Phenomenological study of practitioners’ lived mathematical play practices in an early childhood care and education setting

Abstract

𝑬𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 Globally, research indicates growing interest in mathematics-related play in early childhood settings; this is also the case in the informal settlements of Mangaung in the Motheo District. This interest has its roots in the poor performance of learners in mathematics when they reach formal education, particularly in the foundation phase. The aim of this study was to carry out a phenomenological investigation of practitioners’ lived mathematics play practices in early childhood care and education settings.

The study is located in Vygotsky’s social constructivist theory, which maintains that children acquire knowledge best if there is scaffolding and mediation by more knowledgeable others. Vygotsky defined the more knowledgeable other as someone who has a better understanding or higher ability levels than the child on a particular task, process, or concept. Therefore, language and environment play a major role in the child’s process of new knowledge creation. Vygotsky believed that knowledge is first acquired interpersonally, as the child learns from others, then internalises knowledge; the process takes place in the zone of proximal development (ZPD). Vygotsky explains ZPD as the distance between what children can do by themselves, and what they can achieve with competent assistance by more knowledgeable others.

Additionally, the study employed an interpretive qualitative research paradigm and a phenomenology design. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, observations and journal entries by the researcher. A purposeful sample of 10 practitioners who were teaching in five early childhood care and education setting took part in the study. Data generated were analysed through the lens of Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory and a thematic approach, through which subthemes emerged. The finding of this study is that practitioners’ lived mathematics play practices in ECCE settings were compromised, as they are not adequately qualified in this context. It is concluded that, through proper teacher development programmes and obtaining adequate qualifications, practitioners’ lived mathematics play-based learning can be enhanced. Therefore, it is recommended that local higher education institutions design and offer a qualification that is adequate for ECCE practitioners, and which incorporates curriculum content that is supposed to be taught to children in this environment to enhance mathematics play-based learning. ___________________________________________________________________ 𝑨𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒌𝒂𝒂𝒏𝒔 Wêreldwyd dui navorsing op toenemende belangstelling in wiskunde-verwante spel in die vroeë kinderjare; dit is ook die geval in die informele nedersettings van Mangaung in die Motheo-distrik. Hierdie belangstelling kan toegeskryf word aan leerders wat swak presteer in wiskunde sodra hulle deel word van die formele onderwysstelsel, veral in die grondslagfase. Die doel van hierdie navorsing is om ’n fenomenologiese ondersoek te doen oor praktisyns se wiskunde-speelpraktyke in vroeëkinderversorging- en onderwysinstellings. Die navorsing is gegrond op Vygotsky se sosiaal-konstruktiwistiese teorie wat sê kinders doen die beste kennis op indien bemiddeling en die boublokke deur kenners gelê is. Vygotsky definieer kenners as iemand wat ’n beter begrip of vermoë as die kind het oor ’n bepaalde taak, proses of konsep. Daarom speel taal en omgewing ’n belangrike rol in die proses waartydens die kind nuwe kennis verwerf. Vygotsky glo dat kennis eers interpersoonlik verwerf word, soos die kind by ander leer, en dan word die kennis geïnternaliseer; die proses vind plaas in proksimale ontwikkeling. Vygotsky verduidelik proksimale ontwikkeling as die verskil tussen wat kinders self kan doen, en wat hulle kan bereik met bekwame bystand van kenners.

Die navorsing het ’n interpretatiewe, kwalitatiewe navorsingsparadigma en ’n fenomenologie-ontwerp gebruik. Data is deur semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude, waarnemings en joernaalinskrywings deur die navorser ingesamel. ’n Doelgerigte steekproef van tien praktisyns wat in vyf vroeëkindersorg- en onderwysomgewings onderrig gegee het, het aan die navorsing deelgeneem. Die data is ontleed volgens Vygotsky se sosiokulturele teorie en ’n tematiese benadering, waarna subtemas ontstaan het. Die bevinding van hierdie navorsing is dat praktisyns se wiskunde-speelpraktyke in vroeëkinderversorging en onderwys tekortgeskiet het omdat hulle in hierdie konteks nie behoorlik gekwalifiseerd is nie. Die gevolgtrekking is deur behoorlike onderwyserontwikkelingsprogramme en die verkryging van voldoende kwalifikasies, praktisyns se wiskunde-verwante spel vir kinders verbeter kan word. Daarom word aanbeveel dat plaaslike hoëronderwysinstellings ’n kwalifikasie ontwerp en aanbied wat voldoende is vir dié praktisyns, wat inhoud van die kurrikulum insluit wat veronderstel is om aan kinders in hierdie omgewing geleer te word om leer deur wiskundige speelpraktyke te verbeter. ___________________________________________________________________