Report - Investigating Scottish Primary Teachers Attitudes and Knowledge of Playful Pedagogy Research by Abbey McNeil.pdf

The COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed learning experiences for millions of learners,

however, the recent relaxation in COVID-19 mitigations has allowed practitioners to

reintroduce playful pedagogy back into their classrooms. This presents an opportunity to

investigate Scottish primary teachers’ attitudes and knowledge of playful pedagogy postpandemic. This practitioner enquiry used a mixed methods approach to explore teachers’

understandings of playful pedagogy, how they implement it and the potential barriers to the successful implementation of play-based learning. The sample consisted of 80 Scottish primary

teachers ranging from Nursery to Primary 7 who were employed in 23 of the 32 Scottish local authorities (71.9% of Scottish local authorities). The researcher used an online questionnaire to gain an overview of teachers’ current attitudes and knowledge of playful pedagogy, then

invited a selection of the sample to a semi-structured interview with the researcher via Zoom to gain a deeper understanding. The findings of the study suggest that Scottish primary teachers have a good understanding and intention to implement playful pedagogy. Differences in the extent to which the approach is implemented consistently and in a meaningful fashion were found between lower primary stages and older classes. Practitioners also identified the barriers which prevent implementation. This research provided practitioners with an opportunity to

develop their knowledge of playful pedagogy by reflecting on their practice and presents an

opportunity for school leadership teams, local authorities, and policymakers to reflect on some of the barriers to ensure all learners can experience play-based learning in Scottish primary

schools.