Study on the intention of play in curriculum at a Waldorf preschool

• Main Authors: Yung-jo Chung, 鍾詠若
• Other Authors: Sheng-si Lin
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/22964216024697192319

碩士 === 國立臺南大學 === 幼兒教育學系碩士班 === 101 === This study is to explore the teachers’ viewpoints about children’s play and their work at a Waldorf preschool, and to find out the intention of play in curriculum of this kindergarten. Fifteen mixed-aged children and the teacher in a class of the preschool were observed for 30 whole days. In addition, seven teachers at the school were interviewed. The findings are as follows: 1. The teachers in this study viewed their children have spontaneity on playing. They think play should allow children to actively, freely participate with their bodies, observation, memory, imitation, willpower, imagination, ability to think, creativity, and toys, causing no harm to others, themselves, or anything, and acquire a cheerful experience and ability. 2. To the teachers, what has clear functions and purpose is called “work”, and what is only done for fun is called “play;” meanwhile, to children, the difference between play and work is not clear and they are almost the same. 3. In the curriculum of the class, play served as the role of the prelude, an auxiliary, and the center of the curriculum. 4. The teacher provides children with three main supportive systems in play: preparation of the environment, arrangement of the schedule, and appropriate roles. 5. Based on Sutton-Smith(1997/2001), it was found the intention of play in the curriculum was mostly occupied with the rhetoric of imaginative; the rhetoric of self and rhetoric of identification were the next; the rhetoric of fate was the fewest. 6. For the types of play, free play led by children occupied the most; the next were teaching activities resembling play; and the next were group games. 7. According to four approaches to play of Trawick-Smith (2001), hand-off play approach occupied the most in the intention of the curriculum in this study, broadly focused developmental model was the next. Some recommendations and further researches based on this study are suggested.