Abstract
Play is a developmentally appropriate practice for young children and enhances children’s holistic development. However, recent educational policies and the pressure to focus on academic goals and high-stakes testing have resulted in teacher-directed instruction, which minimizes play-based child directed experiences. Research also indicates that pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) perceptions about teaching affect their future pedagogy in the classroom. This qualitative transcendental phenomenological study aimed to explore PSTs’ perception of play to add the knowledge base of play in kindergarten. The seven pre-service teachers in this study were recruited using purposeful and criterion sampling. All participants, seniors in a teacher education program in South Florida, had placements in kindergarten classrooms during their student teaching experience. Data were collected through interviews, artifact analysis, document analysis, and field notes. Interview responses were transcribed, interpreted, and coded into themes, aggregating the data into small categories of information. The data analysis revealed significant gaps in the PSTs’ understanding of play. In particular, they demonstrated broad and contradicting characterizations of play, a lack of knowledge of the relationship between play and learning, and a limited understanding of the effect of play on children’s development. Additionally, the PSTs recognized only external factors such as time and support from administration as challenges to play integration and did not consider their lack of knowledge regarding play. The findings suggest that the PSTs’ limited perceptions of play may result in deprived valuable learning opportunities for children in kindergarten classrooms. The findings of this study should be considered by all educational stakeholders to ensure that PSTs develop a comprehensive understanding of play, identify the connection between play and learning, and understand how play supports all children’s development, resulting in integration of play in kindergarten classrooms.
