“ASSESSMENT OF PLAY-BASED APPROACH ON SKILLS ACQUISITION OF

KINDERGARTEN

Presented to:

Mr. Ren Care

Kolehiyo ng Lungsod ng Lipa
Lipa City

In partial Fulfillment Of the

Requirements for the course

BEM 121

BEED 4A
Mary Angelica M. Atienza
Dane Loraine Catimbang
Claire Caranay
Ken Lee Ferancullo
Cristyl Joy Hernandez
Janine Sibay

August 2023

CHAPTER I
THE PROBLEM AND IT’S BACKGROUND
This chapter includes the introduction, background of the study, statement of the
problem, theoretical framework, conceptual framework, significance of the study, and the
definition of terms used.

Introduction

Fun and enjoyment are essential to growth and serve as powerful motivators for kids.
Children can learn language, test hypotheses, solve problems, and develop thought constructs
and "scripts" that reflect common cognitive themes related to cultural understanding in the
context of play. The element of pleasure is crucial to a child's enjoyment of a game. As the
brain shifts from a cognitive, rule-bound state to a more fluid, relaxed state where the entire
body is engaged in problem solving, fun and humor boost creativity. A child's ability to
acquire social and emotional abilities, such as the capacity to form enduring relationships
with peers, depends on play-based learning. Children learn to get along with one another,
collaborate, communicate clearly, solve problems, and resolve disagreements while they play
with one another. Playful learning aids in the formation of social connections and
interactions, which are crucial for a child's academic perseverance, enjoyment of learning,
and self-efficacy.
All kindergarteners need to play in order to learn. It may be challenging academically
and support a child's developmental gaps. Students think that activity-based learning
improves comprehension, heightens responsibility, produces a welcoming learning
atmosphere, and boosts achievement. The adage "the sooner, the better" is ideal for
describing early childhood education. Early childhood education is a potent tool that serves as
a medium to encourage ongoing success in the classroom, the workplace, as well as in the
social and civic spheres. The psychological and sociological benefits of play-based learning
in early childhood have received very little investigation. Play has been identified as a strong
mediator of learning a variety of abilities throughout a person's life by researchers in
psychology and education. This is consistent with Piagetian theory, which has had a big
impact on developmentally appropriate practice. It incorporates the idea that kids learn
'naturally' through play, and that teachers should provide chances for kids to play in the
settings they are exposed to.
Early education typically has the following positive effects on children: greater social
skills, less or no need for special education instruction in later years of school, better grades,

1
and longer attention spans. A youngster that falls behind in their early education is likely to
have trouble catching up. This essay attempts to present an overview of the research and
theory that has been communicated to the early educational system, the gradual evolution,
and its advantages in organizing the lives of the children in many ways. To satisfy the
academic requirements of legislated curriculum standards, our contemporary educational
system has moved its emphasis to a more challenging curriculum. In schools, the
accountability requirements have taken over. The teacher's main goal is to get students ready
to perform at the academic standards specified by the state educational body. Teachers have
been compelled to avoid playtime and recess due to these obligations.
Learning is not necessary for an activity to be perceived as play but remains
fundamental to the definition of play-based learning Within studies that have examined the
benefits of play-based learning, two different types of play have been the primary focus: free
play, which is directed by the children themselves, and guided play, which is play that has
some level of teacher guidance or involvement. The important role of play-based learning in
fostering young children’s cognitive development has been discussed by early theorists,
educators, and researchers such as Plato (p. 24), Froebel, and Gesell; later theorists and
researchers such as Bruner, Erikson, Piaget, and Vygotsky; and more recent theorists and
researchers such as Bodrova and Leong, DeVries, Fein, and Singer & Singer. However, in
recent years, time for child active, play-based learning has been shortened in many preschool
classrooms because, with increasing emphasis on academic skill readiness, play’s importance
has been minimized by some educators, curriculum designers, policy makers, and by the
general public. Play-based learning involves a variety of activities that enable children to
learn in increasingly imaginative and independent ways. Described on a continuum, play-
pedagogies range from teacher-directed playful learning.

