Date of Award
Summer 8-19-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
Department
Education: Curriculum and Teaching
First Advisor
Dr. Cara Furman
Second Advisor
Dr. Sarah Bonner
Third Advisor
Dr. David I Backer
Academic Program Adviser
Dr. Jody Polleck
Abstract
Researchers assert that play-based pedagogy is an effective approach to teaching young children, but there is less consensus on the specific methods of play-based teaching. This mixed-methodology exploratory case study investigated early childhood (EC) educators’ conceptualizations of play-based pedagogy in three phases: Phase 1’s quantitative measure testing found a mismatch between researchers’ conceptualization of play-based pedagogy and EC educators’ (n=183) understandings. In Phase 2, EC educators (n=3) articulated their perspectives about teaching through play and co-authored a new tool, the Teacher-Authored Play and Teaching Scale (TAPTS). Within Phase 3, EC educators (n=60) completed the TAPTS, which I interpreted through a QuantCrit lens. Findings revealed three dimensions: Play-Based Teaching (α = .89), Teacher-Led Instruction (α = .75), and Teacher-Controlled Environment (α = .75). The educator-authored TAPTS emphasized the importance of context, teachers not co-opting play, and intentionality in teaching while de-emphasizing the role of a teacher-defined learning goal and play planning. Play-Based Teaching positively correlated with teachers’ Enjoyment, indicating that play-based environments may support both children’s and educators’ wellbeing. Teachers in high-poverty, publicly funded settings were more likely to support Teacher-Led Instruction. The educator-authored tool yielded strong evidence for construct validity, greater internal consistency than the scholar-authored tool, was time-efficient to produce, and offered workers power over defining a key practice of their own work. Further research is needed to increase sample size. This pilot for participatory measure making is intended to serve as a replicable methodology for researcher-and-worker collaborations which offer power to workers.
Recommended Citation
Gilpin, Phoebe M., "Workers Authoring Assessment: Play and Power in Early Childhood Education" (2026). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/hc_sas_etds/1569
