Play-based learning as a context for culturally responsive teaching for young Indigenous children: Insights from a bounded case study
Date
2022-04-25
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Abstract
Despite the growing urgency for the preservation and revitalization of, and education in Indigenous languages, very little research has been done on effective pedagogical practices that promote strong bilingual development for early learners. This study investigates the effects of an early bilingual play-based intervention among Chakma youngsters in a small rural community of Bangladesh. A case study research approach is adopted to glean deep qualitative insights into various dimensions of the program and its implementation. Photographic evidence, field notes and a reflective journal, interview data, and artefacts of children’s learning constitute the data, analyzed holistically for emergent themes. Three key themes are identified in the findings: (1) the centrality of the teacher, (2) the value of the first language and culture in accounting for a number of outcomes, and (3) the importance of play as a space for engaging children in purposeful, meaningful ‘work’ that promotes the goals of early childhood learning – especially in setting the foundations of language and early literacy learning yet to come. Five promising practices evolve from the data, most important of which are early intervention and a play-based approach that provides a context for culturally responsive practices. Cautions include the transitional nature of the program that threatens the stability of the children’s first language. This may lead to subtractive bilingualism, leaving these children linguistically and, in turn, educationally vulnerable for life.
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Keywords
indigenous education, bilingual education, play-based learning, culturally responsive pedagogy
Citation
Neogi, P. (2022). Play-based learning as a context for culturally responsive teaching for young Indigenous children: Insights from a bounded case study (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.