How to teach kindergarten teacher education students about play? The perspective of academic pedagogy teachers

Abstract

This paper applies a cultural-historical approach to researching the perspective of academic pedagogy teachers on good, campus-based teaching practices in the arena of play following the reform of Norwegian early childhood teacher education. The research material comprises over three world café conversations [1] with a total of 13 pedagogy teachers. The research material is analyzed using qualitative content analysis [2]. The results reveal pedagogy teachers’ understandings of certain teaching practices like: a) professional conversations about play, b) play activities, and c) any other practices that facilitate students’ critical reflection on play. Each of the points is supported by several crucial elements that make these practices good for teaching about play. Since the reconstructed teaching practices and elements that make them into “good practices” balance between theoretical and situated learning, the paper discusses conditions for situated cognition that are crucial when linking the subject-related theoretical content with the personal, real-life experiences of the students.