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Disrupting the Aistear hour: working towards a play-based curriculum in early childhood classrooms in Irish primary schools
Type
Article
Journal Title
International Journal of Early Years Education
Book title
Publication Date
2024-01-01
Volume
32
Issue
2
Start page
288
End page
302
Publication Number of pages
External link
Files
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IJEYE_FionaMcArdle.pdf
Adobe PDF, 1.21 MB
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Abstract
In a climate of pandemic recovery and taking this opportunity to be
reflective and reflexive in our practice we set out to examine how
we can make a change to the playful experiences of children
aged 4–6 years old in Irish infant primary classrooms. As teacher
educators in play and play-based learning, in higher education,
we are confronted by pedagogical cultures and classroom
experiences within early primary settings that turn play on and
off for a period during the day. This is a practice commonly
referred to as the ‘Aistear hour’. The aim of this project was to
explore our own current understandings and to improve our
professional approaches to teaching student teachers about play-
based pedagogy and practices. Participants (n = 9) in this small-
scale survey research study were tutor colleagues involved in the
teaching of elements of Early Childhood and Professional Practice
Placement modules. The results indicate a serious need for a
professional collective discussion on the adult ‘hijacking’ of play
and the need for a rights-based approach to ensure very young
children have control and voice in their play experiences in early
primary classrooms.
Keywords
continuum of play, curriculum framework, early childhood education, Pedagogy, teacher education continuum
Publisher
Taylor and Francis