Reflecting on “play cultures” within diverse educational contexts in early childhood. Some first ideas from a postcolonial perspective

Abstract

This paper aims to discuss some theoretical issues currently emerging in the field of intercultural education research in early childhood educational contexts, with special reference to the role of play within socioculturally complex services.

In the first two paragraphs, the paper will focus on an intersectional approach to topics such as accessibility and quality of educational services towards migrant background children and families.

In the following two paragraphs, the paper will then go on to suggest that play can be seen as a relevant field to explore the intersections between different play cultures and between different play pedagogies. Moreover, the paper will underline the relevance for teachers and educators to reflect – following a postcolonial critical perspective – on their own professional cultures of play. 

Finally, in the last paragraphs, the paper will set out some suggestions on how some elements of an existing tool (Savio, 2011) developed in the field of quality self-evaluation of ludic practices on behalf of teachers/educators can play a role in intercultural research in early childhood diverse educational contexts.