Practitioner change journeys: A mixed-methods study of play facilitation in Danish daycare

The study investigates how kindergarten teachers in Denmark develop as play facilitators through professional development. Through a course, they were given the opportunity to engage in various forms of play, from child-led play to more adult-led and supervised play. The study investigates how these kindergarten teachers adapt their practice over time, and which personal and contextual factors affect their learning journey. The research questions are:

1. What kind of patterns can we see in kindergarten teachers’ knowledge, attitudes and approaches to facilitating learning through play?
   1. How are the knowledge, attitudes and approaches reflected in their interactions with children?
   2. What aspects of child development and learning do kindergarten teachers support in the play-based situations being observed?
2. What changes can we see in kindergarten teachers’ knowledge, attitudes and practices over time, and which personal and contextual factors can explain the patterns of these changes?

The study found that kindergarten teachers were able to develop a broad repertoire of roles in children’s play, including child-led, supervised, and adult-led play. Throughout the course, they became more aware of the value of co-created play, where they shared the initiative with the children. This form of play was seen as particularly important for children’s learning and development. Over time, the kindergarten teachers developed the ability to adapt to different play situations and engage children in longer play sequences. The study shows that personal starting points and contextual factors play a significant role in how kindergarten teachers adopt play facilitation practices and what forms of support they need to succeed in this process.

Data was collected through field observations and semi-structured interviews. The kindergarten teachers were observed while working with the children, and they were subsequently interviewed to reflect on their practice. Focus was placed on how they adapted to the play facilitation and what roles they took in the children’s play. A survey was also carried out to map the kindergarten teachers’ confidence in facilitating play.

Sørensen, M. C., Andersen, R. N., Jensen, H., Schmidt, S., Jensen, J. B., Limskov Stærk Christiansen, N., Brix, J., Aarøe Jørgensen, K., & Lucacel, R. (2022). Practitioner change journeys: A mixed-methods study of play facilitation in Danish daycare. Professionshøjskolen Absalon.