Playfulness in the 1st grade of Elementary School: Teachers’ perceptions and practice

Abstract

The present study aims to highlight the importance of playfulness in the 1st grade of Elementary School and to investigate the perception and practices of teachers in relation to the playfulness in that class. These aspects become relevant because they have to do with a transition from Infant Education to Elementary Education and this context entails several changes in the school life of students, resulting in major challenges for everyone who is part of this process. The theoretical approach is based on authors such as Borba, Kishimoto, Maluf, Moyles, among others, who show that recreational activities promote the motor, cognitive and emotional development. The research project, a qualitative one, was conducted in a public school in Naviraí (Mato Grosso do Sul State), in a 1st grade of Elementary School with five teachers who worked in class and six children chosen randomly. The instruments used were observations and recorded interviews. During the observations, it was found that three teachers did not incorporate playfulness into their practice and used unattractive methodologies for children. Regarding the perception of teachers, three of them mentioned difficulties especially concerning the resources offered by the school. Others highlighted the agitation of students and only two teachers see playfulness as an essential factor for the development of children. When answering about the classes they like the most and why they like them the most, three children mentioned Physical Education and others mentioned Computing, Arts and English Language, respectively, always with the justification that they play, cut out, draw and make posters.

Keywords: playfulness, Elementary Education, teaching practice.