Digital Role-Play: The Changing Conditions of Children’s Play in Preschool Settings

This study reports on the contradictions between the motive orientations of teachers and preschool children when digital animation was introduced in 3 preschools (103 children M age = 3;8 years, 4;2 years, and 5;0 years, respectively; n= 371 hr of video). The findings suggested that new psychological conditions are created during digital play; differing motive orientations of children and teachers appear to have a bearing on how children pay attention to, or engage with, the learning goals set by the teacher; and higher levels of negotiation are required in contradictory contexts of motives for learning or play.