Dr. Teresa Ann Quackenbush

NOVICE EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF INTEGRATING PLAY-BASED EXPERIENCES IN GRADES K-2 UNDER A STANDARDIZED CURRICULUM

Play experiences in early childhood classrooms are essential for the cognitive, academic and social-emotional development of children. However, over the past decade, play has been declining in visibility from early childhood classrooms. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe novice (5 years or less) early childhood teachers’ perceptions of the role of play in grades K, 1 and 2, and their experiences with integrating play under their school’s standardized curriculum. Interviews were conducted with 17 early childhood teachers across New York State and data were analyzed through the lens of Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory of Cognitive Development and NAEYC’s Conceptual Framework for Developmentally Appropriate Practice. Major findings suggest that early childhood teachers value play as a necessary conduit to learning for their students and explain how play serves as a formidable social emotional anchor for learning. Additionally, teachers in this study emphasized the need for more teacher autonomy with utilizing play and call for a repositioning and refinement of play as an instructional tool. Based on the study’s findings, a number of recommendations were made, as well as suggestions for future areas of research, to support play-based learning under a standardized curriculum.

Teresa Ann Quackenbush has been a member of the full-time faculty in the Early Childhood/Childhood Education Department at Mercy College since 2015. Previously, Teresa served as an Adjunct Professor in Mercy’s School of Education. Teresa is an alumna of Mercy College where she earned an MS in Elementary Education. Teresa earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Villanova University and, prior to her shift to education, Teresa was a television producer for several major networks. As the youngest of six children from a single parent home, Teresa was taught that access to a diverse and meaningful education would provide the tools to pursue her goals. She also was taught to become an educational advocate for others. After serving as a special education teacher for New York City in underserved communities, Teresa began her work in higher education, training and mentoring preservice teachers. Teresa has represented Mercy College at local and national conferences on diverse assessment methods, inquiry-based learning and promoting the value of play in childhood education. Teresa’s research interests center on developmentally appropriate practice and assessment in childhood education and higher education leadership and policy.