Promoting play in the classroom is crucial for the development of kindergarten

students. Phillips and Scrinzi (2016) stated, “play is when children actively explore their
worlds, construct ideas they are beginning to understand, and create imaginary situations
based on their real-world experiences”. Kindergarten students are expected to know basic
phonics, word recognition, and read beginner text by the end of the school year (Schwartz,
2015). With these high academic expectations in place, it is also essential to incorporate play
into the learning of kindergarten students. Play has been increasingly removed from the
kindergarten classroom to make way for standards-based teaching because of the need to
align expectations and practices in the elementary school setting. Graue (2018) explained,

2
“the growing allocation of kindergarten time to academic content has firmly pushed play to
the edges”.

This academically centered classroom set up is a standard practice in most

kindergarten classrooms. This expectation in the kindergarten classroom has resulted in a
decrease in the amount of time for social-emotional development to be included less in the
school day. The level of academic expectations for kindergarten students and the lack of time
spent on social-emotional development has led to a higher incidence of negative behaviors in
kindergarten classrooms. Negative behaviors in the kindergarten classroom include
aggressive behavior (hitting and fighting), oppositional behavior (disobeying rules and
displaying anger), emotional behavior (yelling and screaming), attention problems
(hyperactivity and daydreaming) and doing other activities (drawing and playing) (Gallagher,
2017).

There are children in the early stages of learning who find it difficult to sit still and
pay attention for a prolonged period. When the pressures of learning concepts like number
sense or pre-reading skills are increased, disruptive behavior can become prevalent (Bilmes,
2014). Background Kindergarten is a grade level in which a child’s foundation for learning is
built. For some adults, kindergarten was a grade level in which one was built with blocks,
used glue, and colored pictures. It was a place to interact with other students, learning social
and school rules: sit in a circle, stand in line, and share with friends.

Kindergarten students are now expected to demonstrate pre-reading or reading skills

and perform mathematical reasoning while maintaining the focus and attention to stay on task
(Nelson, 2019). The heightened academic demands on kindergarten students, seem to have
led to more widespread and varied negative behaviors in the classroom. While this is valuable
anecdotal information, there is little empirical research on whether allowing students to have
time for play-based learning in the kindergarten classroom decreases the incidence of
negative behaviors.

The researchers know that children who are able to sustain pretend play roles are able to
work better with their peers and solve social problems (Bodrova, Germeroth, and Leong,
2014). This can extend beyond the school years into the working years and benefit the
community as a whole. Researchers are raising the next generation of citizens, and can raise

3
them better through play. These rules correlate to real life, and aid in self-regulation by
teaching children, through their play, the ability to wait for turns and control their impulses.
When a child is playing the role of a patient in a doctor's office, a stethoscope, no matter how
exciting to use, must not be played with because it is not a realistic part of the role.

Only the child who is playing the role of doctor may use that particular tool or toy
(Bodrova, Germeroth, and Leong, 2018 ). Because of decreasing support for play in early
childhood programs, play quality among preschoolers is diminishing to the lowest levels,
those typically seen among toddlers, and we are no longer seeing mature, high-quality play
scenarios in our classrooms (Bodrova, Germeroth, and Leong, 2014 ). If this trend continues,
young children will enter kindergarten less able to play cooperatively and self-regulate.

Pretend play can cause a change in representational abilities by creating a context in

which a word represents a thing. Suddenly actions are less important than ideas. This new
language skill helps the child understand that words represent experiences (Roskos and
Christie, 2016), referred to as the Play-Literacy Nexus. This nexus is the point where play,
language, and literacy meet and create a learning space in the classroom. This nexus is
especially apparent in dramatic play areas because of the focus on pretend play, when
children are acting out stories, using objects to stand for other objects, and building on what
they already know to deepen their knowledge and pull their thinking forward (Roskos and
Christie, 2016).

