Chinese parental beliefs and practices about younger children's play and learning

Abstract

In contemporary China, parents and teachers of young children (3-6 years) tend to believe the eclectic theory of play and learning, which refers to play-based learning and is defined as 'eduplay' by Rao and Li (2009). But those parents of younger children (0-3 years) might not hold the same position, as their children are too young to learn. Very recently, the education of under-threes has been included in Chinese government's policy agenda. More insights and empirical evidence about play and learning in the very beginning years are therefore very needed. This study is dedicated to the understanding of Chinese parental beliefs and practices about play and learning through a multiple case study of 12 families of under-three children in urban Shanghai. A triangulation of multiple data sources including in-depth parental belief interviews, home visit observation and one-week recording of children's daily activities was established. Analyses of the interview and observation data indicated that: (1) all the Chinese parents did not hold the traditional beliefs about play any more; (2) instead, they highlighted the positive functions of play for children's cognitive development and early academic start; (3) these beliefs were practiced at home and could be observed through toy provision, time use and parent-child dyadic play; (4) although they realized that play might be the best way for very early learning, they still faced some challenges and needed some effective strategies and supportive family environments to enhance children's learning through play at home. In addition, the results showed that both parental beliefs and practices were influenced by Socioeconomic Status (SES) and children's characteristics. Ecological System Theory and Developmental Niche Framework were employed for the analysis. Finally, suggestions for future research and educational implications would be addressed.