TY - JOUR
T1 - Tensions in policy and practice
T2 - influences on play in Abu Dhabi's New School Model KG framework
AU - Baker, Fiona S.
N1 - Funding Information:
Globally, to meet goals of a whole child philosophy of education in KG, the significance of play has been strongly endorsed in a number of reports. Examples are: Developmentally Appropriate Practice (Bredekamp & Copple, 1997), the English Early Years Foundation Stage framework (Department for Education and Skills [DfES], 2007), the Japanese Ministry of Education Preschool Guidelines (in Lewis, 1995) and the guidelines issues by the Swedish Ministry of Education and Science (1998). Since its initiation however, anecdotal evidence suggests that ADEC’s KG framework, while progressive, has shifted towards a more formal ‘primary school’ pedagogy and curriculum with an emphasis on Arabic and English literacy and numeracy, rather than pedagogies of play (Adams, Alexander, Drummond, & Moyles, 2004; McLane, 2003; Morgan & Kennewell, 2006; Ranz-Smith, 2007; Rogers & Evans, 2007; Sharp, 2002; Walsh et al., 2006). This is a common international trend and often perceived as being at the expense of play (Fisher, 2000; Frost, Wortham, & Reifel, 2007). This trend means that schools have more responsibility for ensuring goals are met at an early age and children are prepared for ADEC’s cycle one elementary schools. Furthermore, in a complex state of educational flux characterised by diversity, evidence points to influences, tensions and dilemmas associated with child-centred learning and play. It is timely, therefore, to research the challenges and complexities associated with the formulation of play in ADEC KGs and discrepancies between the rhetoric of educational policy and practice. This study responds to the research question: What are the salient socio-cultural and systemic factors that influence play in Abu Dhabi KGs? The study has the goal of informing ADEC so as to increase the potential to fully embrace holistic learning through play. It is also an avenue for the collective voices of teachers as part of a larger study supported by ADEC’s Office of Research and Planning. For the teachers involved, the data provide a record of their perspectives in February and March 2013. Opportunities to reflect on these perspectives may provide impetus for a number of participants to continue as participants in an on-going study of play.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2014, Taylor & Francis.
PY - 2014/12/15
Y1 - 2014/12/15
N2 - This article reports on three salient socio-cultural and systemic factors that are influential in play in Abu Dhabi Education Council's (ADEC's) kindergarten (KG) framework from the teacher perspective. Anecdotal evidence suggests that during ADEC's progressive educational reform, emphasis has reverted to academic performance outcomes rather than whole child learning through play. Tensions may then occur surrounding the nature and extent of play practices for early learning. Following semi-structured interviews with 60 KG teachers, three salient factors emerged. These are illustrated in this article and discussed in light of the international literature on play. Tensions in policy and practice highlighted in this article are: a focus on academic performance outcomes; children's readiness to engage in play and parent perspectives on play. The article then discusses what these tensions may mean for the future of play in ADEC KGs situated within a period of educational reform.
AB - This article reports on three salient socio-cultural and systemic factors that are influential in play in Abu Dhabi Education Council's (ADEC's) kindergarten (KG) framework from the teacher perspective. Anecdotal evidence suggests that during ADEC's progressive educational reform, emphasis has reverted to academic performance outcomes rather than whole child learning through play. Tensions may then occur surrounding the nature and extent of play practices for early learning. Following semi-structured interviews with 60 KG teachers, three salient factors emerged. These are illustrated in this article and discussed in light of the international literature on play. Tensions in policy and practice highlighted in this article are: a focus on academic performance outcomes; children's readiness to engage in play and parent perspectives on play. The article then discusses what these tensions may mean for the future of play in ADEC KGs situated within a period of educational reform.
KW - Abu Dhabi kindergartens
KW - educational reform
KW - play
KW - semi-structured interviews
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U2 - 10.1080/03004430.2014.888176
DO - 10.1080/03004430.2014.888176
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84912050076
SN - 0300-4430
VL - 184
SP - 1830
EP - 1842
JO - Early Child Development and Care
JF - Early Child Development and Care
IS - 12
ER -