Play as Data: An Arts-Based Methodological Framework for Studying Meaning-Making in Early Childhood Classrooms

Document Type

Article

Source of Publication

Experiential Learning and Creative Pedagogies in Digital and Arts Education

Publication Date

6-18-2026

Abstract

Play holds a central yet under-theorized role in early childhood education, often viewed as a pedagogical tool rather than a source of insight. This chapter positions play as data through which meaning-making can be examined. Drawing on arts-basedand sociocultural perspectives, children’s play is conceptualized as a multimodal, symbolic practice generating knowledge. In classrooms, play produces constructions, drawings, performances, and narratives, treated as key sites of meaning-making. An arts-based framework is proposed to capture the complexity of these expressions, extending data to visual and material forms. Combining observational and narrative documentation, the approach enables analysis of how children engage with ideas and relationships. Grounded in sociocultural theory, play is seen as a mediated activity shaped through interaction with others and materials. Emphasis is placed on the educator as practitioner-researcher. By reframing play as data, the chapter foregrounds children’s creative expressions as valid knowledge sources.

ISBN

[9798260024430, 9798260024454]

Publisher

IGI Global Scientific Publishing

First Page

99

Last Page

124

Disciplines

Education

Keywords

Cognitive reframing (0.74) | Sociocultural evolution (0.7) | Narrative (0.61) | Key (lock) (0.49) | Psychology (0.4) | Cognitive science (0.4) | Epistemology (0.39) | Grounded theory (0.37) | Computer science (0.35) | Sociology (0.35) | Observational study (0.33) | Agency (philosophy) (0.29) | Communication (0.29) | Qualitative property (0.28) | Dynamics (music) (0.27) | Early childhood (0.26)

Scopus ID

105044406057

Indexed in Scopus

yes

Open Access

no

Link to Full Text

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