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PlayHi – Learning through Play Integration in Higher Education Teacher Training
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Challenge
Since the introduction of the 2018 General Education Programme, Vietnam has made strong progress in shifting from a traditional knowledge-based curriculum to one that is skill-based and learner-centred. Learning through Play, a teaching approach that uses play as a powerful way for children to explore, create, and build essential skills for life and learning, is being successfully integrated into in-service teacher training, but it is not yet part of pre-service teacher education. This means trainee teachers graduating with a Bachelor of Education have little exposure to play-based, learner-centred methods.
At the same time, lecturers at universities of education and teacher mentors in practice schools lack formal training and coordination to support trainees in applying the Learning through Play pedagogy effectively. This limits future teachers’ ability to create engaging, inclusive and skills-based learning experiences for their learners.
Goals
Equip lecturers and teacher mentors with the skills and confidence to integrate the Learning through Play pedagogy into Vietnam’s pre-service teacher training system. The programme aims to embed Learning through Play in the Bachelor of Education curriculum, ensuring that future teachers enter the profession ready to use play-based, learner-centred methods in their classrooms.
Project Partners
- Vietnam National Institute of Educational Sciences (VNIES)
- Ho Chi Minh City University of Education
- Thai Nguyen University of Education
- Ministry of Education and Training (MOET)
Approach
The PlayHi programme is a partnership between VVOB and VNIES, supported by the LEGO Foundation and implemented in two leading universities of education: Ho Chi Minh City University of Education in the south and Thai Nguyen University of Education in the north. Together with these universities, PlayHi will:
- Develop and pilot three pathways for integrating Learning through Play into the Bachelor of Education curriculum.
- Build the skills of university lecturers and teacher mentors through professional development and mentoring.
- Strengthen collaboration between universities and practice schools so that trainee teachers can better connect theory to classroom practice.
- Share research findings, lessons and tools with other universities to encourage scaling and long-term adoption of play-based pedagogy across Vietnam’s pre-service education system.
By the end of the programme
- Two universities of education integrate Learning through Play into their Bachelor of Education programmes.
- 68 lecturers and 240 teacher mentors are trained to support trainee teachers in using play-based methods.
- 1,730 trainee teachers gain experience with Learning through Play during their studies.
- Insights and best practices from the two pilot universities are shared nationwide, supporting future integration of play-based teaching in all universities of education.
- A new generation of primary school teachers graduates ready to create joyful, active and learner-centred learning environments.