Over the course of a year, the kindergarten class blended play and literacy, resulting
in happy children who improved their literacy and social abilities. She points out that the
teacher was fortunate to have the support of her principal in her incorporation of play
throughout the daily literacy block. The children were able to choose from several center
areas within the classroom during the literacy block. Wohlwend observed that during this
time children were very engaged with one another in creating peer relationships and having
conversations that mimic those of adults. They were conversing and developing oral language
skills that serve as scaffolds for their learning (Wohlwend, 2018).

4
Background of the study

The first day of Kindergarten marks the child’s first steps into the journey of pursuing an
education. Looking back upon your own experience, you reflect and think of the most meaningful
memory that comes to mind: What was enjoyable about this experience? What was most
impactful on your life? You are reminded of changes you have made socially as a result of your
earliest educational experiences and how you have felt progressing through your academic
experiences. It is valuable to view the experiences one may gain throughout their schooling from
the first-hand perspective of a child and the reflective perspective as an adult. Those who are in
the early childhood programs (from birth through eight-years-old), spend an average of 40-h per
week in school and other educational programs. That is approximately 41% of their week if you
consider them to have a 14-h day. This exposure to day-care, after-school, public school, tutoring
etc. allows ample opportunity for children to gain access to socialization experiences as well as
cognitive and physical development opportunities.

A child's ability to acquire social and emotional abilities, such as the capacity to form
enduring relationships with peers, depends on fun-based learning. Children learn to get along
with one another, collaborate, communicate clearly, solve problems, and resolve
disagreements while they play with one another. Playful learning aids in the formation of
social connections and interactions, which are crucial for a child's academic perseverance,
enjoyment of learning, and self-efficacy. All kindergarteners need to play in order to learn. It
may be challenging academically and support a child's developmental gaps. Students think
that activity-based learning improves comprehension, heightens responsibility, produces a
welcoming learning atmosphere, and boosts achievement. The adage "the sooner, the better"
is ideal for describing early childhood education. Early childhood education is a potent tool
that serves as a medium to encourage ongoing success in the classroom, the workplace, as
well as in the social and civic spheres. The psychological and sociological benefits of play-
based learning in early childhood have received very little investigation.

Play has been identified as a strong mediator of learning a variety of abilities

throughout a person's life by researchers in psychology and education. This is consistent with
Piagetian theory, which has had a big impact on developmentally appropriate practice. It
incorporates the idea that kids learn 'naturally' through play, and that teachers should provide
chances for kids to play in the settings they are exposed to. Early education typically has the

5
following positive effects on children: greater social skills, less or no need for special
education instruction in later years of school, better grades, and longer attention spans.

As described by Baranowski (2014) a play-based learning is a mental or physical

conflict with a purpose or objective that is played in accordance with a framework or set of
rules that specify what a player is permitted to do and is not permitted to accomplish inside a
fun environment. Early childhood educators feel that direct instruction is the greatest way to
accomplish the various curricular goals that parents, administrators, and other leaders
anticipate since they are under pressure to adhere to stringent seat-time restrictions in their
classes. The play-based learning environment ensures individual learning, enhances the
student experience, ensures timely feedback, and provides facilitators with a clear picture of a
cohort's performance. However, some of the play- based learning environments provide one
or few of the features, although all the learning techniques result in enhanced attention levels
of students and also ensure student participation and interest. Play-Based learning
environments should also not be complicated and time- consuming and also helps every
learner to motivate their studies.

The two perspectives, guided by developmental and academic logics respectively, are
not incommensurate, but balancing the two logics elicits tensions pertaining to pedagogy and
best practices (Pyle & Danniels, 2017). The proposed benefits of play, in the context of
education, often fall into two categories: developmental learning (social and emotional skills,
and self-regulation) and academic learning (e.g., literacy and numeracy). These benefits,
though, are highly contingent on the type of play and, more specifically, the role of the
teacher in the play contexts (Pyle & Danniels 2017).

