PLAYING-2-GETHER: can brief in-service training influence preschool teachers’ awareness of play-based strategies for improving relationships?

ABSTRACT

This study explores how brief in-service training influences preschool teacherś awareness of competences relevant for building high-quality teacher–child relationships. A pre- and post-test design was used, with a 5-h training session in-between. Thirty-four in-service preschool teachers completed a video-based task before and after training. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted. After the session, the number of teachers identifying the key principles of building relationships with children was significantly higher for one out of the five situations analysed; the number of teachers identifying competencies for building positive relationships was significantly higher for three out of the five situations. Strategies such as observing children were easily identified (before and after training) and strategies such as taking into account the child relational needs were hardly ever identified (before and after training). Discussion highlights potential differential effects of brief in-service training according to the complexity of the training content.

KEYWORDS:

• Playing-2-gether
• teacher sensitivity
• child lead
• in-service training
• play-based strategies

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Erasmus+ agency for funding the KA2-project ‘PLAYING-2-GETHER: TEACHER SENSIVITY AS A BASIS FOR INCLUSION IN PRESCHOOL’ (2017-1-SK01-KA201-035321). Several materials, including good practice videos from the different countries, were produced and made available through an international website to support the preservice and in-service training of ECE-professionals. These are available on www.p2g.ukf.sk

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Erasmus+ Program: [Grant Number 2017-1-SK01-KA201-035321]. The authors also acknowledge the support of the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under Pluriannual Funding Programme for Research Units 2020-2023 UIDP/00050/2020.