The Relationship Between Teachers’ Playfulness and Children’s Learning

—Perspectives from Children’s Arts and Crafts Activities in a Special Support Class—

Abstract

This paper argues that teachers’ playful behavior has a positive impact on children’s learning. A child (hereinafter, Child A) in a special support class used to cry whenever they were in the same classroom as the form teacher. The teacher attempted to interact with Child A through various means, but no change in behavior was observed. However, when the teacher initiated play by drawing pictures, there was a noticeable change in Child A’s behavior. This study considers the ways in which Child A’s behavior changed in response to the teacher’s playful behavior by examining the teacher’s records. In so doing, we clarify the process by which Child A learned the “secrets” behind play by drawing on Takeshi Asao’s theory of play. We concluded that the teacher’s playful interaction with the child gave the child a sense of security, which enabled them to enjoy what they were doing, as well as a sense of curiosity (i.e., a sense of wanting to try something fun). This finding can be useful in helping a child develop the ability to take initiative and pursue activities voluntarily.