Using complexity thinking to foster a games of chase curriculum in a New Zealand early childhood setting

Type of content
Conference Contributions - Other
Publisher's DOI/URI
Thesis discipline
Degree name
Publisher
University of Canterbury. Early Years Care and Education
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Language
Date
2013
Authors
Hussain, H.
Abstract

This paper presents an example of how complexity thinking was used to foster a local curriculum related to games of chase at an EC setting. It shows how activities, teaching and children’s learning interacted in an on-going and mutually-beneficial way. These interactions enabled the emergence of a new game, and enhanced a teacher’s and children’s thinking/learning in and about games of chase.   Complexity thinking is a way of thinking and acting that assumes we live in a complex world (Davis & Sumara, 2006) where inter-connections abound and they affect us in visible and invisible ways. To use complexity thinking in teaching and learning means to firstly, be conscious of the mutually-influencing (coupled) connections which exist/can exist in our setting; and secondly, focus our teaching on expanding possibilities in activities, teaching and learning in ways that are ethical, logical and meaningful for individuals and collectives/groups.   The research was conducted at an early childhood centre in Christchurch with mainly three- and four-year old children. I took on the role of teacher, researcher and curriculum designer for 14 weeks and collected multiple types of data, including video and audio data, fieldnotes, photographs and learning stories. I used the data to create on-going stories about children’s learning, my teaching and the activities the children and I engaged in; this approach enabled ongoing data, knowledge and emergent opportunities to be incorporated into the research process.
This research generated two innovations that enhanced my thinking-practice as a teacher. The first was a curriculum content framework for teachers and children to collaboratively explore games of chase and co-create new games. The second was a framework for curriculum decision-making which focuses on fostering new learning, activities and teaching ideas and strategies.

By enacting the two frameworks in a coupled way, the children and I were able to co-create variations of several games of chase, as well as to occasion a new one. The children also (1) learnt to distinguish between players and non-players in a shared play area, (2) learnt to tag in different ways, (3) experienced the nature of games and (4) contributed to different game designs.

Description
Citation
Hussain, H. (2013) Using complexity thinking to foster a games of chase curriculum in a New Zealand early childhood setting. Singapore: Redesigning Pedagogy Conference 2013, 3-5 Jun 2013.
Keywords
Ngā upoko tukutuku/Māori subject headings
ANZSRC fields of research
Fields of Research::39 - Education::3903 - Education systems::390302 - Early childhood education
Fields of Research::39 - Education::3901 - Curriculum and pedagogy::390111 - Physical education and development curriculum and pedagogy
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