‘Doggy's dead’: reflecting on a teacher research study about young children's sociodramatic play

Abstract

This article is a reflection on the author's M.Ed. research study, undertaken whilst working full time as a nursery teacher, in which she explores her concerns and the moments of illumination through the research process. She reflects on ways she began to make sense of young children's learning, using some key moments in the study, which examined how children construct meaning from sociodramatic play. The support of her academic mentor and research assistant were integral, so throughout this article there are reflections from them, offering their perspectives. In reviewing the research process the author considers the importance of detailed observation and how watching videos of themselves playing helped children reflect on their learning. By analysing data, particularly video clips without sound, the author was able to delve beneath the surface structure of children's sociodramatic play, which enabled her to make key findings, which are summarised here. Finally, the author describes what was so valuable for her own learning and why she feels teacher research is important in influencing practice.