Publish at December 12 2023 Updated December 12 2023
The association of play and learning may seem contradictory, given the properties of each of these terms. While the former has the effect of pleasure, the latter can refer to constraint. And yet, play proves to be a good pedagogical mediator for the acquisition of knowledge. This is all the more true given that the 2002 teacher's lexicon recognizes the operative value of play in the service of specific learning.
Aware of this asset that play possesses in learning, Elodie Coutou wrote a master's thesis entitled "Le jeu et l'apprentissage" (2015) in which she posed a series of questions, namely: can play be considered an aid in school learning? Does it have the same impact on the various protagonists: do children feel they are playing? Is this feeling shared by parents or teachers offering play to their pupils?
In order to answer these questions, the researcher organizes her reflections into two main areas: a review of the literature and an experimental section, which we will present in the following paragraphs.
In the literature review, Elodie Coutou proceeds to define the word "play", which she differentiates from "work" in that the former is associated with pleasure and the latter with serious activity.
The researcher continues this theoretical section with a presentation of learning models, with the aim of later including play in this process. To this end, she identifies four learning models: transmissive, behaviorist, constructivist and socioconstructivist. The first sees the child as a blank form to be filled in, placing the teacher as the centerpiece of learning. The second assumes that teaching is like conditioning (Pavlov), i.e. that a stimulus automatically implies a response. In the third, the student is the one who constructs his or her own knowledge. The last model organizes learning around "social conflict"; learning arises from the comparison of ideas with others through interaction.
Talking about play in pedagogy, Elodie Coutou refers to authors who have defined the notion of play, such as Roger Caillois and Brougère, whose meanings converge through certain characteristics. For them, play is a physical or moral activity endowed with freedom, regulated and with an uncertain outcome. Following this definition, Elodie gives an overview of the different conceptions of play in learning. What emerges is that the association between play and learning is both ancient and complex. Already, since the Renaissance, this combination was operative with Rousseau. It took a new direction with the emergence of the "new education" movement, which lent seriousness to play with authors like Pestalozzi. With Pauline Kergomard, however, play became central to pedagogy.
After presenting the different conceptions of play, the researcher reveals the different types of play. These include "playful play" as defined by De Grandmont, and educational, pedagogical and cooperative play. While playful play provides pleasure and contributes to the development of every individual, educational play reduces the effort involved and hides the educational aspect of the activity. Pedagogical games offer activities focused on the duty to learn. Finally, cooperative games focus on a common goal. While it may seem difficult to classify games into categories as Piaget, Château, Cailloux and Garon did, it's important to remember that these classifications are similar because of the game's symbolism, which is based on the role played by the child. Thanks to this symbolism, errors are de-dramatized, learning is deformed (Sauvé and Brougère) and self-esteem is reinforced, all of which are the added value of edutainment.
While it's true that play is an integral part of pedagogy, it would seem, according to Elodie, that the importance of play in learning varies from country to country and according to the pupil's level of education. In the Nordic countries, for example, play is an integral part of learning at most levels of education. In France, on the other hand, entertainment seems to be less intense in elementary classes. And yet, play is a pedagogical tool that can help teachers accomplish their onerous task, even if it does have its share of constraints, namely those of time, as teachers are focused on completing the curriculum, and material management, among others.
As we can see, play is an aid to the teacher and inculcates skills in the child, even if its use is scaled back once in the elementary classroom. In the second part, we report on the results of our fieldwork, with a view to answering the above questions.
To facilitate understanding of the results, it is useful to highlight the population studied and the tools used.
The study population is made up of 24 pupils in the middle section, 22 pupils in CE2, teachers in first, second, third and ASH grades, and parents of pupils enrolled in first grade. Elodie Coutou administered a questionnaire to this study population, focusing on the perception of play in learning by pupils, parents and teachers.
The results were as follows:
Having reached these conclusions, Elodie suggests games for each cycle that could be integrated into the classroom. In kindergarten, for example, these include orienteering games to help children find their bearings in space. In Cycles 1 and 2, these activities will help students get around in unfamiliar environments and within the school.
Illustration: .shock on depositphotos
References
Coutou Élodie, 2015, Play and learning, Education, online https://dumas.ccsd.cnrs.fr/dumas-01387776/document
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