Teaching and play. Early childhood teachers perspectives

Poster apresentado na 27ª Conferencia da EECERA, realizada em Bolonha, Itália, a 30 de Agosto de 2017.The purpose of the present on-going study is to investigate early childhood teachers’ perspectives about the use of play for promoting learning and development. This research is a result of a study, made within a community of practice for research and curriculum development, involving teachers, cooperating teachers and students of a Portuguese School of Education. The common interest is the focus on Imagination and Play in Education. The Portuguese curriculum guidelines for early childhood Education sustains that play should be valued for learning and development (OCEPE, 2016). Nevertheless many students observations of early childhood contexts relate that teaching is mainly centred in activities for the all group of children, teacher directed, so perhaps the role of play has been misunderstood. The early childhood teacher's pedagogical role in play has been re-thought in the light of new theoretical understandings of play (Rogers & Evans, 2008, Fleer, 2010, Bruce, 2011). The study includes early childhood teachers in different stages of professional development. A survey through on-line questionnaire was made to 100 participants. Personal anonymity was central to gain reliable information. Discussion will focus on these issues: - early childhood teachers’ conceptions about play, - relation between play and learning, - role of play in planning and curriculum development, - evidence of child learning through play in evaluation. Results will be discussed in the community of practice and impact on curriculum development for those involved should be expected.N/