| dc.description.abstract | In the field of early childhood education, child-centered pedagogies have significantly decreased in favor of greater use of adult-directed learning as the high-stakes testing era has proliferated (Miller & Almon, 2009). The National Association for the Education of Young Children posits the need for children in early childhood, defined as birth to age eight (or roughly third grade), to learn and develop through play (NAEYC, 2020). Children naturally engage in play and playful behaviors without direction to explore the world around them (Brown, 2009), yet many of the learning activities offered in schools enforce rote memorization and repetition as a means of learning (Miller & Almon, 2009). While many educators espouse deeply held beliefs about play as a means for children to learn, there is a disconnect between their beliefs and current classroom practices. There is an abundance of research centering around the beliefs of preschool and kindergarten teachers, but very little explores the beliefs of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-grade teachers. Legislation titled the Oklahoma Play to Learn Act (PTLA) was passed into law in 2021 to empower educators to utilize play-based learning in the state. It is unclear what effect the law has had thus far. To understand the current impact of the PTLA and the possibilities for future effects it may have, this research study will explore the beliefs about play held by primary grade educators and identify the types of support that might increase educators’ use of play in classrooms using a mixed-methods research design. | en_US |
