INCREASING KINDERGARTNERS’ ENGAGEMENT THROUGH PLAY-BASED ACTIVITIES (PBA)

John Frederick R. Barut, Ivory Faith G. Agullana, Jovelyn C. Domingo, Dannika Marie C. Padilla, Erika A. Tomas, May Flor C. Rivera

Abstract


Numerous studies have shown the benefits of play-based activities across various academic areas. Although play-based activities (PBA) have been used in different studies, they have not been extensively applied in kindergarten settings during the blocks of time. Therefore, this study was conducted to increase the engagement of kindergartners using PBA. Due to anticipated factors such as remaining quiet or not engaging in meeting activities, being too shy to interact or communicate with classmates and teachers, and being uninterested and unmotivated in activities, we designed an intervention to enhance kindergartners' engagement. The data were obtained from 36 kindergartners. Pre-observation was conducted to determine the participants' level of engagement, followed by post-observation after implementing play-based activities (PBA). Mean and t-test were used to analyze the gathered data. Prior to the intervention, the participants were not engaged in the blocks of time. The findings revealed that PBA contributed to the improvement of the participants' engagement in the Blocks of Time. Consequently, the more participants were exposed to PBA, the higher the likelihood of their engagement in the blocks of time.

 

Article visualizations:

Hit counter


Keywords


play-based activities (PBA), kindergartners’ engagement, blocks of time

Full Text:

PDF

References


Alvarado, J. (2018). Why Is Early Childhood Education Important?. Retrieved from https://www.dylantaylorfoundation.org/blogposts/why-is-early-childhood-education-so-important

Bodrova E. & Leong D. (2003). The Importance of Being Playful. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292822495_The_importance_of_being_playful

Buhs, E. S., Ladd G. W., Herald S. L. (2006). Peer exclusion and victimization: Processes that mediate the relation between peer group rejection and children’s classroom engagement and achievement? Journal of Educational Psychology, 98, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.98.1.1

Coplan, R. J., & Evans, M. A (2009). At loss for words? Introduction to the special issue on shyness and language in childhood. Infant and Child Development, 18, 211-215. https://doi.org/10.1002/icd.620

Crozier, W. R., & Alden, L. E. (2001). International handbook of social anxiety. West Sussex, England: John Wiley & Sons LTD. Retrieved from https://www.wiley.com/en-us/International+Handbook+of+Social+Anxiety%3A+Concepts%2C+Research+and+Interventions+Relating+to+the+Self+and+Shyness-p-9780471491293

Dominguez, A., Ziviani, J., & Rodger, S. (2006). Play behaviors and play object preferences of young children with autistic disorder in a clinical play environment. Autism, 10(1), 53-69. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361306062010

Farber, S. E. (2016). The Impact of Specific Interventions on Child Engagement in a Preschool Classroom. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uni.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1719&context=grp

Hancock, K. J., Lawrence, D., Mitrou, F., Zarb, D., Berthelsen, D., Nicholson, J. & Zubrick, S. R. (2012). The association between playgroup participation, learning competence and social-emotional well-being for children aged four-five years in Australia. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 37, 72-81. https://doi.org/10.1177/183693911203700211

Hemmeter, M., Ostrosky, M., Artman, K., & Kinder, K. (2008). Moving right along. Planning transitions to prevent challenging behavior. YC Young Children, 63(3), 18-25. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/234576458_Moving_Right_alongPlanning_Transitions_to_Prevent_Challenging_Behavior

Hunter, T., & Walsh G. (2014). From Policy to Practice?: The Reality of Play in Primary School Classes in Northern Ireland. International Journal of Early Years Education 22(1), 19–36. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669760.2013.830561

Lynch, M. (2015). More play, please. The perspective of kindergarten teachers on play in the classroom. American Journal of Play, 7(3), 347-370. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1070249

Myck-Wayne, J. (2010). In Defense of Play: Beginning the Dialog About the Power of a Play. Young Exceptional Children, 13(4), 14–23. Retrieved from https://www.adventure.school.nz/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Myck-Wayne_In_Defense_of_Play_Beginning_the_Dialog_About_the_Power_of_Play.pdf

O’Connor, C. (2017). The silent and the vocal: Participation and Learning in whole-class discussion. Learning and Instruction, 48, 5-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2016.11.003

Parker, R., & Thomsen, B. S. (2019). Learning through play at school: A study of playful integrated pedagogies that foster children’s holistic skills development in the primary school classrooms. Billund: LEGO Foundation. Retrieved from https://cms.learningthroughplay.com/media/nihnouvc/learning-through-play-school.pdf

Pyle, A., Prioletta, J., & Poliszczuk, D. (2018). The play-literacy interface in full-day kindergarten classrooms. Early Childhood Education Journal, 46(1), 117-127. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10643-017-0852-z

Santos, N.C. (2017). Learning Motivation Factors of Grade 8 Students and Its Implications in Science Teaching. Retrieved from https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/249335797.pdf

Veiga, G., Neto, C., & Rieffe, C. (2016). Preschoolers' free play - connections with emotional and social functioning. The International Journal of Emotional Education, 8(l), 48-62. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301789425_Preschoolers'_free_play_-_Connections_with_emotional_and_social_functioning

Yoshikawa, H., Weiland, C., Brooks-Gunn, J., Burchinal, M., Espinosa, L., Gormley, W. T., Ludwig, J., Magnuson, K., Phillips, D., & Zaslow, M. (2013). Investing in Our Future: The Evidence Base on Preschool, Society for Research in Child Development, Washington, D.C. Retrieved from https://www.fcd-us.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Evidence-Base-on-Preschool-Education-FINAL.pdf

Zapata, K. (2020). The Importance of Play: How Kids Learn by Having Fun. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/the-importance-of-play#takeaway




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejoe.v10i1.5925

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright © 2016-2026. European Journal of Open Education and E-learning Studies (ISSN 2501-9120) is a registered trademark of Open Access Publishing GroupAll rights reserved.

This journal is a serial publication uniquely identified by an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) serial number certificate issued by Romanian National Library (Biblioteca Nationala a Romaniei). All the research works are uniquely identified by a CrossRef DOI digital object identifier supplied by indexing and repository platforms.

All the research works published on this journal are meeting the Open Access Publishing requirements and can be freely accessed, shared, modified, distributed and used in educational, commercial and non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).