Early Childhood Education Journal, Vol. 32, No. 5, April 2005 ( 2005) DOI: 10.

1007/s10643-005-4400-x

An Interview Study of Gender Dierences in Preschool Teachers Attitudes Toward Childrens Play
Anette Sandberg1,3 and Ingrid Pramling-Samuelsson2

The aim of this study was to investigate, identify and describe dierent ways that female and male preschool teachers conceive, understand and experience play. The research questions addressed are: What perspectives do female and male preschool teachers have on play? Are there dierences in play experiences related to gender? The interview study is inspired by phenomenographical research. The sample consisted of ten female and ten male preschool teachers. The results show dierences between female and male preschool teachers play willingness. This study found that male preschool teachers contribute with more playfulness, and this is something that both female and male preschool teachers noticed. Female preschool teachers tend to value calm play and emphasize the importance of social development while male preschool teachers accentuate the signicance of physical development. All preschool teachers in the study emphasized that it is important to create inspiring environments for play and outdoor play.
KEY WORDS: gender; preschool teacher; play experiences.

INTRODUCTION In Sweden about 6% of all preschool teachers are men (Skolverket, 2003), and we believe the percentage is even lower in other countries. Research in the eld of Early Childhood Education (ECE) has most often proceeded from a gender-neutral concept of preschool teachers with an implicit understanding that preschool teachers are usually female. An earlier study (Sandberg & Pramling-Samuelsson, 2003) has described preschool teachers experiences of play; this article is a revision of the data but from a gender perspective. hrn (2002) there can be diculAccording to O ties detecting similarities between females and males when studies are separated and cannot be related to each other. However, in this study, similarities valid for female and male preschool teachers experiences
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Ma lardalens University. Gothenburg Univesity. 3 Correspondence should be directed to Anette L. Sandberg, PhD, Ma lardalens University, e-mail: anette.sandberg@mdh.se
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Preschool teachers work with children aged 16 years.

of play will be studied. It is the dierences between female and male preschool teachers experiences of play that we will describe here. Gender, not sex, is the concept that is used in modern gender research. The concept of gender includes our cultural, social and biological gender, and gender develops the human being to be the person he or she is. The concept of gender focuses on the relationships between womens and mens behaviour, and also social ideas of what is womanly and manly (Svaleryd, 2002). Studies on male preschool teachers have focused on their under-representation and the feminism process (Tallberg Broman, Rubenstein Reich, & Ha gerstro m, 2003). This means that men are fairly unusual as a target group in research within ECE. The combination of play and male preschool teachers is even more unexplored. Play is in preschool expected to have a special role. However, play research has generally been focused on childrens play. In Sweden, for almost 100 years the profession of preschool teacher was a female occupation only. In the 1960s, discussions rst started about employing male preschool teachers in childcare in Sweden. In

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298 order to get male candidates to take preschool teacher training during the 1970s a male quota system for education was introduced. Motives were both ideological and practical; men were considered to be easier for boys to identify with; it was felt that men would alter the working environment; and, through working with children, hoped that changes in society, in the labour market, and gender mainstreaming might be achieved (Havung, 2000). Male preschool teachers who began working in the 1970s were regarded as pioneers, and received great appreciation and high status among female preschool teachers. During the 1990s, positive and negative feelings about male preschool teachers grew. The positive feeling was that male preschool teachers had an easier time solving conicts, have greater physical strength, were perceived as more impressive, did not have to nag, and contributed with more playfulness than women. The negative feelings were that men were considered to be irresponsible since they mainly took interest in rough and tumble activities with children that encouraged childrens noisiness. Female preschool teachers then often felt that they had to calm down the children. According to the female preschool teachers, male preschool teachers did not act consistently and did not follow rules. They needed greater variety in projects and took more risks. Male preschool teachers did not contribute to practical work, for example, cleaning and watering owers (Havung, 2000). These stereotypes have been questioned by gender researchers. Historically, female and male tasks were allocated within preschools according to cultural considerations. But gender behaviour and conceptions change over time and with dierent living conditions. Society changes and so do gender roles. Nordberg (2000) exemplies this with velournissen, i.e. before the 1970s, men who were radical were considered to be radical challengers. Now, in the twenty-rst century, these earlier ideals are considered as feminine. Today male preschool teachers are expected to behave as real men and not to be androgynous or feminine. In her study, Havung (2000) describes male stereotyped gender work, i.e. work that males actively take responsibility for and participate in such as sporting activities and carpentry. Care and routines were regarded as female-related work. Men do not take part in decoration of the physical environment according to Havung (2000). This is a gender contract that they have accepted. In

