Play in Direct Practice in Preschools of Vojvodina / Igra u izravnoj praksi u vrtićima Vojvodine

The paper presents the research carried out in the school year 2018-19 in preschools of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina. The aim of the research was to assess the role of preschool teachers in supporting and enriching child’s play, gain insight into children’s actions in relation to it, as well as to ascertain the dominant perspective of the children and adults in the play. One hundred forty-five preschool teachers had been interviewed. The results have shown that teachers have had a shift of focus in understanding child’s play and assessing its efficiency. Even though teachers in general see play as a free child’s activity, it has become apparent they perceive it more as a learning method than a free child’s action. Play with rules was introduced to all age groups of children, including nursery. The play implemented in the research was assessed as successful, and the preschool teacher’s role was to guide or observe it. Even though the question of the relation in which the child enters and builds its own experiences is seen as an imperative in contemporary educational policies, teachers have stated that they are mostly focused on either their own or the child's perspective. The research has confirmed the presence of a tendency for didactisation of play and showed the need for new insights into this significant child's activity.