Exploring Teachers’ Perspectives and Practices of Play Based Learning  to Enhance Oral Communication Skills of Young Learners

Pragya Pandey; Maneerat Ekkayokkaya

ผู้แต่ง

Pragya Pandey Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
Maneerat Ekkayokkaya Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

คำสำคัญ:

Play-based learning, oral communication skills, teachers’ perspectives, early childhood education, Thai international schools, second language acquisition

บทคัดย่อ

This qualitative study examines teachers’ perspectives and practices regarding play-based learning (PBL) as a pedagogical approach to enhance oral communication skills among young learners aged 3–7 in a Thai international school. Drawing on Vygotsky’s (1978) Sociocultural Theory, Krashen’s (1983) Affective Filter Hypothesis, and Cummins’ (2000) BICS/CALP framework, the study investigates two research questions: (1) What are teachers’ perspectives on PBL for oral communication development? (2) How do teachers implement PBL in their classrooms? Data were collected from twelve teachers of diverse nationalities through eight classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and reflective journals, and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-phase thematic analysis. Six themes emerged: PBL as a catalyst for oral communication, oral language development through playful interaction, systemic challenges and constraints, teacher adaptation and reflective pedagogy, collaborative and social dimensions, and affective outcomes. Findings suggest that PBL may lower affective barriers and foster spontaneous, authentic language use; however, curriculum pressures, parental expectations for traditional instruction, and limited institutional support constrain consistent implementation. Crucially, teacher adaptation – embedding language objectives within play contexts – appears to be the primary mechanism sustaining PBL within this setting. The study contributes context-specific insights to qualitative research on PBL implementation within Thai international schools, a setting underrepresented in second language oral communication literature.

ประวัติผู้แต่ง

Pragya Pandey, Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

Pragya Pandey is a graduate student in the Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) program at the Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. She is also a homeroom teacher at NMAJS EYC, with five years of experience in early years education. Her academic interests include oral communication, English language teaching, and young learners’ English development.

Maneerat Ekkayokkaya, Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

Assistant Professor Dr. Maneerat Ekkayokkaya is a faculty member in the Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. She holds a Ph.D. in ELT and Applied Linguistics from the University of Warwick. Her research interests include English language teaching, literature in ELT, and bilingual and multilingual education.

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