Date of Award

2024

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Master of Philosophy in Education (MPhil Ed.)

First Advisor

Dr Nasima Syed Shakeel Ahmed Jan

Second Advisor

Dr Sherwin Rodrigues

Department

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

Abstract

The early eight years of Early Childhood Education provide a robust foundation for shaping a child’s personality. Play has been recognized as a cornerstone in early childhood curriculum and instruction. While learning competencies and play are woven into an ECE classroom, it transforms into a rich and supportive environment that allows every child to reach their full potential. The current study sought to integrate play-based pedagogies to teach mathematical concepts at the ECE level in a low-resourced public school in Karachi, Sindh. Action research was employed in an ECE class (aged 4-6). Semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, reflective journals, and anecdotal records were applied to collect data during the study. The findings from the reconnaissance phase showed that young children had the least exposure to play and the available learning materials were insufficient. Furthermore, the observation data revealed that students were encouraged to memorize the mathematical content.
The study revealed a notable improvement in numeracy curriculum competencies as well as socio-emotional, linguistic, and physical skills among young children. The study’s findings emphasized that change is a gradual process which demonstrates that every child exhibits a unique pace of development; some students were swiftly adapting to play practices.  Play-based learning requires ample material so that every child can benefit from it. Particularly, in low-resourced, collaborative play activities and the effective use of locally sourced materials contributed to overcoming the scarcity of materials. This innovation of my pedagogical practice unveiled the purposeful utilization of locally available materials in fostering students' mathematical ideas. Additionally, establishing social norms and providing consistent instructions appeared as a crucial technique for the successful implementation of play-based teaching, particularly for children who had limited exposure to play experiences.           
The study identified the benefits of integrating various types of play. The findings indicated that socially interactive and hands-on experiences nurture leadership skills, creativity, curiosity, and pleasure. It also strengthens students’ observational skills,  motivation as well as diversity and inclusion. 
Furthermore, the study demonstrates that the integration of poems, music, and movement positively influenced student-teacher relationships and social behaviour. Despite encountering several challenges in implementing a play-based approach, the study highlighted the necessity of intentional instruction to sustain play-based teaching in ECE classrooms. The findings indicate that fostering students' creativity closely depends on the level of teachers’ pedagogical innovations. The findings also recommended maintaining a balanced approach that integrates both intentional teaching and Child-Led play, ensuring holistic development and meaningful mathematical learning outcomes.

First Page

1

Last Page

117

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