Title: Play as an Instructional Strategy in Pre-primary Education: Teachers’ Perception and Present Status
Author(s): Mousumi Das, Assistant Teacher, Sayedpur Govt. Primary School, Narayanganj, Bangladesh and Fouzia Chowdhury Diba, Technical Officer - MC Secondary, Plan International Bangladesh, Bangladesh
Publication InformationTitle: Play as an Instructional Strategy in Pre-primary Education: Teachers’ Perception and Present Status
Author(s): Mousumi Das, Assistant Teacher, Sayedpur Govt. Primary School, Narayanganj, Bangladesh and Fouzia Chowdhury Diba, Technical Officer - MC Secondary, Plan International Bangladesh, Bangladesh
Journal Title: Palimpsest - East Delta University Journal of English Studies
Volume No: 03, Issue No: 01, Year: 2024, Pages: 01-13
Publisher: Department of English, East Delta University, Chattogram, Bangladesh
Type of Publication: Research Article
Received: 30 January 2023, Accepted: 06 June 2023, Published: 11 February 2024
DOI: https://doi.org/10.46603/pedujes.v3i1.1
Abstract
Play is an important part of early childhood development (ECD). Like in many other countries, plays are used in Bangladeshi classrooms for ECD. This study aimed to discover teachers’ perceptions and the practice of play as an instructional strategy in pre-primary education. The study employed a qualitative approach. A convenience sampling technique and interviews were used to get data from the participants. A total of ten participants were interviewed. Among them, eight were pre-primary teachers, and two were pre-primary education experts. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data from the interviews. The study revealed that teachers positively perceived play as an instructional strategy and used the ‘free play’ and the ‘guided play’ regularly in the classroom except for the sand and water corner. However, teachers encountered problems when teaching special needs children (SNC) through play as an instructional strategy. It was also revealed that several factors influenced teachers' use of play as an instructional strategy in the pre-primary classroom such as the availability and quality of play materials, teacher-student ratio, and shortage of the pre-primary classroom. It is recommended that the concerned body of pre-primary education introduce play-oriented training so that pre-primary teachers can use the guided and free play more effectively and can include appropriate play for SNC to ensure their learning.
Play is an important part of early childhood development (ECD). Like in many other countries, plays are used in Bangladeshi classrooms for ECD. This study aimed to discover teachers’ perceptions and the practice of play as an instructional strategy in pre-primary education. The study employed a qualitative approach. A convenience sampling technique and interviews were used to get data from the participants. A total of ten participants were interviewed. Among them, eight were pre-primary teachers, and two were pre-primary education experts. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data from the interviews. The study revealed that teachers positively perceived play as an instructional strategy and used the ‘free play’ and the ‘guided play’ regularly in the classroom except for the sand and water corner. However, teachers encountered problems when teaching special needs children (SNC) through play as an instructional strategy. It was also revealed that several factors influenced teachers' use of play as an instructional strategy in the pre-primary classroom such as the availability and quality of play materials, teacher-student ratio, and shortage of the pre-primary classroom. It is recommended that the concerned body of pre-primary education introduce play-oriented training so that pre-primary teachers can use the guided and free play more effectively and can include appropriate play for SNC to ensure their learning.
Keywords
instructional strategy, play, play material, teachers’ perception, ECD
instructional strategy, play, play material, teachers’ perception, ECD
References
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Education, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.21083/ajote.v3i1.1974Lombard, D. (2012). Young people's views on violence against women - Nancy Lombard. Iriss. Retrieved 22 December 2021, from https://www.iriss.org.uk/resources/videos/young-peoples-views-violence-against-women-nancy-lombard.Lynch, M. (2015). More play, please: The perspective of kindergarten teachers on play in the classroom. American Journal of Play, 7(3).McEneaney, J. E., Lose, M. K., & Schwartz, R. M. (2006). A transactional perspective on reading difficulties and response to intervention.
