Swedish preschool teachers’ experiences from pedagogical use of digital play

This article reports on findings from an interview study with eleven Swedish preschool teachers. The purpose was to increase the knowledge about preschool teachers’ experiences from pedagogical use of digital play. The participants were preschool teachers who used digital play in their practice, and their narratives were analysed using an inductive approach to thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). The results showed that the use of digital play provided more opportunities in children’s creative work, better pedagogical documentation, access to the Internet as a source of information, access to more pedagogical material and opportunities to create new pedagogical activities. Two main teaching objectives were identified in the participants’ statements, to prepare children for school and for life in a digitised society. The participants wanted to increase children’s access to tablets and increase children’s agency in their digital play activities. Furthermore, they wanted to increase their pedagogical knowledge about digital play and they wanted to be in control over the digital play activities that they introduced in their practice.

"[T]he participants stated that their pedagogical use of digital play aimed to enhance, not replace, formerly established pedagogical practices in the preschool learning environment. Digital play was perceived to enhance the learning environment by more opportunities in children’s creative work, better pedagogical documentation, access to the Internet as a source of information, access to more pedagogical material and opportunities to create new pedagogical activities. Moreover, the participants stated that they used digital play intentionally, with the purpose of the digital play activities and the curriculum objectives in mind. Two main teaching objectives were identified in the participants’ statements, to prepare children for school and for life in a digitised society." (Author, 190)