Focus on play or the object of learning, or both at the same time? : examples from three Learning Studies conducted in Swedish pre-school context

The Swedish school system offers a curriculum based early childhood education for children aged one to five, and a pre-school class for children aged six. Activities have by tradition been based on play and having fun, thus avoiding structured activities with formal learning objectives. Due to indications that the Swedish pre-school failed to use its resources to stimulate children's learning, the revised curriculum for preschool now contains discernible learning objectives. The aim of the paper is to discuss and exemplify the process of pre-school teachers changed focus during three learning study processes conducted in Swedish pre-school. In total, 13 pre-school teachers working with 95 children aged from two to six and 4 researchers participated. The object of learning in each study were: 1. Geometry (2-3 year-olds), 2. Organic decomposition (4-5 year-olds) and, 3. Twice as (6 year-olds). The empirical material consists of 285 pre-, post-, and delayed post- test interviews with the children, nine planning meetings and nine teaching activities. The result shows that the three learning study processes revealed complications not anticipated when play was used as an, more or less, axiomatic way of framing the teaching activities. During the learning study processes the pre-school teachers awareness of and chosen focus in the teaching activities changed. At the same time a changed focus also could be noticed among the participating children thus making an enhanced learning possible.