PLAYFUL LEARNING IN THE PRE-PRIMARY CLASSROOM IN BANGLADESH: TEACHERS EXPERIENCES OF DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE PRACTICE (DAP)

Pre-Primary Education

This study is engaged in producing deeper knowledge of playful learning, grounded in teacher’s perspective, and expanding our understanding of ‘play’. Specifically, this study sought to find out pre-primary school teachers’ perceptions of playful learning as a developmentally appropriate practice in pre-primary classrooms. Policy documents (e.g. NCTB, 2011, NAEYEC, 2009) discoursed the importance of being child centred, indicating to consider children’s developmental ability. Through selective sampling, six preschool teachers were chosen. The teachers were interviewed using semi-structured configuration about their belief as to playful learning, how they implement playful learning in their classrooms and their viewpoint on barriers to playful learning. They identified the support factors that may be required to implement playful learning as developmentally appropriate practice. The preschool teachers made abundantly clear the significance of playful learning and its contribution to children’s developmental ability. Though the views shared by the teachers did not conceptualize well the nature of play in pre-primary education setting, they valued and promoted a playful environment which they regarded helpful for fundamental capacities of child development. Teachers faced some challenges in providing play-based experiences, as they had to complete curriculum prescribed by Directorate of Primary Education (DPE). Some of the barriers teachers face are large class sizes, minimum contact time, lack of enough developmentally appropriate play materials and sufficient play spaces for playful learning. The need for training on continuous basis for professional development to improve teaching skills was also a challenge for the teachers. Based on the findings, implications for playful learning in classroom practice are deliberated and recommendations for future research are suggested.

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