”Early Childhood Education and care practitioners’ perception of children’s risky play; examining the influence of personality and gender".

The purpose of this study is to illustrate how employees at 20 different daycare centres in Trondheim (Norway) perceive children's risky play, and how these perceptions relate to the staff's age, gender and personality.

The study shows that in general the staff in 20 different daycare centres in Trondheim (Norway) experience that both boys and girls engage in risky play activities relatively often (once a day or on a weekly basis), and that boys more often than girls engage in risky play activities. Male employees are more likely than women to state in the questionnaires that risky play activities take place, which indicates that the men are more aware of this type of play than the women in the study. Moreover, the results show that most practitioners in the study, men and women, are rarely concerned about this type of play activity or behaviour among the children. Furthermore, the study shows that male employees score higher on excitement seeking personality traits (EC) in the personality test than the female employees, and that men have a more liberal attitude to children's risky play and more often allow the children to engage in this type of play than the women in the study.

The data basis is composed of questionnaires about the staff's understanding and perception of risky play as well as personality tests of the staff. The questionnaires are based on an operationalisation of risky play in six categories: 1) Play activities in heights, e.g. climbing. 2) Play activities involving high speed, e.g. cycling, running (uncontrolled), sledging. 3) Play activities involving tools, e.g. axes, knives, saws. 4) Play activities involving dangerous elements, e.g. bonfire, water. 5) Play activities involving "rough-and-tumble", e.g. fighting, wrestling. 6) Risk of getting lost, e.g. in the forest. The staff in the study were from 20 different daycare centres in Trondheim (Norway), and a total of 116 persons took part in the study, 93 of whom were women and 23 were men. A total of 82 persons worked in ordinary daycare centres, the remaining 34 worked in outdoor daycare centres. Furthermore, 69% of the participants were under the age of 40. A total of 46% were qualified early childhood educators, 3% were early childhood educators for children with special needs, 16% were childcare assistants (untrained staff), and 35% were other assistants.

Sandseter, E.B.H. (2013). ”Early Childhood Education and care practitioners’ perception of children’s risky play; examining the influence of personality and gender”, Early Child Development and Care, 184 (3), s. 434-449.