Teachers’ Experiences of Facilitating Play-based Learning Online for Young Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic in China Through the Lens of the TPACK Framework

This study investigates the knowledge and experiences of 11 teachers in China, facilitating online learning for young children aged two to six in Early Childhood Education (ECE) during the COVID- 19 pandemic. The pandemic caused global school closures, prompting a swift move to online education. The Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework was used as an analytical tool to investigate how ECE teachers incorporated information and communication technology (ICT) to facilitate play-based learning in a virtual environment. A multi-case study approach was employed, collecting qualitative data from five international schools implementing three curricula. The study aimed to uncover the strategies teachers used, identify the challenges they faced in sustaining playbased pedagogy online, and highlight the potential of ICT in fostering engagement and developmental learning for young children. The findings offer insights into the challenges and opportunities of online teaching for young children, offering practical guidance for creating effective online environments that support play-based learning within diverse curricula. This research contributes to a broader understanding of online pedagogy for young learners in crisis contexts.