Strengthening Teachers’ Integration of Play-Based Pedagogy for English Vocabulary Instruction: A Participatory Action Research Study in a Ugandan Lower Primary School
Gillian Patricia Atuheire¹, Rebecca Nambi², Mathias Bwanika Mulumba² and Josephine Najjemba²
¹Wema Uganda, Kampala, Uganda, ²School of Education, College of Education and External Studies,
Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
Email: g.atuheire@wemauganda.org
Abstract: English vocabulary development is fundamental to early literacy and learners’ participation across the curriculum. However, strengthening teachers’ capacity to integrate Play-Based Pedagogy (PBP) purposefully into vocabulary instruction requires sustained opportunities to examine, test and refine classroom practice. This study examined how Participatory Action Research (PAR) supported Primary Three teachers to strengthen their integration of PBP into English vocabulary instruction in a selected primary school in Kampala District, Uganda. Four Primary Three teachers participated in four iterative PAR cycles of planning, action, observation and reflection. Data were generated through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, collaborative reflection sessions and reviews of lesson plans and schemes of work and were analysed thematically using deductive and inductive coding. The findings showed that teachers became more intentional in identifying vocabulary objectives, aligning playful activities with intended learning outcomes and creating repeated opportunities for learners to encounter, pronounce, understand and use target words. Collaborative lesson planning, classroom experimentation, microteaching, peer feedback and reflection enabled teachers to examine the relationship between learner engagement and vocabulary learning and progressively refine their instructional practices. Teachers also developed greater capacity to adapt PBP to large classes, limited resources and curriculum demands. The study concludes that strengthening vocabulary-focused PBP requires sustained, collaborative and classroom-based professional learning that supports intentional, reflective and context-responsive pedagogical practice.
