1996. A review of research on teacher beliefs and practices. Educational Research 38, no. 1: 47–65.
Fthenakis, W.E. 2003. Zur Neukonzeptualisierung von Bildung in der fruhen Kindheit. In Elementarpдdagogik nach PISA: wie aus Kindertagesstдtten Bildungseinrichtungen werden kцnnen, ed. W.E. Fthenakis, 18–37. Wien: Herder.
Grieshaber, S. 2006. Yesterday, today, tomorrow: Globalization and early childhood education in Hong Kong. Hong Kong Journal of Early Childhood 5, no. 2: 14–22.
Kemple, K.M. 1996. Teachers’ beliefs and reported practices concerning sociodramatic play. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education 17, no. 2: 19–31.
Lau, S.F. 2005. Implementing the project approach in the Hong Kong preschools: Challenges for novice teachers. Master’s diss., The University of Hong Kong.
Oberhuemer, P. 2005. International perspectives on early childhood curricula. International Journal of Early Childhood 37, no. 1: 27–37.
Pajares, M.F. 1992. Teachers’ beliefs and educational research: Cleaning up a messy construct. Review of Educational Review 62, no. 3: 307–32.
Parmar, P., S. Harkness, and C.M. Super. 2004. Asian and Euro-American parents’ ethnotheories of play and learning: Effects on preschool children’s home routines and school behavior. International Journal of Behavioral Development 28, no. 2: 97–104.
Pramling Samuelsson, I. 2004. The playing learning child in early childhood education.
Lernkulturen und Bildungsstandards – Kindergarten und Grundschule zwischen Vielfalt und Verbindlichkeit [Learning cultures and educational standards – kindergarten and primary among diversity and liability], ed. D. Diskowski and E.H. Di-Bernardo, 172–204. Hohengehren: Schneider Verlag.
Pramling Samuelsson, P.I., and E. Johansson. 2006. Play and learning – inseparable dimensions in preschool practice. Early Child Development and Care 176, no. 1: 47–65.
Rao, N. 2002. Early childhood education in Hong Kong: Moving towards child-friendly policies, curricula and practices. In Curricula, policies and practices in early childhood education services, ed. V. Sollars, 76–88. Malta: PEG.
Rubin, H., G. Fein, and B. Vandenburg. 1983. Play. In Handbook of child psychology. Volume 4, Socialization, personality and social development, ed. P.H. Mussen, 693–774. New York: Wiley.
Rubin, K., K. Watson, and T. Jambor. 1978. Free play behaviors in preschool and kindergarten children. Child Development 49: 534–36.
Scholz, G. 2006. Bildungsarbeit mit Kindern: Lernen JA – Verschulung NEIN! [Education with children: Learning, yes – no Verschulung!] Mulheim: Verlag an der Ruhr.
Siraj-Blatchford, I. 2004. Quality teaching in the early years. In Early childhood education. Society and culture, ed. A. Anning, J. Cullen and M. Fleer. London: Sage.
Slentz, K.L., and S.L. Krogh. 2001. Teaching young children: Contexts for learning. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Stipek, D.J., and P. Byler. 1997. Early childhood education teachers: Do they practice what they preach?. Early Childhood Research Quarterly 12, no. 3: 305–25.
Textor, M.R. 2002. Die PISA-Studie. Dr Martin R. Textor. http://www.kindergartenpaedagogik.de/570.html
Textor, M.R. 2007. Rettet das Freispiel! Pladoyer gegen die Verschulung des Kindergartens. Dr Martin R. Textor. http://www.kindergartenpaedagogik.de/1681.html
Tobin, J.J., D.Y.H. Wu, and D.H. Davidson. 1989. Preschool in three cultures: Japan, China, and the United States. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Wing, L. 1989. The influence of preschool teachers’ beliefs on young children’s conceptions of reading and writing. Early Childhood Research Quarterly 4, no. 1: 61–74.