Abstract
Although scholars have researched Chinese parents’ perspectives on play pedagogy, few investigate the differences between parents of preschoolers and early primary schoolers, non-immigrant and immigrant parents. The present study employs the theoretical framework of parental ethnotheories to describe parental understanding and concerns about the use of play in supporting young children’s English learning in China. The nine participants included parents of preschoolers and/or primary schoolers who were non-immigrant and immigrant Chinese parents in Canada. Findings revealed different types of discrepancies concerning parental beliefs and practices. First, there was a gap between parents’ beliefs and their practices regarding child-rearing and education. Second, in terms of understanding play, Chinese parents held a slightly different perspective compared to that of western parents in other studies, showing that Chinese parents only valued play’s supporting role in the development of non-cognitive aspects, such as improving interest in learning English. Third, parents of preschoolers and early primary schoolers held conflicting attitudes toward the use of play in children’s learning. Fourth, immigrant Chinese parents were inclined to follow traditional Chinese notions of child-rearing, revealing discrepant perceptions about child play and rearing compared to western knowing of child-rearing in previous studies. The findings raise implications for educators to balance the pedagogical perspectives of child development and parental ethnotheories of child development.
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Mao, W., Doan, L.K. & Handford, V. Parental Ethnotheories of Child Play: The Discrepant Perspectives and Practices Among Chinese Parents. Early Childhood Educ J 52, 617–627 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-023-01470-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-023-01470-2