Exploring how the use of pedagogy of play enhances children’s learning: a case study of two pre-primary schools in Stesheni, Nachingwea

Date of Award

12-2016

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Master of Education (MEd)

First Supervisor/Advisor

Dr. Fortidas Bakuza

Second Supervisor/Advisor

Dr. Peter Kajoro

Department

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

Abstract

Play and children’s learning are the two things that cannot be separated, as play appears to be children’s work and the most comfort and preferable activity to children. This means for children to easily capture and learn new concepts, they need to be exposed and assisted through playful learning activities. Thus teachers and parents are required to use children’s initiated plays to support and facilitate their easily concept understanding and construction. Therefore, the use of play in early childhood learning is unavoidable phenomenon for easily children’s social, cognitive, and emotional developments Educationists, parents, and administrators have appreciations and therefore, acknowledge the significance of play in enhancing children learning. The appreciation relies on the ability and power that play offers to children in expenses of exploring their world. Play creates a platform in which child initiated learning is based too, and where all children are given equal opportunity to be engaged in learning activities. However the controversial of how and when can play best be used to easily facilitate children’s learning, is a remarkable challenge that the study tried to solve. Thus the focus of this study was to find out how can play influences children’s learning and what time and how can it be used effectively to facilitate learning. The data was gathered from two pre- primary schools by firstly interviewing school head teachers, classroom teachers and parents, and secondly observing classroom teachers facilitating the lesson using the pedagogy of play. It also attempted to support the big campaign that the educationists, governments and human right frontiers have announced as an attempt to embrace the use of pedagogy of play to easily facilitate children’s learning. The study findings revealed that play is a powerful catalyst in speeding up the rate of children’s capturing, understanding the concepts, and eventually learning. The findings also suggest both the in cooperation of play in classroom learning and the use of child initiated plays to facilitate learning.

This document is available in the relevant AKU library

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