Playful pedagogy in an under-resourced grade 1 classroom: a teacher’s self-study.

Abstract

I am a teacher in a primary school in a semi-urban area, serving an isiZulu-speaking community. My study aimed to explore playful pedagogy as a valuable teaching and learning approach in an under-resourced Grade 1 classroom. A socio-cultural theoretical perspective helped me consider how social and cultural factors could influence teaching and learning. I adopted a self-study methodological approach. I was the primary research participant, and the other participants were the children in my class. I worked closely with three critical friends (fellow teachers and doctoral students). My first research question was, What can I learn about playful pedagogy from my childhood memories? This question helped me to look back on my childhood, playing inside and outside of school. Responding to this question helped me better understand why it is significant that children learn through play and how they might benefit from playful pedagogy. In answering this question, I used artefacts and drawings to prompt relevant memories of playing games we used to play when we were growing up. The second question was, What can I learn through exploring playful pedagogy in an under-resourced Grade 1 classroom? In responding to this question, I worked with my learners on various lessons whereby their classwork activities enabled me to observe and interpret the educational impact of playing. Audio recordings and photographs were used to record discussions and activities. I also used journal writing to reflect on each lesson. Engaging the learners assisted me in understanding how I could improve my teaching practice through playful pedagogy. I employed collage as an arts-based method to analyse and reflect deeply in searching for meaningful answers. The thesis presents four themes that reveal my understanding of playful pedagogy and the implications thereof for improving my practice: (1) Playful pedagogy can enhance child development; (2) Playful pedagogy can promote a positive attitude towards life; (3) Playful pedagogy can encourage social interaction; and (4) Playful pedagogy can bring joy to children. My study adds to the knowledge base of selfstudy research by demonstrating how schoolteachers can work with children as valued research participants who can also gain self-knowledge in the process.