Sandberg and Pramling-Samuelsson this way they do what is expected of a man. In the preschools gender contract the womans standard is superior to the mans standard. The male preschool teachers have, however, gone a step further in questions of gender mainstreaming between the genders through their active choice of working in a female arena. Their choice of occupation puts them in a specic position. This also implies an invisible reection about acting as women and acting as men (Havung, 2000; Johansson, 2001). The meaning is that it is both feminine and masculine to be in charge of care and education of young children. Havungs (2000) study shows, however, that masculinity is involved in playing with children, but not in sewing, weaving and baking in preschool, thus male preschool teachers are still performing the stereotyped gender activities that belong to men. The preschool may have changed the men involved to a certain point but the few men there have not changed preschool. The men have adjusted to traditional gender cultures. Male preschool teachers working in preschools therefore have few male role models. With this background we will, in this article, examine female and male preschool teachers play experiences. The aim of this study was to investigate, identify and describe dierent ways that female and male preschool teachers conceive, understand and experience play. The research questions addressed are: What perspectives do female and male preschool teachers have on play? Are there dierences in play experiences related to gender?

METHOD The subjects and procedure are based on an article previously published in Early Childhood Research & Practice (Sandberg & PramlingSamuelsson, 2003). The focus in this article is on female and male preschool teachers conceptions of play. The study is inspired by phenomenographical research. Phenomenography is a recent research orientation aiming at describing and comparing conceptions. The purpose is to identify and describe dierent ways that people conceive, understand and experience dierent phenomena in the world around them. By characterizing the meaning of statements that preschool teachers express, this study investigates the implications of playing then and now from a gender perspective. Variations in conceptions are the main focus (Alexandersson, 1994; Larsson, 1986; Marton, 1981, 1994; Marton &

Preschool Teachers Attitudes Toward Childrens Play Booth, 2000; Marton & Pang, 1999; Pramling, 1983, 1988, 1994). Subjects The sample consisted of twenty preschool teachers (ten female and ten male). The principle used during the selection assumed variation regarding gender, age, childhood, environment, siblings, own children, years of education, and work within municipal and private preschools. The advantages with this were that it allowed both extensive and comprehensive descriptions as well as maximum variation. These preschool teachers, who worked in both municipal preschools (twelve) and private preschools (eight) were interviewed; the female preschool teachers ages varied from 2554 years and the male preschool teachers ages varied from 2954 years. The participants had grown up both in the countryside and in cities. Nineteen of the participants had grown up in a family with between 15 siblings. Fifteen of the preschool teachers in the study had 13 children of their own and one female preschool teacher and four male preschool teachers had no children. One subject had grandchildren. Sixteen of the twenty participants had been enrolled in preschools at childhood. They took their preschool teacher diplomas between 1969 and 1997. Interviews The study is based on a semi-structured interview and was performed at the preschool teachers workplace. Every interview started with a description of the purpose of the study and a description of the ethical rules used for research including condentiality, informed consent, information and voluntary participation (HSFR, 1999). The content of the interviews was based on the following areas: own experiences of play from childhood, childrens play today in preschool and at home in comparison with own experiences, and the preschool teachers intentions with childrens play in preschool. These questions constituted the basis for further conversation and made it possible to have deeper discussions about play. In order to nd out about the preschool teachers perspectives they were encouraged to speak freely about their experiences. The interview aimed to make the preschool teachers explain and exemplify their thoughts. The interviews were recorded on tape and each lasted

