Preservice Educators’ Views on the Teacher’s Role in Play: A Cross-Cultural Study

Abstract The aim of this cross-cultural study is to examine how preservice early childhood educators from Greece, Türkiye, Turkish Republic of North Cyprus, Estonia, Spain, and the United States perceive the teacher's role in children's play, and to identify similarities and differences in their perspectives. A total of 255 university students majoring in early childhood education completed a specially designed questionnaire. The findings emphasize that teacher involvement in children's play is seen as important across all countries, particularly in fostering social interactions among children. However, perceptions of specific roles vary and seem to be strongly influenced by the structure of teacher training programs. Notably, Greek preservice educators, who had the least practical experience but the most theoretical knowledge, rated certain teacher roles in play as less important compared to their peers from other countries. The study provides recommendations to enhance preservice educators' understanding of play, which may positively influence their future teaching practices.