“A lição sabemos de cor, só nos resta aprender” a brincadeira de faz de conta como eixo norteador das práticas pedagógicas na pré-escola: desafios e possibilidades

Abstract

The main objective of this research is to understand the challenges and possibilities of play as a guiding principle of the preschool curriculum, with an emphasis on pretend play. As a methodological approach, we chose to observe the pedagogical practice of a teacher in terms of organizing the educational social environment to promote pretend play, a guiding activity for preschool children aged 3 to 7 years. The study is based on the theoretical and methodological principles of the Historical-Cultural Theory (THC) of Vigotski and collaborators, recognizing the importance of the environment and the relationships established therein as factors of human constitution and development. In order to understand the object of study, we outlined some methodological paths for the investigation: the explanatory nature of the object studied, in search of its essence, avoiding immediate appearances, and the interventional-collaborative nature of the research, through continuing education and monitoring of the teacher's pedagogical practice throughout the year 2022. The data production strategies were structured around observation of the teaching practices of the teacher participating in the research, semi-structured interviews, a questionnaire administered to the children's families, analysis of documents such as the school's Pedagogical Political Project (PPP), and research on training. The data was recorded in a field diary, videos, and photographs. Overall, the research results revealed that the possibilities of making pretend play the guiding principle of pedagogical practices are “intrinsically linked” to the continuing education of teachers and the allocation of time, spaces, and objects reserved for children to play. The lack of these conditions poses challenges that compromise the effectiveness of this activity as the focus of teachers' actions in early childhood education, undermining essential premises, such as the concept of capable and participatory children and the understanding of play as an activity that, in addition to enabling children to enjoy their childhood, enhances a series of psychological processes. The possibilities arising from this understanding consist of: individual and collective monitoring of children's development; planning teaching activities with the collaboration of children, welcoming and considering their knowledge, interests, and needs; exercising recording as a self-training project, reflecting pedagogical practice; and intentional actions and interventions that contemplate development and respect young children in their best way of learning, giving due importance to play and children's creativity. More specifically, the research also revealed oscillating conceptions and practices of the participating teacher with regard to the object of investigation. Although she showed respect for the children's interests and needs, their freedom, and their childhood, she sometimes demonstrated practices with transmissive tendencies, focused on her commands and control of the class, aiming mainly at the children's cognitive development through directed and non-playful activities. When the children played, the teacher occupied herself with other tasks she considered more important, or simply “observed” the play without any intervention (exploratory period). We identified that toys/objects were always kept high up on shelves and were mostly given out as rewards for behavior deemed appropriate by the teacher or when she needed to fill some time in the routine. Continuing education, which we used as a strategy to improve the teacher's pedagogical practice, enabled important changes. She began to better “understand,” among other aspects of teaching practice, her role in guiding child development, as proposed by Vigotski. She began to plan for and with the children and to consider play as a pedagogical activity. Thus, we found that the process of teacher training, both initial and continuing, has been a major challenge to be overcome so that these professionals see themselves as intellectuals of their own practices, who play an important role in the human development of young children.