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Bangladesh. Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE).National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB). (2011). Pre-primary Curriculum.Nelson, C., Nelson, A. R., McDonnell, A. P., Johnston, S. S., & Crompton, A. (2007). Keys to play: A strategy to increase the social interactions
of young children with autism and their typically developing peers. Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities, 42(2), 165–181. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23879993Puteh, S., Ali, A., & Omar, o. (2013). Preschool teachers’ perceptions towards the use of play-based approach in language and literacy development for preschool. Malaysian Journal of Learning and Instruction. https://doi.org/10.32890/mjli.10.2013.7652Pyle, A., & DeLuca, C. (2016). Assessment in play-based kindergarten classrooms: An empirical study of teacher perspectives and
practices. The Journal of Educational Research, 110(5), 457-466. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.2015.1118005Rahman, M., Mohammed, K., Akter, N., & Chowdhury, K. (2020). The role of play in pre-primary educational setting of Bangladesh.
International Journal of Advance Research and Innovative Ideas in Education, 6(1).Rashid, R., & Akkari, A. (2020). A review of early childhood education (ECE) in Bangladesh: Status and impact.
International Journal of Education, 12(1), 59. https://doi.org/10.5296/ije.v12i1.16150Russell, J. L. (2011). From Child’s Garden to Academic Press: The Role of Shifting Institutional Logics in Redefining Kindergarten Education. American Educational Research Journal, 48(2), 236–267. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831210372135Saracho, O., & Spodek, B. (1995). Children's play and early childhood education: Insights from history and theory. Journal of Education, 177(3),
129-148. https://doi.org/10.1177/002205749517700308Schwartz, R. M., Schmitt, M. C., & Lose, M. K. (2012). Effects of teacher-student ratio in response to intervention approaches.
The Elementary School Journal, 112(4), 547–567. https://doi.org/10.1086/664490Seechaliao, T. (2017). Instructional strategies to support creativity and innovation in education. Journal of Education and Learning, 6(4), 201. https://doi.org/10.5539/jel.v6n4p201Shahjamal, M. M., & Nath, S. R. (2008). An evaluation of BRAC pre-primary education programme. BRAC Centre.Slater, L. (2003). Gender bias in elementary schools: An Examination of Teacher Attitudes (Doctoral dissertation). Miami University.Sluss, D. (2005). Supporting Play: Birth through age eight. Thomson Delmar Learning.Smith, E., & Lillard, A. (2012). Play on: Retrospective Reports of the Persistence of Pretend Play Into Middle Childhood.
Journal of Cognition and Development, 13(4), 524-549. https://doi.org/10.1080/15248372.2011.608199Tarimo, J. (2013). Teachers’ use of play as a teaching strategy in pre-primary schools in Mwanga district, Kilimanjaro region,
Tanzania (Masters). Kenyatta University.Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.Walker, C. (2002). Health and life skills for kindergarten to grade 9. Alberta, Learning and Teaching Resources Branch.Wong, S., Wang, Z., & Cheng, D. (2011). A play-based curriculum: Hong Kong children’s perception of play and non-play.
