Gostei mais de correr atrás dos pombos: o itinerário do lúdico na escola de educação infantil.

Abstract

This study reports an ethnographic type investigation into the role of play in infant education making a comparison between private and state institutions. The research was carried out at four schools in Brazilia; two ‘small’ schools which offer only infant education, one private and one public, and two ‘large’ schools which offer both infant and junior education, one private and one public. Two visits per week were made to each school during one semester. Two classes were observed in each school, one of four-year-old and another of six-year-old children. The methodology applied was participative observation, informal conversation, semi-structured interviews with the teachers of the groups observed and analysis of the pedagogical project of the schools. Data was collected in a field diary and by tape recording the interviews. Whole school days were observed from the time of arrival to the children leaving so that play activities could be observed in every part of the school: in the classroom, patio and play ground among others. By means of observation, the organization of space, time, toys and equipment destined for play activities and the dynamics and sense attributed to the practice of play by the teacher could all be verified. Analyzing the data obtained during the research it was possible to affirm that both private and state schools in Brazilia have areas prepared for play, principally playgrounds, but also that in neither case did all such activities take the opportunity to value play for its own sake. It was concluded that the role play has in both private and state infant schools is principally related to the nature of the school’s pedagogic project as well as the sense attributed to play by the teacher