Browsing by Author "Dahlberg, Vivi"

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how and for what purposes play is used in teaching in primary school grades 1–6. The focus is also on the opportunities and benefits play brings to teaching based on teachers' experiences. In addition, the challenges teachers experience in using play as a tool for learning are represented. Previous research has shown that play is not only a pastime that brings joy to the participants, but also a foundation for developing children's socio-emotional skills, cognitive skills and creativity. In the current curriculum, play is one of the methods that teachers must use to reinforce and teach students various skills. This thesis has been carried out as a qualitative interview study. The material was collected through semi-structured interviews with three private individuals who work as Swedish-speaking primary school teachers for grades 1–6 in Finland. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using a thematic analysis. The teachers used play for various purposes. Play was used in various subjects to teach content from different subjects and achieve goals from the current curriculum. Play was perceived as a fun, activating and engaging method of teaching subjects’ content. Likewise, play was used to support the development of socio-emotional skills as well as promote the formation of social relationships and the creation of good class spirit. Play was also used as a method to activate and motivate the students to continue with different tasks. The teachers felt that the workload and time constraints influenced their choice to use play in teaching. Play requires more planning and preparation than traditional teaching methods. Lack of space and insufficient furniture also limited the possibility of play in teaching. The teachers also believed that each student group is unique and brings unique challenges to the teaching.