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Early Childhood Teachers' Perceptions of Risky Play: A Scoping Review

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Title: Early Childhood Teachers' Perceptions of Risky Play: A Scoping Review
Language: English
Authors: Ying Li (ORCID 0009-0005-1987-2815), Ying Zhang (ORCID 0009-0004-7108-9476), Min Wang (ORCID 0009-0004-9676-014X)
Source: European Journal of Education. 2026 61(1).
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 12
Publication Date: 2026
Intended Audience: Teachers; Policymakers
Document Type: Journal Articles
Information Analyses
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Descriptors: Early Childhood Teachers, Teacher Attitudes, Risk, Play, Injuries, Safety, Responsibility, Accountability, Class Activities, Faculty Development
DOI: 10.1111/ejed.70477
ISSN: 0141-8211
1465-3435
Abstract: Risky play, which involves thrilling, exciting activities with the risk of physical injury, has been associated with some crucial developmental consequences in the physical, social and emotional domains of children. Despite the fact that a number of studies have managed to provide insight into how early childhood teachers perceive risky play, there remains a lack of a comprehensive review to present these perspectives. As such, this scoping review was conducted to provide a synthesis of existing evidence on risky play perceptions of teachers in early childhood education (ECE) settings. Using the Joanna Briggs Institute methodological framework and the PRISMA checklist, four major databases were searched, and 18 empirical studies met the inclusion criteria. The results reveal that the teachers recognise the value of the broad developmental risky play; however, they demonstrate concerns about safety, responsibility and accountability in ECE settings, which are influenced by interacting factors. Therefore, this article offers a comprehensive construct that can assist a wide range of stakeholders, including educators, policymakers and regulatory agencies, in navigating the complex contexts that shape early childhood teachers' perceptions of risky play. The research in the future ought to examine how the early childhood teachers' perceptions of risky play influence their pedagogical choice and classroom activities, cross-cultural differences in these perceptions and teaching approaches and evaluate the long-term effects of the professional development on both pedagogical strategies and children's engagement in risky play.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1497881
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Early Childhood Teachers' Perceptions of Risky Play: A Scoping Review
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ying+Li%22">Ying Li</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0009-0005-1987-2815">0009-0005-1987-2815</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ying+Zhang%22">Ying Zhang</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0009-0004-7108-9476">0009-0004-7108-9476</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Min+Wang%22">Min Wang</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0009-0004-9676-014X">0009-0004-9676-014X</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22European+Journal+of+Education%22"><i>European Journal of Education</i></searchLink>. 2026 61(1).
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  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
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  Data: Y
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  Data: 12
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  Data: 2026
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  Label: Intended Audience
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  Data: Teachers; Policymakers
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Information Analyses
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Early+Childhood+Education%22">Early Childhood Education</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Early+Childhood+Teachers%22">Early Childhood Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Attitudes%22">Teacher Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Risk%22">Risk</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Play%22">Play</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Injuries%22">Injuries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Safety%22">Safety</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Responsibility%22">Responsibility</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Accountability%22">Accountability</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Class+Activities%22">Class Activities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Faculty+Development%22">Faculty Development</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1111/ejed.70477
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  Data: 0141-8211<br />1465-3435
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Risky play, which involves thrilling, exciting activities with the risk of physical injury, has been associated with some crucial developmental consequences in the physical, social and emotional domains of children. Despite the fact that a number of studies have managed to provide insight into how early childhood teachers perceive risky play, there remains a lack of a comprehensive review to present these perspectives. As such, this scoping review was conducted to provide a synthesis of existing evidence on risky play perceptions of teachers in early childhood education (ECE) settings. Using the Joanna Briggs Institute methodological framework and the PRISMA checklist, four major databases were searched, and 18 empirical studies met the inclusion criteria. The results reveal that the teachers recognise the value of the broad developmental risky play; however, they demonstrate concerns about safety, responsibility and accountability in ECE settings, which are influenced by interacting factors. Therefore, this article offers a comprehensive construct that can assist a wide range of stakeholders, including educators, policymakers and regulatory agencies, in navigating the complex contexts that shape early childhood teachers' perceptions of risky play. The research in the future ought to examine how the early childhood teachers' perceptions of risky play influence their pedagogical choice and classroom activities, cross-cultural differences in these perceptions and teaching approaches and evaluate the long-term effects of the professional development on both pedagogical strategies and children's engagement in risky play.
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  Data: 2026
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      – Text: English
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        PageCount: 12
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      – SubjectFull: Teacher Attitudes
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      – SubjectFull: Risk
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      – SubjectFull: Play
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      – SubjectFull: Injuries
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      – SubjectFull: Safety
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      – SubjectFull: Responsibility
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      – SubjectFull: Accountability
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      – SubjectFull: Class Activities
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      – SubjectFull: Faculty Development
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      – TitleFull: Early Childhood Teachers' Perceptions of Risky Play: A Scoping Review
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