The International Journal of Learning: Annual Review, 17(10), 165-180. https://doi.org/10.18848/1447-9494/cgp/v17i10/47298
Ali, A., Aziz, Z., & Majzub, R. (2011). Teaching and learning reading through play. World Applied Sciences Journal, 15-20.Aronstam, S., & Braund, M. (2016). Play in Grade R classrooms: Diverse teacher perceptions and practices. South African Journal of Childhood Education, 5(3). https://doi.org/10.4102/sajce.v5i3.242BANBEIS, Ministry of Education. (2021). Bangladesh Education Statistics 2020.Bangladesh | UNESCO UIS. Uis.unesco.org. (2021). Retrieved 19 December 2021, from http://uis.unesco.org/country/BD.Bilde, J., Boonen, T., Speybroeck, S., De Fraine, B., Van Damme, J., & Goos, M. (2015). Experiential Education in Kindergarten: Associations with School Adjustment and the Moderating Role of Initial Achievement. The Elementary School Journal, 116(2), 173-197. https://doi.org/10.1086/683802Brown, M., & Bergen, D. (2002). Play and social interaction of children with disabilities at learning/activity centers in an inclusive preschool. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 17(1), 26-37. https://doi.org/10.1080/02568540209594996Ching, L. (2018). Bridging beliefs and practices: A study of Hong Kong kindergarten teachers’ perceptions of “learning through play” and the implementation of “play” in their practices (Unpublished Doctoral dissertation). Northeastern University.Chowdhury, N. N., & Rivalland, C. (2012). Value of play as an early learning instrument in Bangladesh context: A sociocultural study. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 37(4), 115–122. https://doi.org/10.1177/183693911203700416Directorate of Primary Education. (2012). Pre-Primary Education Expansion Plan.Eberle, S. (2011). Playing with the multiple intelligences: How play helps them grow. American Journal of Play, 4(1).ECD & PLAY – BRAC Institute of Educational Development. Bracied.com. (2021). Retrieved 15 November 2021,
from https://www.bracied.com/what-we-do/ecd-and-play/.Ferdaush, J., & Rahman, K. M. M. (2011). Gender inequality in Bangladesh. Unnayan Onneshan-The Innovators. https://archive.nyu.edu/bitstream/2451/33900/2/gender_inequality_in_bangladesh.pdfFrost, J. (2012). The changing culture of play. International Journal of Play, 1(2), 117-130. https://doi.org/10.1080/21594937.2012.698461Griffiths, C., Goodall, D., & Santer, J. (2007). Free Play in Early Childhood: A literature review. National Children’s Bureau.Islam, M., Chowdhury, K., Acharja, D., Hossain, M., & Runa, F. (2021). Playful learning in the pre- primary classroom in Bangladesh:
Teachers experience of developmentally appropriate practice (DAP). International Journal of Advance Research and Innovative Ideas
in Education, 7(5).Issue-I, T. A. (2022, March 2). Bangladesh to resume in-person classes at pre-primary schools on Mar 20. The Financial Express. https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/national/bangladesh-to-resume-in-person-classes-at-pre-primary-schools-on-mar-20-1646224477Izumi-Taylor, S., Pramling Samuelsson, I., & Steele Rogers, C. (2010). Perspectives of play in three nations: A comparative study in Japan,
the United States, and Sweden. Early Childhood Research & Practice (ECRP), 12(1). http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v12n1/izumi.html.Kekesi, D., Donkor, S., Aburampah, W., & Torkonyo, M. (2019). Early childhood education teachers' perceptions on the use of play as a
teaching technique in Afadjato South District of the Volta Region, Ghana. Education Quarterly Reviews, 2(3). https://doi.org/10.31014/aior.1993.02.03.83Khan, A. (2013). The constitution of Bangladesh (4th ed.). Bengal Law Books.Kinuthia, F., Kombo, D., & Mweru, M. (2013). Determinants of preschool teachers' attitudes towards teaching. African Journal of Teacher
Education, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.21083/ajote.v3i1.1974Lombard, D. (2012). Young people's views on violence against women - Nancy Lombard. Iriss. Retrieved 22 December 2021, from https://www.iriss.org.uk/resources/videos/young-peoples-views-violence-against-women-nancy-lombard.Lynch, M. (2015). More play, please: The perspective of kindergarten teachers on play in the classroom. American Journal of Play, 7(3).McEneaney, J. E., Lose, M. K., & Schwartz, R. M. (2006). A transactional perspective on reading difficulties and response to intervention.