Free play anchors one end of the play-based learning continuum, where play is
voluntary, flexible, and internally motivated by the This form of play, in school yards and in
homes, is likely the most familiar to parents and educators alike, the kind of play perhaps
most salient for discussions of play and education (McInnes 2019). In an educational context,
however, this is not the sole type of play. As Pyle and Danniels (2017) highlight, teachers can
be involved in play with varying degrees of control—from collaborator to director.

A play-based learning is a mental or physical conflict with a purpose or objective that

is played in accordance with a framework or set of rules that specify what a player is

6
permitted to do and is not permitted to accomplish inside a fun environment. Children
develop independence, confidence, and self-esteem as they acquire new abilities. As a result,
helping children in developing new abilities is important to promote their overall growth. A
skill may be acquired by practice, which leads to long-lasting improvements in a child’s
capacity to carry out a particular task. If an activity is performed repeatedly enough, it may
ultimately become automatic and need minimal conscious control.

Nevertheless, this study aims to elaborate the effects of play-based learning in the skills
acquisition of kindergarten. The researchers believe that studying the effects of play-based
learning in the skills acquisition of the students is an important thing that will contribute to a
child’s development. Development that starts from the skills acquisition will also lead to a
child’s classroom interaction. This will not just be a basis for further studies however, most
significantly, it will increase personal confidence and aim for a positive result for the future
educators on using the most effective and proven mode of teaching.

Theoretical framework

Play Theory generally refers to cognitive development in younger children. Building

off of Vygotsky’s theory of cognition, Play Theory hypothesizes that play is an important
component of both language development and understanding the external world as children
play, and role play, situations to find solutions. The social interaction of children’s play
increases their learning as they experiment, fail, receive feedback, revise their strategies, and
reattempt play. Problem-solving, therefore, is an essential part of play that allows the child to
hone their performance during play. Imaginative play is also important to cognitive
development because it allows children to enhance their language and problem-solving skills.

If we look at game mechanics and the elements that are present in most games, we
will see an overlap with play theory. Experiment, failing, receiving feedback, revising
strategies, and reattempting play are all components of games.

Although Play Theory is generally used in reference to Early Childhood Education,

clear parallels exist between Play Theory and Game-Based Learning. Play, whether it is
gameplay or other forms of play, creates an environment of low-pressure learning, allowing
for failure to become a learning opportunity. Play creates trust and relationships, increasing
cooperation and collaboration. Play also enhances creativity and innovative thinking through

7
problem-solving and the use of imaginative strategies. In adult learning experiences, play
can create an environment of “fun, spontaneity, relationship and connection, silliness or
goofiness, creativity, and imagination. Furthermore, play and playfulness were most
frequently manifested in the classroom through risk-taking, storytelling, and physical
activities” (Tanis, 2012, p. iii).

Figure 1. Play Theory by Jean Piaget

Piaget’s theory of play (also known as developmental stage theory) is based upon the
idea that cognitive development and in particular the learning of language, requires
appropriate environmental stimuli and experiences as the child matures. He suggested that
there are two key processes, assimilation (of new knowledge and experience) and
accommodation of those into the child’s existing internal organized patterns of thought and
behavior, known as schemas.

As a child develops, it creates schemata for each of its experiences and the knowledge
it has gained, which it stores for reference when it comes across the same or similar
experiences. The new knowledge from these experiences are assimilated by the child and
then accommodated into existing schemata often updating those schemata with the new
experience.

8
 It is the assembled schemas that people use when they interact with the world and
people around them, and the richer a child’s learning (play) environment, Piaget theorized,
the better the schemata and schemas will be.

