Playful (music) teaching and learning in Irish primary school classrooms

The value and importance of play for children's well-being, learning and development is evidenced by its inclusion within the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and its increased policy and research presence on a national and international stage. However, with a need for educators and pupils to navigate a range of implicit tensions in understandings of play and formal learning, enactment of playful pedagogy in primary schools is not without its challenges. This article situates playful teaching and learning in the primary education sphere, drawing from the broader policy and research context, and findings from empirical case study research conducted with Irish primary school teachers (n = 6) exploring playful music pedagogy over a 6-week period in their classrooms in 2019. Results indicated teacher perceptions of a capacity for playful music pedagogy to facilitate deep, holistic learning in tandem with enhanced engagement and motivation for children. Also of note is a blurring of boundaries between play and work with implicit shifts to classroom culture, ownership, and associated movement outside comfort zones for teachers and pupils alike. Recommendations are made pertaining to cultural and policy shifts, and sustained support for educators in navigating tensions, paradoxes and challenges associated with implementing playful pedagogy in the Irish primary education context.