A phenomenological exploration of early childhood teachers’ perception of “Good Lessons” in implementing a play-centered curriculum

Objectives This study explores the experience and perception of teachers in kindergartens where play-based curricula are implemented as ‘good lessons’ using interpretive phenomenological research method. Methods Four early childhood teachers from a kindergarten located in G city were interviewed with an open-ended questionnaire and a choice of consent to statements. Teacher's journal were also collected. The phenomenological interviews were conducted for a total of 3 times for 80~100 minutes each, and 5 main interview questions and 23 statements were provided a week before the in-depth interview, and the interviews were conducted by selecting the statements that they agreed with the most and the statements that they disagreed with the most. Results As a result, each participant thought that ‘Good Lessons’ in the play-centered curriculum were ‘lessons that are balanced with child-initiated play, daily routines, and activities’, ‘reconceptualization of the playfulness of activities’, ‘lessons that are created with young children’s thoughts and ideas’, and ‘activities that both young children and teachers immerse themselves in.’ Conclusions The most commonly disagreed statements are centered on the spontaneity and proactivity of young children, and the most disagreeable statements such as ‘lessons based on the daily life experienced by young children’ and ‘lessons conducted in an environment rich with teaching materials’ differed according to the educational philosophy and educational experience of the research participants.