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    An investigation of two models of professional development to support effective teaching through play practices in the primary classroom : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2020) Aiono, Sarah Miriam
    The use of play as a pedagogical tool in schools and early learning settings is experiencing a rise in popularity. In recent years, primary teachers have shown an increased interest in how play can be implemented in junior primary school classrooms but have also expressed a need for further support to understand how to use play and intentional teaching to meet expected learning outcomes of the curriculum. While teachers have expressed support for, and knowledge of, the benefits of learning through play, the way in which they teach through play is less well understood. The aim of this study was to identify teachers’ beliefs, knowledge and practices when implementing teaching through play in the primary school setting and investigate the impact of a professional learning and development (PLD) intervention on teachers’ subsequent implementation of play pedagogies. The study utilised a mixed methods intervention research design. Participants were assigned to one of two PLD conditions: 1) professional learning workshops only; or 2) professional learning workshops in combination with practice-based coaching. The study utilised both quantitative and qualitative data collection strategies, including questionnaires, classroom observations, and individual interviews. The creation of a Play-Based Learning Observation Tool (P-BLOT) enabled the researcher to observe and quantify the frequency and implementation fidelity of evidence-based teaching practices, desirable in an effective play-based junior school classroom. Pre-intervention findings suggested a tension between what teachers know and believe about play as a pedagogical tool, and how they implemented teaching through play practices with fidelity in their classrooms. Post-intervention findings suggest that while participating in workshop-style PLD successfully increased teachers’ knowledge about play pedagogies, it was participating in PLD that included practice-based coaching that positively influenced teacher behaviour and practices. These findings contribute to the growing international PLD literature identifying the value of more intensive PLD support over an extended period to ensure implementation fidelity of the complex teaching practices required of play pedagogy. PLD that combines workshop and coaching interventions can potentially support teachers to effectively implement play pedagogies and ensure the implementation of intentional teaching methods through both child and adult-guided play experiences.
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    Parent, student and teacher beliefs about parental involvement in a child's learning : a mixed method study : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment for the degree of Masters of Education (Educational Administration and Leadership), Massey University, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2017) Transom, Caroline
    Parental involvement in a child’s learning has a positive impact on a child’s academic success and emotional wellbeing, yet there are differing views about what this entails (Lewin & Luckin, 2010; Selwyn, Banaji, Hadjithoma-Garstka, & Clark, 2011; Schnee & Bose, 2010). This study researched how parents, senior primary students and teachers in three New Zealand primary schools perceived ‘parental involvement in learning’ and the factors that influenced involvement. An explanatory sequential mixed methods research design was used so an understanding of the differing definitions could be gathered before they were explored in more depth in the qualitative stage of the study. The findings of the study revealed that each group understood ‘learning’ differently and that these differences influenced their definitions of ‘parental involvement in a child’s learning’. These definitions of learning shaped the actions teachers acknowledged, or valued as parental involvement, helping to create a teacher discourse of under involved parents that was not reflected in the parental data. Possible suggestions for practice and further research are explored in the study.
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    Stakeholder perspectives of play-based learning in the first year of primary school : a case study in Aotearoa New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Educational Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2017) Blucher, Mandie Elizabeth
    This qualitative research study explored key stakeholders’ perspectives of a play-based learning (Pb-L) approach in the first year of primary school. A case-study design was used to gather information about the perceived value, challenges, and characteristics of a Pb-L environment in an Auckland-based primary school. The children’s perspectives of the role of play were explored in six focus group interviews, while an online survey was used to collect parent or caregiver’s experiences of the current Pb-L approach. Lastly, two separate interviews were conducted with a classroom teacher and school leader to capture their experiences of implementing a play-based approach. The findings of the study indicated that children perceived self-initiated, hands-on exploration that was based on their interests, and social interaction with peers, as important in their play and learning activities. Overall, the parents, teacher, and school leader demonstrated a shared understanding of the value of a Pb-L approach, particularly in relation to the importance of child well-being and children’s social and emotional development. The study outlines the adults’ perspectives of the benefits and challenges of a play pedagogy and highlights the implications for schools/teaching practice, including potential opportunities for future research. It is proposed that a Pb-L pedagogy provides an approach to development and learning that embraces the natural playfulness with which children enter school to support meaningful early learning experiences that promote lifelong learning.