299 between 45 and 90 minutes. The interviews were transcribed. Analysis The procedure used during the analysis was inspired by the phenomenographical research tradition. During the initial phase the interviews were read repeatedly in order to receive an overall impression and understanding of the implications of the statements. After this general analysis the main analysis was accomplished with the initial aim of identifying generic experiences of play, i.e. what was common to all preschool teachers. A second purpose was to identify experiences of play specic to female and male preschool teachers. A data reduction process was performed, which means that all quotations with opinions of the question What experiences of play have female and male preschool teachers had? were selected. In this analysis a substantial number of signicant statements appeared. Based on an analysis of these opinions, statements that dealt with the same meaning were collected in the same category and named. The content of the signicant statements was then grouped for the total sample into meaning units that were, in turn, assembled into two superordinate themes, i.e. play willingness and play stress. Studies were then conducted into the similarities and dierences in regard to these meaning units. Finally the procedure was repeated with the data divided by type of gender. The basic question in this part of the analysis was, Do play experiences specic to gender appear? This is what constitutes the focus of this article; female and male preschool teachers ways of experiencing play and its variations. RESULTS It became noticeable that the preschool teachers described their own childhood play as exceptionally gender stereotyped. The men described how boys used games with rules (e.g., football, ice-hockey, hunting, cowboys, etc), while the women described how girls used role-plays (e.g., play with dolls, shopping and play with horses, etc). Above all, the male preschool teachers had been in dierent clubs in childhood. These included dierent sports associations but also scouts and Sunday schools. Paradoxically, they thought that children today have too many organized recreational activities.

300 Both female and male preschool teachers said that today boys and girls play more alone and homogeneous play. Stereotyped gender games are not building and construction games. One of the male preschool teachers observed that even if girls today participate in building and construction games, boys and girls play in dierent ways:
Weve a gang of guys that, during free play, they generally choose to build with kaplastavar5; it is traditional and involves crashing cars. But it is denitely the case that girls also play kaplastavar. I thought about it, and it appears that the girls build kaplastavar that takes up oor space; they build low and they build around horses and other animals. Guys build on tallness and then I almost see in front of me this old classical faldo symbol, that one shall build high, one shall be largest (Male preschool teacher).

Sandberg and Pramling-Samuelsson childrens play. It refers to gender-oriented play play for boys versus play for girls and also play willingness in physical play versus calm play. Participant vs non Participant What distinguishes the female and male preschool teachers perspectives is that the female preschool teachers had no play willingness i.e. they did not participate in childrens play. To participate in play is something they try to avoid. They can be nearby and listen to the children:
I have tried holding myself outside the actual play but still be near and be able to hear what children are thinking. Then we have the children divided in different groups and I have things that I can take into my small group and then work with the children on a little theme (Female preschool teacher).

In this quotation one can see that old gender roles are apparent in todays play, although girls engage in traditional stereotyped gender games for boys. Girls still tend to focus on care and nurturing roles while boys focus on their own play agendas. Building is something that the male preschool teachers also had experience of from their childhood.
We played with blocks. Built blocks like a tower then we put old men and, knights on top (Male preschool teacher).

