Practicing Co-playing Through Playworld in Early Childhood Teacher Education

Abstract Although children accept adults as co-players, early childhood education and care (ECEC) teacher educators and student-teachers often struggle to understand their role in children’s play. This study explores Playworld as a method in ECEC teacher education to help student-teachers become more confident in participating in children’s imaginative play as co-players. Fleer’s Conceptual Playworld inspires the playworld model used in this study. The authors analyzed 20 papers in which student-teachers reflected on their use of playworld during a professional training period in kindergartens. The results show that student-teachers found it easier to engage as co-players and perceived the play as more interesting and inclusive when they used the playworld method. The playworld contributed to better relations with the children and fostered new relationships. Reading a picture book and incorporating problem-solving was crucial for engaging children’s curiosity and sustaining their play.