Guardians of play: early childhood teachers’ perceptions and actions to protect children’s play from digital technologies

Abstract

This paper reports on the perceptions early childhood teachers hold about digital technologies, children and childhood and how their perceptions influence their pedagogical decision-making. Symbolic interactionism was the theoretical lens used to give insights and meanings to the early childhood teachers views, experiences and ascribed meanings. The findings revealed that early childhood teachers were concerned and challenged by children’s motivation to play with digital technologies, valued traditional early childhood pedagogies and conceptualised play as being exclusive of digital technologies. In response to the perceptions they held, early childhood teachers implemented protective measures to restrict and regulate children’s digital experiences.