Similarities in female and male preschool teachers perspectives on play are that both genders mediate in conicts and observe childrens development. To create inspiring play environments for children is essential for both female and male preschool teachers. Theme and Categories of Play In the main analysis based on the statements from all preschool teachers, two themes emerged, play willingness and play stress. The theme of play willingness was divided into three categories: participation vs no participation; stereotyped gender play for girls vs stereotyped gender play for boys; and physical play vs calm play. The theme of play stress was divided into interruptions and play development. Play Willingness The content and meaning in the theme of play willingness refer to preschool teachers willingness to play whether or not they want to participate in
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The motive behind nonparticipation is that play has another character when adults are included. Preschool teachers decide whether or not to disturb the play through their participation. Furthermore, for preschool teachers it dissipates their energies to participate in play because they have to break o for many reasons (e.g., taking attendance, or talking to parents fetching their children). According to preschool teachers, children are aware of these breaks and do not trust the preschool teachers to remain involved in the game, and because of that, children do not want the preschool teachers to participate in their play. An additional motive, according to the teachers, was that retiring children become more open and unrestrained when adults do not participate in play. Male preschool teachers expressed a willingness to play, and they invited children to play and participated in play themselves. The purpose for them to participate in play was to get to know the children better. Also, they wanted to be near the children when they were playing in order to notice when children needed help. Occasionally, male preschool teachers could participate in play without purpose, just because they had a real desire to participate.
I can occasionally participate because I just want to be with the children in play. The other day I just threw myself into the pillow room. Now I want to be with you and just play a little and they wanted me to participate (Male preschool teacher).

These are blocks that children often use in play in Swedish preschools.

Male preschool teachers participated in adult-directed play and tried to introduce traditional play, outdoor play and ball sports. However, a problem that they found is that children today cannot actually play these games without adult direction.

Preschool Teachers Attitudes Toward Childrens Play

One experience was that children never spontaneously began to play these games; adults had to introduce them and participate. Unfortunately interruptions of phone calls and suchlike things befall any adult. another attitude towards males. Outdoors they can build a snow castle out there, but I didnt do it. I stand and make a small snowball and make a small snowball lantern at the most, and fetch a candle and set the candle there. Yes, we are so different, we need more guys in preschools, above all for play. In: Why? It becomes not just this small doll room and little pottering. It can become more space for more play, for it is. We play differently, boys and girls (Female preschool teacher).

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This was dierent to when the preschool teachers were children. Then, they played these games without adults and for a long time. The paradox was that preschool teachers think that children today nd it hard to activate themselves without adults direction, nevertheless, female preschool teachers did not participate in childrens play. Stereotyped Gender Play for Girls vs Stereotyped Gender Play for Boys One nding in this study was that the majority of the female preschool teachers pointed out that doll play does not exist today to the same extent as previously. An alteration has occurred during the last ten years. In the past, girls played with dolls in the house corner. Today fewer and fewer girls play with dolls. Although teachers have arranged home corners children do not play very much with dolls. They also described how boys run with dolls prams but without dolls. It can be cars or blocks they put in the prams. In a preschool they had a doll house but this wasnt used in a traditional way according to the preschool teacher. Instead the cuddly toys were taken out and the doll house was used as a garage for repairing cars. A female preschool teacher noted that when boys engaged in stereotyped gender play, traditionally that of girls, gender mainstreaming was noticeable in play. Today, it is not only the girls that cook meals in role play; boys do it also. The teachers also claim that girls have greater self-condence and assert themselves more in play. Male preschool teachers believe that today boys play more destructively in comparison with experiences from their own childhood, and they give an example cars are smashed and they break things. Physical Play vs Calm Play In this category the preschool teachers emphasize that male preschool teachers have more play willingness and participate more in physical play, which is something that female preschool teachers also recognize.
I do not lie on the carpet, I do not wrestle on the carpet as guys do, but not all guys do it either, it is

Male preschool teachers are more consistent and have better understanding of troublemaker and physical play, which emanates from their own experiences. To wrestle and play with cushions and mattresses in preschool is something male preschool teachers have experienced as children themselves. Female preschool teachers see this as more of a disturbing element that must be restrained and diverted with calm play, and boys should be subjected to this in preschool. A male preschool teacher says:
From my own experiences, I can draw conclusions from the discussions that we have had about whether children shall play Power Rangers or if they shall play Turtles. I only think back on how much I appreciated playing it, that I liked it on TV, so to speak. It is just like that; imagine if you were forbidden to play it of any provocation. This explains why all the discussion [of aggressive play] that is so commonly within our occupation. Children are not allowed to build pistols out of lego, pistols are dangerous, for shame . . . One must see why they like it and there I believe that I can draw a large advantage from my own experiences.

