We present the main findings of a case study focusing on the digital literacy practices of a Portuguese early childhood teacher known for her innovative pedagogical methods. Data was collected through an in-depth interview centred on the teacher's perceptions about her digital literacy practices and on the professional development underpinning…

This paper brings together two studies, conducted independently in two different countries, Turkey and Australia, both focusing on supporting early years teachers to research and strengthen their own practice in relation to play-based pedagogies. It reports on the professional learning programmes that were implemented to improve understanding…

The aim of this study was twofold: (a) To carry out an in-depth investigation of pre-service teachers (PTs) beliefs regarding creativity and the perceived barriers of creative processes within early childhood education, and (b) To examine the extent to which PTs reflect their creativity within their pedagogical practices. The participants (n = 45)…

Rich play enhances the child's engagement during play, and this improves the potential for learning. This study examines the place of sensory materials focused on visual and tactile stimuli (sensopathic material) during guided play to improve learning in the reception year. Interviews with teachers and observation of the children while playing…

In 2001, the Chinese Ministry of Education issued "Guidelines for Preschool Education (GPE) (trial version)" to call on early childhood practitioners to use a child-centred and play-based approach to teaching and learning. In order to implement the requirements, many kindergartens in China have carried out the play-based kindergarten…

This article aims to identify the correlation between early childhood teachers' ability to foster creativity through free play. A screening model is used in the study. The participants comprised 166 teachers of the foundation (early childhood) phase. The 'Teacher Roles in Free Play Scale' and the 'Creativity Fostering Teacher Index Scale'…

This article aims to use the cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) framework to analyse the participation of an early childhood teacher in children's creative play, in order to enhance and support creativity. The study is grounded on Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development, and highlights teacher's play involvement and the arts as a cultural…

Despite the presence of inclusive education policies in many countries, its implementation continues to raise concerns for many teachers. In this study, we utilised a 22-item questionnaire to assess 344 early childhood teachers' concerns about inclusive education in the six regions in Thailand. The findings showed that limited support from school…

Although abundant evidence demonstrates that play is the source of development for preschool-aged children in various cultures, few studies have investigated the role of adult-children collective play in supporting the development of children in institutional care settings. This study examined whether and how a play-based programme created…

In the context of an ongoing policy crisis in relation to the qualifications of the early childhood workforce in England, this paper first rehearses the context and long overdue need for reform before presenting a framework for career structure and professional early childhood education qualifications in England. This framework is designed to…

This paper examines the ways that teachers use questions to promote metacognitive knowledge and skills in early childhood classrooms. Taking a Conversation Analytic approach, we show that although metacognitive questions were infrequent in our data, they could be used to create learning opportunities for students to develop their knowledge of…

Different approaches to implementing 'learning through play' exist in many countries due to different understandings of the concept of play. In Indonesia, teachers implement play in a structured way following certain play developmental stages, where the focus is on children's academic outcomes, rather than the development of concepts as part of…

Within the Croatian educational system, the school readiness programme is defined by the obligation of attending a pre-school curriculum in the year before school. Besides facilitating the transition into school, the programme also focuses on the development of early literacy skills, where play has a significant role. Therefore, the purpose of…

This paper analyses the differences in understanding the transition from the perspective of all those involved in the process (children, parents, teachers), as well as their role in the transition processes. This paper approaches transition as a process of changing educational settings, not just as preparation for school. Approaches to the concept…

The conflicting education values in Hong Kong kindergartens and primary schools pose various challenges to kindergarten teachers in providing pupils with a smooth transition to primary school which requires collaboration from schools and families. This study explored these challenges as well as the benefits of a professional teacher training…