Reading Research Quarterly, 41(1), 117–128. https://doi.org/10.1598/rrq.41.1.7Merrick, B. (2022, November 9). Friedrich Froebel. Early Education. https://early-education.org.uk/friedrich-froebel/Miller, E., & Almon, J. (2009). Crisis in the Kindergarten: Why children need to play in school. Alliance for Childhood.Mwatha, W., Muema, M., & Munyoki, M. (2017). Availability and use of play materials, and their influence on social and emotional
development of pre-school children in Kyangwithya Zone, Kitui County. International Journal of Asian Social Science, 7(4), 278-283. https://doi.org/10.18488/journal.1/2017.7.4/1.4.278.283Mweru, M. (2012). Teachers’ influence on children’s selection and use of play materials in Kenya. African Journal of Teacher Education, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.21083/ajote.v2i2.1690Nath, S., Roy, G., Rahman, M., Ahmed, K., & Chowdhury, A. (2014). New vision old challenges: The state of pre-primary education in
Bangladesh. Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE).National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB). (2011). Pre-primary Curriculum.Nelson, C., Nelson, A. R., McDonnell, A. P., Johnston, S. S., & Crompton, A. (2007). Keys to play: A strategy to increase the social interactions
of young children with autism and their typically developing peers. Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities, 42(2), 165–181. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23879993Puteh, S., Ali, A., & Omar, o. (2013). Preschool teachers’ perceptions towards the use of play-based approach in language and literacy development for preschool. Malaysian Journal of Learning and Instruction. https://doi.org/10.32890/mjli.10.2013.7652Pyle, A., & DeLuca, C. (2016). Assessment in play-based kindergarten classrooms: An empirical study of teacher perspectives and
practices. The Journal of Educational Research, 110(5), 457-466. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.2015.1118005Rahman, M., Mohammed, K., Akter, N., & Chowdhury, K. (2020). The role of play in pre-primary educational setting of Bangladesh.
International Journal of Advance Research and Innovative Ideas in Education, 6(1).Rashid, R., & Akkari, A. (2020). A review of early childhood education (ECE) in Bangladesh: Status and impact.
International Journal of Education, 12(1), 59. https://doi.org/10.5296/ije.v12i1.16150Russell, J. L. (2011). From Child’s Garden to Academic Press: The Role of Shifting Institutional Logics in Redefining Kindergarten Education. American Educational Research Journal, 48(2), 236–267. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831210372135Saracho, O., & Spodek, B. (1995). Children's play and early childhood education: Insights from history and theory. Journal of Education, 177(3),
129-148. https://doi.org/10.1177/002205749517700308Schwartz, R. M., Schmitt, M. C., & Lose, M. K. (2012). Effects of teacher-student ratio in response to intervention approaches.
The Elementary School Journal, 112(4), 547–567. https://doi.org/10.1086/664490Seechaliao, T. (2017). Instructional strategies to support creativity and innovation in education. Journal of Education and Learning, 6(4), 201. https://doi.org/10.5539/jel.v6n4p201Shahjamal, M. M., & Nath, S. R. (2008). An evaluation of BRAC pre-primary education programme. BRAC Centre.Slater, L. (2003). Gender bias in elementary schools: An Examination of Teacher Attitudes (Doctoral dissertation). Miami University.Sluss, D. (2005). Supporting Play: Birth through age eight. Thomson Delmar Learning.Smith, E., & Lillard, A. (2012). Play on: Retrospective Reports of the Persistence of Pretend Play Into Middle Childhood.
Journal of Cognition and Development, 13(4), 524-549. https://doi.org/10.1080/15248372.2011.608199Tarimo, J. (2013). Teachers’ use of play as a teaching strategy in pre-primary schools in Mwanga district, Kilimanjaro region,
Tanzania (Masters). Kenyatta University.Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.Walker, C. (2002). Health and life skills for kindergarten to grade 9. Alberta, Learning and Teaching Resources Branch.Wong, S., Wang, Z., & Cheng, D. (2011). A play-based curriculum: Hong Kong children’s perception of play and non-play.
The International Journal of Learning: Annual Review, 17(10), 165-180. https://doi.org/10.18848/1447-9494/cgp/v17i10/47298
Play as an Instructional Strategy.pdf