Intentional Teaching for Risky Play: Practitioner Researchers Move Beyond Their Comfort Zones

Abstract

Risky play promotes learning for children but can be challenging for adults who may then avoid providing these opportunities for children. Research about educators’ intentional teaching for risky play is limited. The focus of this paper is a project where educators sought to change practice by embedding intentional teaching within children’s risky play. A centre team in Newcastle Australia comprising practitioner researchers with a University Research Mentor used action research to plan, implement and report the research. Positive changes in intentional teaching for risky play were documented. We argue that using action research for risky-play change led to professional gains for educators and strengthened children’s risk-competence using an intentional teaching strategy constructed for risky play. This paper aims to increase awareness of authentic professional learning for educators about intentional teaching and risky play via action research.