Developing teacher understandings of digital play in the early years of schooling
Article / Journal
Author(s) / editor(s):
Claire Lay
,
Courtney Mogensen
,
Honor Mackley
,
Jacqui Jarvis
,
Louise Paatsch
,
Martin Thomson
,
Suzy Edwards
,
and Nichola Mead
Year: 2026
Language(s): English
Abstract:
The paper revisits the notion of “digital play” as a key pedagogical construct for understanding children’s engagement with technologies, arguing that most work still relies on pre-digital theories of play. Drawing on critical constructivism and the concept of “technical code,” the authors report on a two‑year collaboration with early-years teachers and university researchers who used philosophy of technology as an alternative lens to expand how digital play is understood. The project led teachers to develop three new “cultural formations” around the digital dimension of play: cyber‑safety, networked technologies, and creativity, showing how digital learning can be conceptualised beyond traditional play theory.
https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2026.2616498
Post created by: Virginia Signorini