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European Early Childhood Education Research Journal Volume 21, 2013 - Issue 2: Promoting play for a better future
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Is it play? Towards a reconceptualisation of role play from an activity theory perspective

Bert van Oers Department of Research and Theory in Education, VU University Amsterdam, The NetherlandsCorrespondence[email protected]
Pages 185-198 | Published online: 10 Jun 2013

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Christiane Nieuwmeijer, Nigel Marshall & Bert van Oers. (2023) Musical play in the early years: the impact of a professional development programme on teacher efficacy of early years generalist teachers. Research Papers in Education 38:3, pages 426-447.
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Jannette Prins, Femke van der Wilt, Sofia van Santen, Chiel van der Veen & Dieuwke Hovinga. (2023) The importance of play in natural environments for children’s language development: an explorative study in early childhood education. International Journal of Early Years Education 31:2, pages 450-466.
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Elizabeth R. Wynberg, Femke van der Wilt, Annerieke Boland, Maartje E. J. Raijmakers & Chiel van der Veen. (2022) How young children explore, follow and impose rules during object-oriented play: a multiple case study. International Journal of Early Years Education 30:3, pages 577-594.
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B. Pompert, S. L. van der Meer-Wijnands & H. De Waard. (2022) Professionalisation in a play-based curriculum. International Journal of Early Years Education 30:3, pages 610-625.
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Eleni Loizou & Evi K. Loizou. (2022) Creative play and the role of the teacher through the cultural-historical activity theory framework. International Journal of Early Years Education 30:3, pages 527-541.
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Marilyn Fleer, Prabhat Rai & Glykeria Fragkiadaki. (2022) The dialectical relation of real and digital Conceptual PlayWorlds in Family Day Care. International Journal of Early Years Education 30:3, pages 511-526.
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Liang Li. (2022) Developing a pedagogy of play: toddlers’ conceptual learning in a PlayWorld. Early Years 42:3, pages 278-292.
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Anamika Devi. (2022) Understanding play participants’ perspectives in play-based learning: a cultural-historical analysis in a home context. Pedagogies: An International Journal 17:2, pages 139-161.
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Anette Boye Koch. (2021) Children as participants in research. Playful interactions and negotiation of researcher–child relationships. Early Years 41:4, pages 381-395.
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Marilyn Fleer. (2021) Conceptual Playworlds: the role of imagination in play and learning. Early Years 41:4, pages 353-364.
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Eleni Tympa, Vasiliki Karavida & Athina Charissi. (2021) Exploring reversed conditions of early years pre-service teacher training on pretend play. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal 29:2, pages 224-236.
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Robin Samuelsson. (2021) Environments for Imitation: Second-Language Use and Development Through Embodied Participation in Preschool Routine Activities. Journal of Research in Childhood Education 35:1, pages 22-40.
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Ade Dwi Utami, Marilyn Fleer & Liang Li. (2020) Shift in teachers’ pedagogical practices in play-based programme in Indonesia. International Journal of Early Years Education 28:4, pages 397-412.
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Marilyn Fleer. (2020) A tapestry of playworlds: a study into the reach of Lindqvist’s legacy in testing times. Mind, Culture, and Activity 27:1, pages 36-49.
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Alfredo Bautista, Malikka Habib, Anthony Eng & Rebecca Bull. (2019) Purposeful play during learning centre time: from curriculum to practice. Journal of Curriculum Studies 51:5, pages 715-736.
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Omar Sulaymani, Marilyn Fleer & Denise Chapman. (2018) Understanding children’s motives when using iPads in Saudi classrooms: is it for play or for learning?. International Journal of Early Years Education 26:4, pages 340-353.
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Fiona S. Baker. (2018) Shaping pedagogical approaches to learning through play: a pathway to enriching culture and heritage in Abu Dhabi kindergartens. Early Child Development and Care 188:2, pages 109-125.
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Ioanna Palaiologou. (2017) Assessing children’s play: reality or illusion? The case of early years foundation stage in England. Early Child Development and Care 187:8, pages 1259-1272.
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Liv Torunn Grindheim. (2017) Children as playing citizens. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal 25:4, pages 624-636.
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Marjoleine G. van der Meij, Jacqueline E. W. Broerse & Frank Kupper. (2017) Conceptualizing playfulness for reflection processes in responsible research and innovation contexts: a narrative literature review. Journal of Responsible Innovation 4:1, pages 43-63.
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Per Ledin & Robin Samuelsson. (2017) Play and Imitation: Multimodal Interaction and Second-Language Development in Preschool. Mind, Culture, and Activity 24:1, pages 18-31.
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Marilyn Fleer. (2017) Digital Role-Play: The Changing Conditions of Children’s Play in Preschool Settings. Mind, Culture, and Activity 24:1, pages 3-17.
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Fernando Rezende da Cunha$suffix/text()$suffix/text(), Claudia van Kruistum & Bert van Oers. (2016) Teachers and Facebook: using online groups to improve students’ communication and engagement in education. Communication Teacher 30:4, pages 228-241.
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Feiyan Chen & Marilyn Fleer. (2016) A cultural-historical reading of how play is used in families as a tool for supporting children's emotional development in everyday life. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal 24:2, pages 305-319.
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Marilyn Fleer. (2015) Pedagogical positioning in play – teachers being inside and outside of children's imaginary play. Early Child Development and Care 185:11-12, pages 1801-1814.
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Pernilla Lagerlöf. (2015) Musical make-believe playing: three preschoolers collaboratively initiating play ‘in-between’. Early Years 35:3, pages 303-316.
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Nikolay Veraksa. (2014) Modern trends in early childhood education development in the natural vs cultural paradigm. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal 22:5, pages 585-589.
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Carol-Ann O’Síoráin, Margaret Kernan & Fíona McArdle. Disrupting the Aistear hour: working towards a play-based curriculum in early childhood classrooms in Irish primary schools. International Journal of Early Years Education 0:0, pages 1-15.
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Magnus Karlsson & Nicola Nasi. (2023) “This friend was nice”: Young children's negotiation of social relationships in and through interactions with (play) objects. Learning, Culture and Social Interaction 42, pages 100734.
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Chang Liu & Yuwei Xu. (2023) When the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child meets Confucianism: Chinese parents' understanding of children’s right to play. Childhood 30:2, pages 177-193.
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Katriina Heljakka. (2023) Building playful resilience in higher education: Learning by doing and doing by playing. Frontiers in Education 8.
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