Table of contents
DEDICATION ................................................................................................................................. i
DECLARATION ......................................................... ....... ............................................................ ii
APPROVAL ................. ................................................................................................................. iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .......... .................... ............................................................................... iv
DEFINITION OF TERMS ........................ ..... ...... .. ........................................................................ v
ABBREVIATIONS .... ............................................................................................... .................... vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................................. vii
LIST OF TABLES ................. ................... ................................................ ............ ........................ . ix
ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................ ........ X
CHAPTER ONE ........................................................................................................................... 1
BACKGROUND .......................................................................................................................... 1
1.0 .Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 1
1.1. Back Ground of the Study ....................................................................................................... 1
1.2. Statement ofthe Problem ......................................................................................................... 4
1.3. Purpose ofthe Study ........................................................................................ ........................ 5
1.4. Objectives ............. .. ............. ................. ................................................................. .. ................ 5
1.5. Research questions ............................................ ................................... ........................... .. ....... 5
1.6. Significance of the Study .......................................................................................... ............... 5
CHAPTER TWO .......................................................................................................................... 7
LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................................... 7
2.0. Introduction .............. ............................................................................... ......................... .. ...... 7
2. 1.Theories of Play ................................... ........................................................... .......................... 7
2.2. Types of Play ................................................................................... .... ......... ...... ...................... 8
2.3 Importance of Play .............. ................................................................................ ......... ............. 9
2.4 Differences of Deficits in Imaginative and Socio-dramatic Play .......................................... 15
2.5 .How Children Perceive and Relate to Play .................................................................... ......... 16
CHAPTEI'{ THREE .................................................................................................................... 18
METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................................................... 18
3.0 Introduction ............................... ................. ............................................................................ 18
3 .1 Research Design ................................................................................................. .................... 18
3 .2 Area of Study .................................................... ..................................................................... 18
3.3. Population of Study, sample and sampling procedure ............................. .............................. 18
3.4. Research Instrument .......... .. ........... ............................................................................. ........... 19
3.5 Procedw·e ................................................ .... ..... ......... ....................... .... .................................. 19
3.6.Data Analysis ............. ............................................................................................................ 19
CHAPTER FOUR ....................................................................................................................... 20
FINDINGS AND INTEI'{PRETATIONS .................................................................................. 20
4.1 Introduction .................................................... ......................................................................... 20
4.2. Profile of the Respondents ..................................... .......... ...................................................... 20
4.3. Teacher's perception ofthe role of play in children in ECD centers .... ................................. 21
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4.3.1. Types of play and play materials in ECD centers ................................ .......... ..... .......... ...... 21
CHAPTER FIVE ........................................................................................................................ 30
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................... 30
5.0.INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................... ........... 30
5.1 SUMMARY .............................................. ........................................... .............. .................... 30
5.2 CONCLUSION ..................................................................................... .................................. 31
5.3 RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................................................ 32
REFERENCES ... .... ...................................................................................................................... 33
APPENDIX A:QUESTIONNAIRE FOR ECD TEACHERS IN ZONE, WARENG DISTRICT,
KENYA . ...................................................................................................................................... . 34
ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate Teacher's Perception of Role of Play in Children Learning in ECD Centres Kapseret Zone, Kapseret Division Wareng District, Kenya. The Specific Objectives of the study were to find out the available types of play and play materials in ECD centers, to determine the teacher's perception about the role of play in ECD centers and to determine the role of teacher's in children play. The methods used for data collection were questionnaires to the fifteen (15) ECD teachers who were randomly selected in fifteen (15) randomly selected schools and observation. The study was a survey and data was analyzed using frequency tables, tallied in percentages and tabulated in charts. The findings revealed by 93.3% that the common games played were football, driving toy cars, hide and seek, playing with baby toys and jumping that is they were mentioned by all the respondents, followed by running. 40% of the respondents said that playing had a negative effect on children and 6.7% said it had no effect and 53.3% said it had a positive effect. 66.7% agreed that they accompany children as they go to play whileS (33.3%) said they do not accompany them. 40% agreed that they discuss children's play with parents and 60% said they do not discuss children's play with parents. 93.3% mentioned that their role in children's play involves them accompanying them as they play, 86.7% mentioned guiding children as they play. 66.7% mentioned introducing new important games and making sure they are safe as they play. 53.3% mentioned discussing children's playing with parents and encourage children's play The study revealed that few schools had all the available playing materials and the most common games mentioned were football, driving toy cars, hide and seek, playing with baby toys and jumping. The study concluded that play should be encouraged and improved in ECD centers. Most of the teachers mentioned that they have to accompany children as they play, encourage children's playing, introduce new games and guide children as they play. The study recommended that Play and play materials should be one of the key topics taught to teachers so that they understand the importance of play fully. The community and parents should be sensitized about the importance of playing so that they also participate in children's playing activities. Schools, parents and the government should come in full force to make sure that the schools are equipped with the necessary playing materials.
