3-018 - Investigating Perceptions of Play and Learning From Children and Adults Around the World Using Mixed-Methods

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Increasing evidence suggests that play is an engaging and fun way for children to learn and develop crucial life skills (Golinkoff & Hirsh-Pasek, 2016; Zosh et al., 2018). Yet, how individuals in different cultures understand the importance of play and its relationship with learning is largely unknown. The overall aim of this symposium is to probe how beliefs about play and learning vary across cultures. Researchers will present three studies using various methodologies ranging from interviews to a card sorting task to gather information from across the globe. The findings reveal emerging perceptions of what constitutes play versus learning and whether these beliefs vary across culture, age, and gender. While children’s views will be stressed, the significance of parents’ beliefs about what play affords for children is crucial for the amount and type of play children are permitted to experience. From parents in indigenous communities in Colombia to parents and educators in Ghana, beliefs and concerns about play may shape opportunities that children have for individual and parental play and the integration of play into classrooms. Children's views from Argentina, Denmark, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, and the United States also offer a unique perspective on the overlaps of play and learning. The importance of considering and appreciating cultural beliefs about play cannot be emphasized enough, especially when researchers and practitioners advocate for playful learning interventions in homes and schools. Finally, researchers and interventionists need to continue considering the perspectives of young children—the true experts in playful learning.

Sub Unit

• Race, Ethnicity, Culture, Context

Chair

• Jill Popp, LEGO Foundation

Discussant

• Justine Howard, Swansea University

Individual Presentations

• Parents’ Beliefs and Attitudes About Play in Three Colombian Indigenous Communities - Presenting Author: S. Lynneth Solis, Harvard University

• Perspectives on Play and Learning in the Ghanaian Early Years Classroom - Presenting Author: Esinam Ami Avornyo, University of Cambridge; Non-Presenting Author: Sara Baker, University of Cambridge

• A Quantitative Investigation of Children’s Perceptions of Play and Learning Across Five Countries - Presenting Author: Marcia Shirilla, University of Delaware; Non-Presenting Author: Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, Univ of DE; Non-Presenting Author: Jill Popp, LEGO Foundation; Non-Presenting Author: Doris Cheng, Tung Wah College; Non-Presenting Author: Teresa Cremin, Open University; Non-Presenting Author: Nora Scheuer, IPEHCS-CONICET and Universidad Nacional del Comahue; Non-Presenting Author: Sarah Jane Mukherjee, Open University; Non-Presenting Author: Lucia Bugallo, IPEHCS-CONICET and Universidad Nacional del Comahue; Non-Presenting Author: Nicholas Wang, Tung Wah College; Non-Presenting Author: Marie Odgaard, LEGO Foundation; Non-Presenting Author: Hannah Puttre, University of Delaware