Exploring Female Preschool Teachers’ Perspectives on Conceptualising and Implementing Play and Play-Based Learning in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

This study explored how Saudi female preschool teachers conceptualise and implement play and Play-Based Learning (PBL) within their unique cultural, social, and religious contexts. While Saudi Arabia’s early childhood curriculum has implmeneted Western models of PBL, the significant cultural differences challenge direct application. Through a qualitative, socially constructivist approach and indigenous methodology, the study involved 23 teachers from public, private, and charity-based preschools. Data were collected via interviews, lesson plans, and focus groups and analysed thematically. Findings revealed that teachers’ understanding of play is shaped by local values and religious practices. Three main types of play were identified:(Outdoor play)routines aligned with school, social, religious, and cultural contexts; (Interest area activities) as scripted play informed by the curriculum and society’s cultural norms and contexts; and (Refreshment play) for when children had a little spare time at the end of a group activity. Teachers also adopted varied pedagogical roles such as planner, co-player, facilitating leader, observer, and supporter based on their perspectives, understanding, curriculum goals, and children's needs. Challenges included societal expectations, gender norms, and administrative pressures. To bridge this gap, I have proposed a practical model to meld the Western and Saudi Arabia notions of play and PBL by creating a metaphorical model entitled, “Using a Date Palm Tree Metaphor for Play-Based Learning in the KSA”. ’The aim of this model and other recommendations arising from the study is to improve the cross-cultural transferability of the Western concept of PBL and to offer a suitable and consistent framework for supporting children’s learning and development in ways relevant and applicable to the Saudi educational setting.