Researching Teachers’ Perspectives on and Teaching Practices for Children’s Involvement in Play-Based Learning in the Chinese Context

This study investigated children’s participation in play-based learning in relation to teachers’ perspectives on and strategies for play. Six teachers from two Hong Kong kindergartens were individually interviewed to understand their views on play-based learning. These interviews were complemented by video-recorded classroom observations to examine the teachers’ strategies and children’s involvement. The study’s findings revealed the multidimensional nature of teachers’ perspectives on play-based learning and their corresponding teaching practices in play, indicating that play in Hong Kong’s early childhood education manifests in varied forms and serve multiple purposes. However, the findings also showed that the teachers predominantly adopted a directive approach, emphasizing structured learning through play more than children’s freedom of choice and self-directed exploration. Despite this, the study highlights play-based practices that promote active involvement in learning in the Hong Kong kindergarten context. Additionally, the findings revealed an association between the teachers’ perspectives, teaching practices, and curriculum policies, emphasizing the need to clarify curriculum expectations to better support effective early childhood education. The results further underscore the importance of teacher education in enhancing kindergarten teachers’ understanding of play-based learning and encouraging broader adoption of this approach.