How can educators respond to the academic demands placed on today’s kindergartners without compromising essential play practices? There is limited research on how to build kindergarten teachers’ capac

The gap

Consensus across the literature

Supporting evidence — 3 representative gaps

• HEART WORK BEYOND HARD WORK: CHALLENGES OF TEACHERS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHING (2026) · doi

  Based on the findings of the study, several future directions are recommended to further enhance early childhood education practices and support kindergarten teachers in managing the challenges they encounter in their professional work. For school heads and educational administrators, the findings suggest the need to strengthen leadership practices that prioritize teacher well-being, instructional support, and the provision of adequate learning resources in kindergarten education. School leaders are encouraged to implement policies that address large class sizes, reduce excessive administrative workload, and ensure the availability of developmentally appropriate instructional materials that support play-based and experiential learning. ----------------------- 2026 EPRA ECEM | ISSN: 2348 – 814X| https://eprapublishing.org/ ------------------------------------------61 EPRA International Journal of Environmental Economics, Commerce and Educational Management Journal DOI: 10.36713/epra0414 |ISI I.F Value: 0.815|SJIF Impact Factor (2026): 8.752 ISSN: 2348 – 814X Volume: 13 | Issue:6 | June 2026 -Peer Reviewed Journal In addition, the establishment of structured mentoring systems, regular instructional coaching, and sustained Learning Action Cell (LAC) sessions is recommended to support teachers’ continuous professional growth and instructional competence. Furthermore, school heads may strengthen home–school collaboration by promoting meaningful parental involvement and community engagement programs that support learners’ emotional adjustment, behavior development, and school readiness. For kindergarten teachers, the findings highlight the importance of continuously strengthening emotional resilience, instructional effectiveness, and collaborative practices. Teachers are encouraged to further develop and sustain emotional regulation strategies, time management skills, and self-care practices to effectively manage classroom stress and workload demands. They should also continue enhancing the use of play-based learning, differentiated instruction, and learner- centered approaches to better address diverse learner needs and promote active engagement. Moreover, active participation in professional development activities, peer mentoring, and collaborative learning opportunities is recommended to continuously improve instructional practices and share effective strategies in managing early childhood classrooms. For future researchers, it is recommended that similar studies be conducted in other divisions or educational settings to broaden the understanding of kindergarten teachers’ lived experiences across different contexts. Future research may also consider using quantitative or

  Keywords: instructional practices support teachers school learning recommended kindergarten based future professional educational epra journal emotional
• The relationship between teacher qualification and the quality of the early childhood education and care environment (2017) · doi

  The lack of consensus as to the strength of the relationship between teacher qualification and the quality of the early childhood learning environment has made it difficult for policy makers and educational practitioners alike to settle on strategies that would enhance the learning outcomes for children in their early stages of education.

  Keywords: early learning lack consensus strength relationship teacher qualification quality childhood environment made difficult policy makers
• A Qualitative Study of Kindergarten Teachers’ Perceptions About the Influences of Professional Learning on Their Implementation of Guided Play (2022) · doi

  How can educators respond to the academic demands placed on today’s kindergartners without compromising essential play practices? There is limited research on how to build kindergarten teachers’ capacity to organize and facilitate play in ways that are both developmentally appropriate and effective at accelerating academic outcomes.

  Keywords: academic play educators respond demands placed today kindergartners without compromising essential practices there limited build