The male preschool teachers and some of the female preschool teachers had signicant experiences from childhood of being in football teams with children of dierent ages and gender without adult interference, and organized clubs were signicant. They compared this with children today, who play football with children of the same age and gender and in organized football clubs. Today, in preschools, there are female preschool teachers that participated in typically male stereotyped gender activities in their childhood. Experiences of outdoor play are reected in preschool teachers childhoods. What distinguished outdoor play was that the female preschool teachers described play with dolls, dramatizing events, and play themes with an element of care and maintenance. They could sit on a blanket and play with dolls, or take out carpet to cabins. Male preschool teachers describe more physical play out

302 of doors. They played above all in the local neighbourhood, nature, forest and playground. A quotation that illustrates this is:
Yes, we were always out playing. I remember we did such play often. When we were in the forest, then we had a location where we played the whole year. One found things that became service, built order with boxes, chairs and closet and all (Female preschool teacher).

Sandberg and Pramling-Samuelsson

dren. I try to accept the situation as it is and understand that the boy is doing the only thing he can. In: What do you think one can do? I think there arent so many people that can understand such signals. In: And by this you mean? I mean that there are not enough preschools with guys and, for many women, it kicks the legs out from under them to speak, to say to the boy that all you do is bad. I as an adult think that all you stand for is bad, in principleHe meets just such people, that stand as amazingly far from himself and his frame of reference that he doesnt fix it (Male preschool teacher).

The occasions when preschool teachers played in their childhood with children from both sexes and with children of dierent ages were when they engaged in outdoor play in groups. This was in the street and in the playground, for example playing hide-and-seek. To play indoors was not usual but if it happened it was with a few children of the same gender and it was calm play. Girls played with dolls, paper dolls and bookmarks, and boys played with legos and cars. They also described their childhood from preschool with physical play but also its prohibitions. A quotation that illustrates this is:
I remember everything I wasnt allowed to do. I remember kapla rummen it was not named in this way, it was named blocks at this time. As I remember the girls had their own room, a doll room that we guys never got to be in. One thing I remember was pearly plates. One had to listen to the preschool teacher when she played on the organ. Nursery tale. Then I remember we played football in gardens (Male preschool teachers).

Rowdy, hunting play was normal in the male preschool teachers childhood and these experiences affect their profession. Here, a male preschool teacher shows how oppressed boys still are in the Swedish preschool environment. Preschool teachers told him that what he did was bad and the female preschool teachers did not have his experiences, which is probably why it was dicult for the boy to understand the rules and expectations that existed in preschool. Play Stress This theme focuses on play as stress i.e. interruptions in play and the development of play in todays society. Interruptions In this category, both female and male preschool teachers felt that children today get play stress, which implies that they are interrupted when they play and these interruptions depend on adults, the preschool routines and also organized activities both in preschool and during childrens leisure time. The female preschool teachers pointed out that interruptions can also occur when the children disturb each other in play. Play Development In this category the preschool teachers talked about play stress. This is related to play development in todays society. The male preschool teachers asserted that children today start playing some games earlier in life, for example, cowboys and Indians. Both female and male preschool teachers also said that children stop playing at a much younger age today. They attribute this to TV, computers and leisure activities. All preschool teachers agree that the media inuences the manner in which children play.

