Exploring the Narrative of an Early Childhood Education and Care Teacher from the Perspective of Polyphonic Time1

Abstract

This is a case study of an early childhood education and care (ECEC) teacher from the perspective of her polyphonic time spent with young children. The purpose of the study was to reconstruct a teacher's understanding of play based on her own narrative. In particular, the E-series time created through play between the ECEC teacher and the children is discussed. The study is based on an interview with the ECEC teacher, Haruka, who was involved in a “slide and mud play” activity while working with the children as a classroom teacher at Day Care Center A. The five narratives pertaining to slide and mud play were analyzed qualitatively from the perspective of a teacher's polyphonic sense of time. It can be perceived from the results that an ECEC teacher's narratives, which include aspects of polyphonic time, reveal not only their own professionalism, but also their experience of intersubjective relationships through play activities shared with children. This is what makes an ECEC teacher's narrative unique, and it is an indispensable point of view when telling the story of childcare.