Periodic Reporting for period 2 - P4PLAY (People, Place, Policy and Practice for Play)
Reporting period: 2022-03-01 to 2024-06-30
The P4PLAY Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network (MSC ITN) was a European Joint Doctorates (EJD) programme in Occupational Science for Occupational Therapists. P4PLAY was a collaboration between four academic institutions and partner organisations from across Europe and the USA including government play policy advisors, NGO advocacy groups and designers of play materials. A new joint PhD programme in the discipline of Occupational Science was established in collaboration with the four academic partners, University College Cork (Ireland), Lulea University of Technology (Sweden), Zurich University of Applied Sciences (Switzerland) and Queen Margaret University (Scotland). The PhD in Occupational Science programme was formally approved at University College Cork, Ireland which provided the theoretical foundation for the research. The doctoral programme was centred on training a new generation of early-stage researchers (ESRs) to drive innovative research and practice in occupational science and therapy, given significant shortage of researchers in this area across Europe. This EJD programme responded to this challenge in occupational therapy career development across Europe through the study of play from an occupational science perspective. The eight ESRs in P4PLAY were provided with the transferable skills necessary for careers in academic or research-based practice via collaborative interinstitutional research projects, international mentorship and access to expertise and training. Their individual research projects addressed four fundamental areas of play (People, Place, Policy, Practice [P4Play]) which align with the overall goal of the research programme – to progress a rights-based agenda for all children at risk of play deprivation.
Informed by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC, 1989), the foundational rationale for P4PLAY is to combine the needs of children at risk of play deprivation and their families and communities, with the research skills of academics who are experts in occupational science. The overall research objectives were to develop new knowledge on the occupation of play and play deprivation; outline the impact of physical, socio-cultural, and policy environments on play provision; and develop solutions to address barriers to play provision in diverse community settings. This research responds to the societal challenge of ensuring health, well-being and equality for children (UN Sustainable Goals 3 & 10), and the expected outcomes aim to benefit children, families, and communities.
The main achievements and conclusions of the actions are as follows:
- All eight Early-Stage Researchers (ESRs) successfully completed the P4PLAY training programme, with three ERS now in full-time employment and one in part-time employment.
- A structured PhD in Occupational Science programme, both full-time and part-time, has been approved (offered by University College Cork, Ireland from 2024). Steps have been taken to ensure the sustainability of this programme going forward.
- The overall research objectives of the programme have been met, with discussions and action plans ongoing about applying for further funding to advance the findings from P4PLAY.
Informed by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC, 1989), the foundational rationale for P4PLAY is to combine the needs of children at risk of play deprivation and their families and communities, with the research skills of academics who are experts in occupational science. The overall research objectives were to develop new knowledge on the occupation of play and play deprivation; outline the impact of physical, socio-cultural, and policy environments on play provision; and develop solutions to address barriers to play provision in diverse community settings. This research responds to the societal challenge of ensuring health, well-being and equality for children (UN Sustainable Goals 3 & 10), and the expected outcomes aim to benefit children, families, and communities.
The main achievements and conclusions of the actions are as follows:
- All eight Early-Stage Researchers (ESRs) successfully completed the P4PLAY training programme, with three ERS now in full-time employment and one in part-time employment.
- A structured PhD in Occupational Science programme, both full-time and part-time, has been approved (offered by University College Cork, Ireland from 2024). Steps have been taken to ensure the sustainability of this programme going forward.
- The overall research objectives of the programme have been met, with discussions and action plans ongoing about applying for further funding to advance the findings from P4PLAY.
The main results from the P4PLAY research programme are summarised as follows:
Across the programme of research on play characteristics, play deprivation and sociospatial inclusion in play environments, common issues appear to be consistent. Firstly, that children are experts in their play experiences and therefore are key informants for play providers in schools and communities as well as in newer spaces such as online, digital playspaces. Secondly, adults are generally identified as being positive towards play and valuing children’s play. Yet they were also most often the source of play deprivation for many children due to a lack of insights into diversity in children’s play and play needs across age, ability, race/ethnicity, etc. Given that adults are the primary play providers and duty bearers to ensure children’s rights to play are met, this is a significant issue. Thirdly, this programme of research identifies how sociospatial inclusion is significantly influenced by environmental characteristics, and those that enable inclusion are similar across digital and physical spaces. Finally, while attempting to illuminate the design and qualities within the physical environment, P4PLAY researchers have shown that it is impossible to reduce successful playspaces down to a physical design issue. Instead, the inter-connected relationship between the physical and social environment shows the importance of examining sociospatial relationships that underpin play value issues concerning contemporary playspaces.
