Pedagogical intentions or practical considerations when facilitating children's play? Teachers\u2019 beliefs about the availability of play materials in the indoor ECEC environment

Tone Rove Nilsen

doi:10.1186/s40723-020-00078-y

Abstract

This qualitative study investigated teachers' beliefs about the availability of play materials in the physical indoor environment of early childhood education and care (ECEC). The empirical data were gathered from fieldwork in eight child groups in ECEC institutions across Norway and comprised 13 semistructured interviews with teachers. The findings indicate a common ideological understanding among teachers that play materials should be available in children's play, enhancing play, learning, and development possibilities. However, many teachers described putting play materials out of children's reach during times of play. There are variations, but practical considerations often override pedagogical intentions when teachers plan and facilitate children's play. This study aims to enhance the indoor ECEC environment's quality by stimulating teachers' consciousness about play materials' availability, ensuring equal possibilities for children's play in ECEC. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

Highlights

According to Norwegian policy, early childhood education and care (ECEC) institutions are defined as the first step in the national education system and welfare service
A common understanding When analyzing the interviews, it became clear that teachers acknowledged play as an essential activity for children in ECEC
It was apparent that the teachers shared a common ideological understanding that play materials should be available for children, believing this to be aligned with the National Framework Plan for Kindergartens (FWP) ideologies

Summary

Introduction

According to Norwegian policy, early childhood education and care (ECEC) institutions are defined as the first step in the national education system and welfare service. 83.1% of children aged 1–2 years and 97.1% of children aged 3–5 years attend ECEC, with the majority enrolled full-time. Norway is one of the countries with the highest levels of participation in ECEC across all age groups (StatisticsNorway 2020). Given the amount of time children spend in ECEC, it is assumable that these settings impact shaping many aspects of children’s lives. The Nordic model of ECEC has a reputation for providing high-quality care to children (OECD 2006), often described as a social pedagogic approach, with a child-directed perspective emphasizing children’s play, social development, active participation, and exploration (Bennett 2005; OECD 2015; Ringsmoose and Kragh-Muller 2017).

Objectives

Results

Discussion

Conclusion