As atividades lúdicas na Educação Infantil: concepções de professores de Sertãozinho-PB

Abstract

This study addressed play in Early Childhood Education and emphasized the contributions of play to children's development in the school environment. The research aimed to analyze the use of play as a pedagogical mediation tool in the teaching and learning process of Early Childhood Education in municipal schools in Sertãozinho, Paraíba. The specific objectives were to discuss the importance of play in students’ daily lives; to investigate the benefits that play brings to the teaching-learning process within teachers' pedagogical practices; and to identify teachers' perceptions and conceptions of being an Early Childhood Education professional today. The study draws on Brazilian educational legislation, including the BNCC (National Common Curricular Base), the DCNEI (National Curriculum Guidelines for Early Childhood Education), and the RCNEI (National Curricular Framework for Early Childhood Education), which affirm that play is both a right and a core axis of the early curriculum, while also highlighting the role of interactions and games in children's development. Likewise, the theories of Lev Semionovich Vygotsky help to demonstrate that play is essential for socialization, imagination, and the development of key skills at this stage. To achieve the proposed objectives, a qualitative and exploratory study was conducted with eight Early Childhood Education teachers working in the municipality of Sertãozinho, Paraíba, through a remote questionnaire with open-ended questions. The findings revealed that, from the teachers’ perspective, play is an indispensable tool for fostering cognitive, motor, social, and emotional development, and is crucial for promoting meaningful, enjoyable, and contextualized learning. This relevance is acknowledged by the teachers, even as they recognize the challenges inherent in their professional practices. It is concluded that initial and continuing teacher education must be further developed to strengthen knowledge and practices that incorporate the pedagogical intentionality of play.