THIS ARTICLE PROVIDES AN overview of the Education Meets Play study that will investigate early childhood educators' use of play-based learning, now mandatory under the National Quality Standard. By building on what can be gleaned about educators' approaches to play-based learning prior to the implementation of the Early Years Learning Framework, the study will contribute to the evidence base concerning the implementation and effects of Australia's early childhood education and care policy reform initiatives.
BanksG., FennaA., & McDonaldL. (2012). Australia's federal context. Paper presented at the Productivity Commission and Forum of Federations Benchmarking in Federal Systems, Roundtable Proceedings, Melbourne, 19-20 December, 2010.
3.
BaxterJ., & HandK. (2013). Access to early childhood education in Australia.Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies. Retrieved 31 August, 2014, from www.aifs.gov.au/institute/pubs/resreport24/rr24.pdf.
4.
BiddleN., & BathJ. (2013). CAEPR Indigenous Population Project 2011 Census Papers Paper 7 Education Part 1: Early childhood education.Canberra: Australian National University.
5.
BorgattiS. P., MehraA., BrassD. J., & LabiancaG. (2009). Network analysis in the social sciences. Science, 323(5916), 892–895.
6.
BownK., SumsionJ., & PressF. (2010). Dark matter: The ‘gravitational pull’ of maternalist discourses on politicians' decision making for early childhood policy in Australia. Gender and Education, 23(3), 263–280.
7.
BrownR., ScullJ., NolanA., RabanB., & DeansJ. (2012). Young learners: Mapping the beliefs and practices of preschool teachers in relation to early literacy development. The Australian Educational Researcher, 39(3), 313–331.
CheesemanS., & TorrJ. (2009). From ideology to productivity: Reforming early childhood education and care in Australia. International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy, 3(1), 61–74.
10.
Council of Australian Governments (COAG). (2008). National Partnership Agreement on Early Childhood Education.Canberra: COAG.
11.
Cutter-MackenzieA., & EdwardsS. (2011). Environmentalising early childhood education curriculum through pedagogies of play. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 36(1), 51–59.
12.
Cutter-MackenzieA., EdwardsS., & FleerM. (2009). Investigating the environmental scientific concepts in children's play: How do children and teachers interpret play-based learning?Australian Journal of Research in Early Childhood Education, 16(1), 49–63.
13.
DartJ., & DaviesR. (2003). A dialogical, story-based evaluation tool: The most significant change technique. American Journal of Evaluation, 24(2), 137–155.
DockettS., & PerryR. (2013–2015). Continuity and change in curriculum and pedagogies as children start school. Australian Research Council DP130104276.
16.
DurlakJ. A. (2010). The importance of doing well in whatever you do: A commentary on the special section, ‘Implementation research in early childhood education’. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 25(3), 348–357.
17.
DymentJ., & ColemanB. (2012). The intersection of physical activity opportunities and the role of early childhood educators during outdoor play: Perceptions and reality. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 37(1), 90–98.
18.
EdwardsS., & Cutter-MackenzieA. (2013). Pedagogical play types: What do they suggest for learning about sustainability in early childhood education?International Journal of Early Childhood, 45(3), 327–346. doi:10.1007/s13158-013-0082-5
19.
EdwardsS., Cutter-MackenzieA., & HuntE. (2010). Framing play for learning: Professional reflections on the role of open-ended play in early childhood education. In BrookerL. & EdwardsS. (Eds.), Engaging play (pp. 137–151). Maidenhead, UK: Open University Press.
20.
FleerM. (2009a). Understanding the dialectical relations between everyday concepts and scientific concepts within play-based programs. Research in Science Education, 39(2), 281–306.
21.
FleerM. (2009b). Supporting scientific conceptual consciousness or learning in ‘a roundabout way’ in play-based contexts. International Journal of Science Education, 31(8), 1069–1089.
22.
FleerM. (2010). Conceptual and contextual intersubjectivity for affording concept formation in children's play. In BrookerL. & EdwardsS. (Eds.), Engaging play (pp. 67–79). Maidenhead, UK: Open University Press.
23.
FleerM., TonyanH. A., MantillaC. A., & RivallandC. M. P. (2010). Play and learning in Australia. In Pramling-SamuelssonI. & FleerM. (Eds.), Play and learning in early childhood settings: International perspectives (pp. 51–80). Dordrecht: Springer.
24.
GrieshaberS. (2010). Departures from tradition: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy, 4(2), 33–44.
25.
HallG. E. (2013). Evaluating change processes: Assessing extent of implementation (constructs, methods and implications). Journal of Educational Administration, 51(3), 264–289.
26.
HarrisonL., SumsionJ., PressF., WongS., FordhamL., & GoodfellowJ. (2011). A shared early childhood development research agenda: Key research gaps 2010–2015. Report commissioned by the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth on behalf of the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. Wagga Wagga, Australia: Research Institute for Professional Practice, Learning and Education, Charles Sturt University.
27.
HordS. M., RutherfordW., Huling-AustinL., & HallG. E. (1987). Taking charge of change.Alexandria, Va: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
LittleH., SandseterE. B. H., & WyverS. (2012). Early childhood teachers' beliefs about children's risky play in Australia and Norway. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 13(4), 300–316.
30.
LittleH., WyverS., & GibsonF. (2011). The influence of play context and adult attitudes on young children's physical risk-taking during outdoor play. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 19(1), 113–131.
OdomS. L., FlemingK., DiamondK., LieberJ., HansonM., ButeraG., & MarquisJ. (2010). Examining different forms of implementation and in early childhood curriculum research. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 25(3), 314–328.
34.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). (2006). Starting strong 11: Early childhood education and care.Paris: OECD Publishing.
35.
Pramling SamuelssonI., & FleerM. (Eds.). (2010). Play and learning in early childhood settings: International perspectives.Dordrecht: Springer.
36.
RidgwayA., & QuinonesG. (2012). How do early childhood students conceptualize play-based curriculum?Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 37(12), 46–56.
Siraj-BlatchfordI., SammonsP., TaggartB., SylvaK., & MelhuishE. (2006). Educational research and evidence-based policy: The mixed-method approach of the EPPE project. Evaluation and Research in Education, 19(2), 63–82.
39.
Siraj-BlatchfordI., & SylvaK. (2004). Researching pedagogy in English pre-schools. British Educational Research Journal, 30(5), 712–730.
40.
SumsionJ., BarnesS., CheesemanS., HarrisonL., KennedyA., & StonehouseA. (2009). Insider perspectives on developing Belonging, being & becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 34(4), 4–13.
41.
TaylorA. (2007). Playing with difference: The cultural politics of childhood belonging. International Journal of Diversity in Organisations, Communities & Nations, 7(3), 143–149.
42.
Te OneS. (2013). Te Whariki: Historical accounts and contemporary influences 1990–2012. In NuttallJ. (Ed.), Weaving Te Whariki: Aotearoa New Zealand's early childhood curriculum document in theory and practice (pp. 7–33). Wellington: NZCER Press.
43.
ThomasL., WarrenE., & deVriesE. (2011). Play-based learning and intentional teaching in early childhood contexts. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 36(4), 69–75.
44.
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). (2008). The transition to childcare: Early childhood education and care—An OECD league table. Innocenti Report Card No.8.Florence: UNICEF.
45.
WarrenE., ThomasL., & deVriesE. (2011). Engaging Indigenous children in mathematical learning in an early childhood setting. International Journal of Pedagogies & Learning, 6(2), 97–107.
46.
WoodE. (2004). A new paradigm war? The impact of national curriculum policies on early childhood teachers' thinking and classroom practice. Teaching and Teacher Education, 20(4), 361–374.