Playfulness is part of teachers’ professional competence, not just fun and games

A study from the University of Oulu challenges the notion that playfulness belongs only to childhood or early childhood education. According to the researcher, teachers view playfulness not only as a personal trait but also as a resource linked to creativity, interaction, flexibility, and supporting learning.

In the survey, teachers rated themselves positively across all dimensions of playfulness. The strongest characteristics were those related to social interaction. Respondents reported that they enjoy making others laugh, playing with ideas, and using their vivid imagination.

Rather than being seen as childish behavior, playfulness emerged as curiosity, creativity, a sense of humor, and the ability to build positive connections with others.

“Playfulness should be recognized as part of pedagogical competence. A playful teacher is able to view situations from new perspectives, discover innovative solutions to challenges, inspire participation, and create learning environments where learners feel safe to experiment and express their own ideas,” says University Researcher Signe Siklander.

Teachers are expected to promote creativity, collaboration, problem-solving, participation, and well-being. According to Siklander, these are all qualities closely associated with playfulness.

Playfulness helps teachers adapt to change

One of the study’s key findings was that playfulness remains relatively stable across age groups. Even experienced teachers maintain their curiosity, imagination, and sense of humor throughout their careers. No statistically significant differences were found between younger and older teachers. This challenges the assumption that playfulness declines with age or years of work experience.

However, playfulness does not mean constantly entertaining others or being highly performative.

“It can be expressed through flexibility in unexpected situations, encouraging imaginative thinking, using humor, and creating a safe and positive atmosphere. In this sense, playfulness is closely connected to pedagogical creativity and professional adaptability,” Siklander explains.

Although interest in playful learning environments and play-based pedagogical approaches has grown, teachers’ own playfulness has received relatively little attention in research and teacher education.

“Recognizing one’s own playful strengths could help teachers make more conscious use of playful approaches in their teaching,” Siklander notes.

The findings are also significant from the perspective of occupational well-being. Previous studies have linked playfulness to positive emotions, psychological flexibility, and coping with stress. In this study, playfulness also appears as a resource that can help teachers navigate workplace changes, uncertainty, and emotional demands.

“Serious teaching does not require the absence of playfulness. On the contrary, creativity, humor, imagination, emotional flexibility, and meaningful interaction may be key elements of high-quality teaching,” Siklander emphasizes.

The study involved 123 participants, including pre-service teachers, in-service teachers, retired teachers, and teachers temporarily outside the workforce from various educational fields. Participants assessed their own playfulness through a survey examining physical spontaneity, social engagement, mental spontaneity, emotional flexibility, and a humorous outlook.

The study, Adult playfulness: Finnish teachers evaluating their own playfulness, has been published in the journal Teachers and Teaching. The article has also been nominated for the Innovative Research Award.