PLAY IN THE NURSERY: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY ON THE CONSTRUCTIONS OF YOUNG CHILDREN AND THEIR SIGNIFICANT ADULTS

This thesis examines young children’s and adult constructions of play and learning in the nursery. It does so through a yearlong ethnographic study of a single setting in the North of England. One hundred and twenty young children aged 3:6 to 4:6 years old, 24 parents, and 9 nursery staff participated in this study. This thesis is distinct because it researches young children’s perspectives by using a range of ‘child-centred’ research methods with particular consideration to the need for involving young children as active informants in early childhood educational research. The theoretical framework used to analyse the data of this study is based on the developmental as well as the socio-cultural views on play. On the one hand, the Hutt et al. (1989) taxonomy of play is used as a framework for data analysis and a revised taxonomy is being suggested. On the other, data are analysed based on the six areas of learning provided by the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage (QCA, 2000). Data are finally conceptualized through thematic analysis and are examined for continuities and discontinuities between the three groups.
This thesis argues that:
a) young children’s views on play differ from those of adults as children do not elaborated on what play is but rather provide explanations about their play behaviour;
b) learning features strongly in children’s nursery play as they extend on previous knowledge and develop cognitive, social, emotional, and physical skills;
c) parents and nursery staff share similar views on play and their roles prove important in forming the play identity for young children by showing respect for their preferences and supporting their needs.
Overall, young children’s responses provide a ground for further research on involving children when planning play activities in an early childhood settings.