This thesis examines play and learning experiences of immigrant mothers and bicultural children and delves into their perspectives on their experiences. It also explores their cultural capitals which are accumulated in different contexts. Through this investigation, the study uncovers the cultural variations of play and learning which may lead to conflict between home and school discourses.
Using interpretivist methodology and qualitative methods, data were collected from interviews with nineteen mothers and nineteen children. The semi-structured interviews used allow flexibility of probing whilst being framed by subsidiary questions. At the end of the interview, a drawing activity was carried out with each child to offer an alternate tool of expression for him or her.
Through a socio-cultural lens, the main findings are presented based on ‘Play as third space’ framework. The study reveals the cultural shift and intergenerational gap of play and learning in first space. The experiences of children in second space were viewed from their perspectives involving challenges faced at school and the navigational strategies they constructed. The third space, a conceptual space, acts as a bridge between the first and second spaces. This study argues that play as third space allows children to make sense of their experiences, exercise their agency, calibrate power imbalance in the two physical spaces, and construct their identities in order to bridge home and school discourses.
This study argues that bicultural children’s experiences are multifaceted and complex, especially if there is discord between home and school cultures. Thus, the study advocates the importance of educators’ and practitioners’ awareness of possible cultural dissonance and sensitivity in observation and interventions during play. This study also recommends two-way communication between home and school to bridge cultures as well as to understand and value the cultural capital that children bring to school.
