Teaching Science Through Play: An Adaptive Professional Development Programme to Provide Tailored Support to Preschool Teachers

Even though play is commonplace in preschool education, a need is constantly highlighted to support preschool teachers in integrating concrete play-based methods and models for science teaching. However, this support needs to be tailored to the special professional needs, challenges, and educational contexts of preschool teachers. Drawing upon Fleer’s Conceptual PlayWorlds (CPW) model, this study examines preschool teachers’ collective design of CPW science activities within the context of a Professional Development (PD) program involving 28 in-service preschool teachers from six kindergartens in Greece, which are examined as six different cases. Teachers’ idiosyncratic needs and preferences along with researchers’ in situ support, have been explored through qualitative content analysis of whole-group/small-group discussions and post-reflections. Findings revealed that teachers exhibited a range of needs and styles when designing science activities within the CPW’s settings. The ways the researchers reflected on the diverse needs and styles to provide adaptive support based on teachers’ idiosyncratic characteristics were highlighted. The study informs teacher education practice through providing a framework for the design and implementation of PD programmes that offer personalised support that goes beyond one-size-fits-all solutions in early childhood science education.