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Preschool Teachers’ Conceptualizations and Uses of Play Across Eight Countries

Early Childhood Education Journal volume 47, pages 1–14 (2019)Cite this article

Abstract

Increased emphasis on academics has led to play becoming a controversial and topical issue in the field of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). Although play has been extensively researched we still lack consensus on what play is and how play is actually implemented and used in ECEC classrooms. The present cross-cultural study aims at understanding how play is conceptualized and provided across eight different countries. The study investigates whether and how conceptualizations of play affect uses of play; whereas it also examines similarities and differences in conceptualizations and uses across countries. Results have revealed the existence of both universal and non-universal characteristics of play. Despite the existence of universal characteristics, however, variations in the extent to which they were mentioned across countries have been revealed. Differences were identified in terms of how early childhood educators act on their ideas about children’s play within early childhood programs. Various patterns of correlations between definitions and uses have been revealed. Some countries seem to be characterized by an ‘ethos of play,’ both in terms of how play is conceptualized and used, whereas others seem to struggle between offering a more child-initiated, play-based curriculum versus a more teacher-led approaches to instruction.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. European University of Cyprus, Propylaion 17, 1048, Nicosia, Cyprus

    Konstantina Rentzou

  2. Judith Herb College of Education, The University of Toledo, 4500L Gillham Hall, 2801 W. Bancroft St., Toledo, OH, 43606, USA

    Ruslan Slutsky

  3. School of Educational Sciences, Tallinn University, Narva Street 25, 10120, Tallinn, Estonia

    Maire Tuul

  4. Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Mine Gol-Guven

  5. Aarhus University, Tuborgvej 164, 2400, Copenhagen, NV, Denmark

    Grethe Kragh-Müller

  6. Early Childhood Education, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8 Street, Miami, FL, 33199, USA

    Daniela Fenu Foerch

  7. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Paseo de los Artilleros, 28032, Madrid, Spain

    Jesús Paz-Albo

Authors
  1. Konstantina Rentzou
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  2. Ruslan Slutsky
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  3. Maire Tuul
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  4. Mine Gol-Guven
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  5. Grethe Kragh-Müller
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  6. Daniela Fenu Foerch
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  7. Jesús Paz-Albo
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Correspondence to Konstantina Rentzou.

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Rentzou, K., Slutsky, R., Tuul, M. et al. Preschool Teachers’ Conceptualizations and Uses of Play Across Eight Countries. Early Childhood Educ J 47, 1–14 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-018-0910-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-018-0910-1

Keywords

  • Early childhood education
  • Play
  • Definitions
  • Uses
  • Cross-cultural comparison