A Cultural-Historical Study of Chinese Kindergarten Teachers’ Play-based Pedagogical Practice in Supporting Children’s Mathematics Concept Learning: A Conceptual PlayWorld Approach

Grounded in cultural-historical theory, this study explores Chinese kindergarten teachers’ professional development in early mathematics education through an educational experiment using Fleer’s Conceptual PlayWorld approach (2021b) as an intervention. The findings demonstrate a shift in teachers’ pedagogical strategies through their engagement in the intervention, which enabled them to respond to the challenges of implementing play-based mathematics education. This study therefore contributes to understandings of early childhood mathematics education and raises theoretical and practical implications for enhancing teachers’ professional development programs in China.