Here one can see how boys submitted to the rules in preschool that the female preschool teachers had decided. They were not allowed to be in the doll room; this room was reserved for girls. They got to do calm activities such as pottering and listening to fairy-tales. However, it is so in preschools today. A quotation that illustrates this is:
What I remember most was the rowdy play, when we ran about and hunted each other and got caught. I remember this especially. I think that it had great importance for me in the ways I perceive children today. In: How? If I see children today, a 5-year-old guy in preschool who is very boorish and has no real playmates and receives only setbacks. Whatever he does it is wrong. If he jumps in the play hall, he is told no. If he kicks a ball in the garden, he is told no. All that the boy does is bad. Signals from the adults tell him everything he does is bad and not accepted here. It is the only thing he can do, he had no other play pieces, it is this boorish boy and it is not accepted here. I understand this very strongly, and I can reveal my feelings to those chil-

Preschool Teachers Attitudes Toward Childrens Play The female preschool teachers in particular considered that children move into the adult world earlier today, and this is something that they interpreted as negative for children. DISCUSSION Are there dierences in play experiences related to gender? The male preschool teachers in this study gave examples of how female teachers value pottering and calm play. Comparing preschool teachers own childhood and children experiences of play today, preschool teachers believe that children today have more homogeneous play. However, a negative aspect is that children today enter the adult world earlier. They confront play stress, caused by greater expectations of children today, and changes in the structure of families and increased demands by society. Play challenges preschool teachers competence. The majority of the female preschool teachers described how they played with boys, occasionally boys and girls, in play in gangs but also had boys as playmates when they were younger. Why is girl play still stressed so much in preschool? Flising (1997) pointed out that boys in preschools did not get their needs and interests satised in comparison with girls. Aside from the few male preschool teachers in preschools, boys havent any male models. In the literature men are referred to role models for children (Cameron, Moss, & Owen, 1999). With male preschool teachers, boys and girls should get similar conditions for development. According to Tallberg Broman, et al. (2003) we should permit boys play activities to a lesser degree than girls relations-and care play. Girls participate to a lesser extent in physical activities and when they do, they are often interrupted. This study shows that both female and male preschool teachers were of the opinion that interruptions in preschool depend on routines and that adults interrupt the children in play. This is a dierence in comparison with the female preschool teachers who consider that the children instead interrupt each other in play. This illustrates the importance of reecting on when and why the interruptions happen in preschool. What perspectives on play do female and male preschool teachers have? Nordberg (2002) points out that men are expected to bring something to preschools that is missing. They should complement the female way of working. They are seen primarily as men, and secondly, as professionals. They are viewed rst as men and then as preschool teachers. Havung

303 (2000) maintained from her study that the contents of preschools did not change with men of preschool. Instead male preschool teachers adapted themselves to the culture. This has also been visible in this study. A male preschool teacher says:
I have reflected on this. We act as men and act as women in preschool, partly in how we preschool teachers are towards each other, and partly in how we are towards children, . . . Its many factors that affect each other, one wants to be equal in the group, adults group in other words. Is one less equal in the group as man? When it is just women, one becomes occasionally appreciated on something women like as a way of working in the group. They confirm me from their natural womanliness. They are women, they cant be men, on the other hand they can be ever so accepting and supportive of what I stand for, on the other side, but they can never become men. Then it can be difficult somehow to be men fully out in a group where one just has women aroundNot all men fix this. One maybe becomes quiet with you, you shall not jump in play hall this we know, says one this, it is OK. If I draw attention to the worst football match in the play hall with three- and two-year-old children sitting there, may be it gets completely crazy (Male preschool teacher).