Across the programme of research on children’s participation in community playspace provision, play policy and practice, common issues appear to be consistent. Firstly, when children’s voice is centralised, all policy and practice can be audited from a child’s rights impact perspective. Secondly, a crucial issue arises that relates to the invisible barrier of adults who value children’s participation but are inadvertently blocking implementation due to limited knowledge, skills and awareness of diverse children’s communication and participation needs combined with play needs, and a lack of resourcing to implement evidence-informed participation practices. Thirdly, while the establishment of tools and frameworks to enhance policy and practice is underway, the complexities of working within interdepartmental and intersectoral areas of concern is evident. Community and school play planning and provision cuts across many government bodies and NGOs and therefore requires significant relationship building and effective intersectoral practices.
These results have been disseminated and communication in many forms throughout the course of the project including 16 open access research publications.
Across the programme of research on play characteristics, play deprivation and sociospatial inclusion in play environments, common issues appear to be consistent. Firstly, that children are experts in their play experiences and therefore are key informants for play providers in schools and communities as well as in newer spaces such as online, digital playspaces. Secondly, adults are generally identified as being positive towards play and valuing children’s play. Yet they were also most often the source of play deprivation for many children due to a lack of insights into diversity in children’s play and play needs across age, ability, race/ethnicity, etc. Given that adults are the primary play providers and duty bearers to ensure children’s rights to play are met, this is a significant issue. Thirdly, this programme of research identifies how sociospatial inclusion is significantly influenced by environmental characteristics, and those that enable inclusion are similar across digital and physical spaces. Finally, while attempting to illuminate the design and qualities within the physical environment, P4PLAY researchers have shown that it is impossible to reduce successful playspaces down to a physical design issue. Instead, the inter-connected relationship between the physical and social environment shows the importance of examining sociospatial relationships that underpin play value issues concerning contemporary playspaces.
Across the programme of research on children’s participation in community playspace provision, play policy and practice, common issues appear to be consistent. Firstly, when children’s voice is centralised, all policy and practice can be audited from a child’s rights impact perspective. Secondly, a crucial issue arises that relates to the invisible barrier of adults who value children’s participation but are inadvertently blocking implementation due to limited knowledge, skills and awareness of diverse children’s communication and participation needs combined with play needs, and a lack of resourcing to implement evidence-informed participation practices. Thirdly, while the establishment of tools and frameworks to enhance policy and practice is underway, the complexities of working within interdepartmental and intersectoral areas of concern is evident. Community and school play planning and provision cuts across many government bodies and NGOs and therefore requires significant relationship building and effective intersectoral practices.
These results have been disseminated and communication in many forms throughout the course of the project including 16 open access research publications.
The impact that P4PLAY has made is wide-ranging, with the key areas summarised below:
- Establishing the first doctoral programme of its kind in Occupational Science in Europe.
- Enhancing career perspectives and employability of eight ESRs (addressing the current gaps in Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy in relation to research and academic careers in Europe).
- Establishing the collective study of children’s rights to play and children’s participation as interrelated rights, that cannot be separated, and require concerted effort and expertise to ensure appropriate international implementation.
- Enhancing scholarship in the discipline of Occupational Science through engagement in research demonstrating high social impact.
- Establishing the European Play and Occupational Science/Therapy research forum as a leading one internationally, as acknowledged by the American Journal of Occupational Therapy, special issue on play, 2024.
- Enhancing capacity of academic researchers among the beneficiary institutions to design, supervise and support PhD programme development informed by advanced knowledge on European PhD programme design and inter-institutional diversity.
- Enhancing capacity of institutional administrators to coordinate and implement joint and double PhD programmes from joint registrations to collaborative progress reviewing to the final examination and awarding.
- Establishing the first doctoral programme of its kind in Occupational Science in Europe.
- Enhancing career perspectives and employability of eight ESRs (addressing the current gaps in Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy in relation to research and academic careers in Europe).
- Establishing the collective study of children’s rights to play and children’s participation as interrelated rights, that cannot be separated, and require concerted effort and expertise to ensure appropriate international implementation.
- Enhancing scholarship in the discipline of Occupational Science through engagement in research demonstrating high social impact.
- Establishing the European Play and Occupational Science/Therapy research forum as a leading one internationally, as acknowledged by the American Journal of Occupational Therapy, special issue on play, 2024.
- Enhancing capacity of academic researchers among the beneficiary institutions to design, supervise and support PhD programme development informed by advanced knowledge on European PhD programme design and inter-institutional diversity.
- Enhancing capacity of institutional administrators to coordinate and implement joint and double PhD programmes from joint registrations to collaborative progress reviewing to the final examination and awarding.