This study is conducted in a Swedish preschool, in the context of free play. Research has shown that in free play, preschool teachers most of the time, observe, follow and overlook children’s play and to a lesser extent... [ view full abstract ]
This study is conducted in a Swedish preschool, in the context of free play. Research has shown that in free play, preschool teachers most of the time, observe, follow and overlook children’s play and to a lesser extent support the children. It is rare to see teachers engaged in sustained collective play situations. Mostly teachers respond to children’s individual needs. More knowledge is needed regarding pedagogy and play situations, and how teachers can support children’s participation in play and at the same time take into account children’s own culture. The aim of this ongoing study is to identify, describe and theorize communicative events between teachers and children related to children’s interpersonal participation in free play.
Rogoff’s (1990,1995) concept guiding participation will be used. Participation as the concept in use here refers to the interpersonal process of communication defined as sharing attention, engagement, feelings, activity, thinking, purpose and coordination of perspectives.
Video-observations make it possible to study communicative events between teachers and children in free play. Tentative results show two categories. The first category when the communication relates to children’s interpersonal participation and the second that doesn’t. Communicative events between teacher and children mostly relates to children’s individual doing and not to children’s interpersonal participation.
This study will contribute to and extend our knowledge about teachers’ actions related to children’s interpersonal participation and hopefully meet a gap in the field of knowledge regarding early childhood education praxis in free play.
Keywords: Preschool, teacher’s actions, children’s participation, free play
The presentation is part of the Swedish National Research School on Communication and Relations as Foundations for Early Childhood Education (FoRFa), funded by the Swedish Research Council (grant no. 729-2013-6848).
