Articulating contrasts in kindergarten teachers’ implicit knowledge on play-based learning

In Hong Kong, early-years teachers face professional challenges in adopting a creative and child-oriented pedagogy in which play-based learning is central. The paper illuminates teachers’ understanding of play, approaches used, difficulties faced, and their power in finding solutions. Six Hong Kong kindergarten teachers participated in an in-depth qualitative study that investigated their implicit sense-making processes in implementing play. The research tracked their framing and reframing of ‘reflection’ and ‘action’ for a year through interviews and classroom observations. The findings revealed that while teachers sought to include play, their thinking was often rigid and mechanical. Teachers had a dichotomised concept of play and learning. The study identified three teaching and learning orientations: the technical, the fluctuating and the inquiry, which provide insights into the thinking processes involved in making the pedagogical shift towards play-based learning. By articulating contrasts in kindergarten teachers’ implicit knowledge, the significance of teachers’ inner power, which is persistent inquiry and meta-cognitive learning, is revealed. The findings demonstrate how teachers’ inner power contributes to their professional development.