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As digitalization and digital transformation shape developments in society, children’s competence and agency for digital transformation need to be fostered from an early age. Equitable digital education is of utmost importance. Teachers’ expectation behavior is relevant for providing equitable learning opportunities for all children. This study focuses on guided pretend play in digital education in kindergarten. This study examines whether high-expectation behavior of teachers is found in the behavior of kindergarten teachers during guided pretend play, and whether teacher expectation play behavior reveals different expectations for boys and girls. Video observations of guided pretend play in 15 kindergartens were analyzed using a qualitative cross-over design. While teachers interacted for equal durations with boys and girls during guided pretend play, significantly more incidents revealed teacher expectations toward girls than boys. Overall, high-expectation play behavior was less prevalent than low-expectation play behavior. In order to support further research and practice, an exploration of video sequences identified characteristics of teachers’ high-expectation behavior for guided pretend play, such as holding back or enabling children’s agency. Full article

One of the crucial 21st-century digital skills, in the context of digital transformation, is problem solving—equally so in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In the context of kindergarten, learning through play is central; therefore, pretend play, and particularly guided pretend play, is suggested as an innovative way to foster skills for digital problem solving. As yet, the potential of pretend play for children’s learning about digital transformation and digital problem-solving processes has hardly been researched. The paper examines how children solve digital problems in guided pretend play. In an explorative intervention study “We play the future”, an information technology center (IT center) is introduced as one of the play corners for pretend play in kindergartens, together with other inputs such as a smart home corner (Internet of Things) or autonomous vehicles. Children’s play was video recorded. From the 15 participating kindergartens, 13 h of sequences involving the IT center were analyzed using content analysis. The findings indicate that children identify problems in a play situation and solve them using problem-solving strategies, such as devising new applications and installing software. Furthermore, the findings show that the kindergarten teacher’s participation in the pretend play is important for enabling longer and more complex problem-solving processes. Consequences for further teacher training to foster problem-solving skills during guided pretend play are discussed. Full article