Abstract This paper answers the question of how early childhood teachers resource their own conceptual knowledge of STEM within play-based settings in Greece and Australia. Through bringing together 2 data sets where the intervention of a Conceptual PlayWorld was implemented in both countries, we were able to identify how teachers in both countries worked with the model of STEM teaching to meet their own personal and institutional needs for greater outcomes in STEM learning in the respective play-based settings. The results show how teachers customised this model of STEM teaching and built confidence and competence in their own knowledge of STEM concepts, at the same time as enriching their pedagogical practices of learning in play-based settings. Teachers drew upon the overarching relational dimensions of the model to support them with identifying their own personal and institutional needs, and with resourcing their knowledge of both play and STEM concepts. The results pave the way for future research into the use of models of teaching STEM. in early childhood settings generally.
Fragkiadaki et al. (2026) studied this question.