This quotation shows that the male preschool teacher takes over the female norms; the children are not permitted to jump in the play hall, instead they should be calm and quiet. Here one can also see the dilemma a male preschool teacher can feel when he only has female colleagues. Even if the female preschool teacher appreciates him as a man and for what he does, he nds it hard to accomplish the work with children using his own male methods. Flising (1997) asserted that there may be a risk of strengthening old sex roles if only female preschool teachers work in preschool. Here we can see it is a very hard job to get gender mainstreaming even if both female and male preschool teachers work in preschool. We need a discussion in society and also a pedagogical discussion so we can attain higher levels of gender mainstreaming in preschool. We need a gender awareness pedagogical study in preschool so we can make alterations in our expectations and ideas about gender. Nordberg (2001) considers that preschool starts from female norms and that a male preschool teacher can develop alternative activities. In this study it appears that today play does not occur on equal terms, regardless of gender, even if there is a consciousness among preschool teachers that it should. A male preschool teacher describes how he

304 consciously does not permit the boys to be in the pillow room unless he has also permitted the girls to play there. This displays an awareness that it is important to give girls access to the pillow room, but the optimal ideal situation would be if there was no need to use this method. Havung (2000) said that womens position of power in preschool starts from orderliness, which the men in her study felt was womens perspective. Orderliness is superior play, and men have a prominent position in play and have a perspective that focuses on capability and intention to play. Men participate more actively in rowdy play. Men have a dual role; they are expected to accomplish the typical female activities plus be male models for children. Women stand for order and adorn the physical environment while the men play, and this perception is normal within the preschool world. This study also shows that both female and male preschool teachers point out that males participate in childrens play and in the physical play and noisy play. This indicates that this type of play is typically gender stereotyped. Meanwhile the female preschool teachers do not participate in childrens play but prefer calm and quiet play. This shows that female and male preschool teachers do not have equal play willingness. This can interpreted as meaning that more male preschool teachers play with children in preschool. It is also worth noticing that male preschool teachers say that boys exile female preschool teachers during physical play and play loudly in a room where they do not disturb others; no adults are present. According to Birgerstam (1997) and Havung (2000) females have high levels of professional competence in preschool even if men exist and work there. This study rejects the idea that male preschool teachers consider female preschool teachers to be less independent and to need support from their colleagues in work. Male preschool teachers make their own decisions and realize these although female preschool teachers do not appreciate this. A quotation that illustrates this is:
They must search for support from their female colleagues, more than men do. They (men) can do as they wish for several hours and the women can stand there and sulk (Male preschool teachers).

Sandberg and Pramling-Samuelsson with the women. Without assuming their own perspective, interest, and engagement the results become visible. However, this study shows that, although male preschool teachers are active participants in play, the female preschool teachers are not seen as having power, but instead are seen as less independent. Properties that are understood as feminine are dexterity, patience, sensitivity and caring about others, while masculine properties are engineering, risktaking, career, domination and authority. It is this that makes an occupation feminine or masculine according to Havung (2000). This relates to expectation patterns and ideals in our culture. That risk taking is a masculine property is also visible in this study. The male preschool teachers have experiences of physical play which the female preschool teachers do not have to the same extent. This study found that female preschool teachers tend to emphasize care and nurture. Birgerstam (1997) asserts that women are more human relations oriented and men more thing and duty oriented in the profession. For women it is important to create good relations. Men are more concerned about what they do together with children and how they do it. They want to manage projects in preschool with children, for example, play football. To sum up the female and male preschool teachers play code, dierences between female and male preschool teachers play willingness are seen, above all, in participation in play. Men play and are more prepared to engage in physical play. This study found that male preschool teachers contribute with more playfulness, and this is something that both female and male preschool teachers noticed. Physical play is important for men and emerges from experiences from their own childhoods, when they were active in dierent clubs but also had informal physical activities together, with many children. It is apparent that male preschool teachers own experiences of dierent sports activities made a lasting impression on their work in preschool. Today, when they work in preschool they try to support childrens needs in physical play. Female preschool teachers tend to prioritize calm play, which they also, for the most part, have experienced in their own childhood. Female preschool teachers emphasize the importance of social development in play while male preschool teachers accentuate the signicance of physical development. Both female and male preschool teachers emphasize that it is important to create inspiring environments for play and outdoor play.

This quotation illustrates instead Birgerstams (1997) example of females relations-orientation and males duty orientation. Mens decisions do not have support from women and they do not discuss ideas

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