Teacher Perspectives and Knowledge of Schema Play in Early Childhood Classrooms

Abstract

This quantitative, cross-sectional study examined the relationship between early childhood teachers’ knowledge of schema play and their reported responses to children’s schematic behaviors. Data were collected using a single, researcher-developed vignette-based online survey that included demographic items, Likert-scale responses to classroom scenarios, measures of familiarity with and professional training related to schema play, and a multiple- choice assessment of schema knowledge. Descriptive and inferential analyses, including correlation and multiple regression, were used to examine associations between teachers’ conceptual understanding and instructional decision-making. Results indicated variability in teachers’ knowledge of schema play and revealed a statistically significant relationship between conceptual understanding and reported pedagogical responses. While many teachers recognized schematic behaviors as developmentally meaningful, higher levels of schema knowledge were associated with a greater likelihood of intervening in or redirecting children’s play. Teachers with lower levels of schema knowledge more frequently reported neutral or restrictive responses. Overall, the findings highlight gaps in teachers’ preparation related to schema theory and play-based pedagogy and suggest the need for greater attention to how teachers develop conceptual understandings of schema play and translate that knowledge into instructional decisions. This study contributes to the schema play literature by examining relationships between teachers’ knowledge, interpretations of play-based scenarios, and self-reported instructional responses, emphasizing the role of teacher cognition in early childhood classroom contexts.