Preschool educators’ experiences of orchestrating science-play

A central part of preschool education is play as a foundation for children’s learning and development. In addition, preschool educators are expected to teach specific content areas such as science. Therefore, there is reason to explore how these two areas might be combined. In this article, we explore what factors are perceived as influencing when preschool educators orchestrate science-play (i.e. activities integrating play and science). The empirical data consists of audio recordings from five work teams in a Swedish preschool that participated in focus-group discussions with stimulated recall. A thematic analysis approach was used to identify patterns in the work-teams discussions about their experiences in science-play. The theoretical framework of Play-Responsive Early Childhood Education and Care (PRECEC) contributed with a conceptual frame. In accordance with PRECEC, teaching and play are understood as a mutual activity, where teachers and children are constantly shifting between fantasy (as if) and reality (as is). The results show that factors influencing science-play – impeding or facilitating the activity – are (I) The context (environment and artefacts), (II) Children’s prior experiences and initiatives and (III) Preschool educators’ roles. The results are discussed in relation to challenges and possibilities that preschool educators can face while orchestrating science-play.