Conceptual framework
This illustration below present the direction of the study that is form the independent
and dependent variable:

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

1. Make an Exhibit
program that shows
1. Profile of respondents  Preparation of kindergarten’s
in terms of name, age, questionnaire as a engagement in
sex. gathering data performing different
instrument. activities.
2. Determining the  Data gathering
impact of fun- based Analysis and 2. The title of the
learning activities on interpretation. program is “It
learner in terms of  Research for ShowTime” which
Literary Skills, Social relevant literature contains different
Skills, Time and studies. activities that will
Management Skills and showcase each student’s
Numeracy Skills. skills and capabilities

The first frame presents the input of the study which consists of profiles of the
respondents in terms of name, age and gender. It also includes determining the impact of play
based learning activities on learners in terms of Literary Skills, Social Skills, and Numeracy
Skills.

The second frame presents the process of the study which includes the preparation of
a questionnaire as a gathering data instrument, data gathering, analysis interpretation, and
research for relevant literature and studies.

The third frame presents the output of the study which consists of a Family Day
program that shows kindergarten engagement in activities. The arrow presents the workflow
of the information in process.

Statement of the Problem

9
 This research problem aims to explore the relationship between fun, motivation, and
academic achievement in children. The study could investigate whether play-based learning
activities lead to higher levels of inherent motivation, which is linked to greater academic
achievement in the long run as compared to other traditional teaching methods. A
comprehensive study with a number of participants that conducts various measurements to
evaluate both the short and long-term impacts of incorporating play-based learning in early
childhood education.
Furthermore this research aims to:
1. What is the profile of the respondent in terms of;
1.1 age;
1.2 sex;
1.3 educational attainment; and
1.4 no. of years in teaching

2. What are the effects of play based learning to the development of kindergarten students
skills in terms of:
2.1 literacy skills;
2.2 social skills; and
2.3 numeracy skills

3. Is there a difference between the profile of the respondents and the effects of play-based
learning in kindergarten?

4. What instructional design should be proposed to show the students engagement in different
activities and to use different strategies?

Hypothesis

HO- There is no significant difference between the profile of the respondents and assessment
of play-based learning on the skill acquisition of Kindergarten.

H1- There is a significant difference between the profile of the respondents and the
assessment of play-based learning on the skill acquisition of kindergarten.

10
Scope and Limitation

This study focuses on the effects of Fun-Based Teaching to skill’s acquisition of

kindergarten by BEED 3rd Year Students of Kolehiyo ng Lungsod ng Lipa.

The study’s respondents are the teachers of Kindergarten in different schools of the
whole district in Lipa City.
The profile of the respondents, specifically their age, sex and number of years in
teaching and educational attainment is included by the researchers. The purpose of this
research is to identify the Assessment of play-based approach on skills acquisition of
kindergarten students. In line with that, this study used survey questionnaires to collect data.

Thus, the researchers guaranteed that their information and responses would only be
used for academic purposes and would be kept confidential. To limit the scope of the study
and the location, no other kindergarten schools and primary, secondary, and tertiary teachers
were included as respondents in this study.

Significance of the study

This research provides information and knowledge regarding the Effect of Fun Based
Learning to Kindergarten. The result of this Research would be useful to the following:

Teacher. A teacher's responsibility is to use activities that make learning engaging and
exciting, and as a result, pupils are more eager to participate and take chances. Having fun
while learning can help pupils remember the material because they are enjoying it and the
method of this type of activity is remembered and pertinent to their circumstances.

Students. Children are the one who will benefit in this study because this type of Learning
Process will help them to learn at their own pace through various and engaging activities
while learning inside the classroom. They will be more interactive and motivated to learn. It
also helps them to develop their social and emotional skills. In this they will play together,
and also learn on how to get along, cooperate and communicate with others.

11
Parents. There is a critical factor in every children's education when parents have
involvement in their child's learning. Children are more likely to be motivated in doing well
in schools and have a better relationship among their classmates and teachers. Parents
Involvement helps the students to improve their self-esteem, achievement and also their
behavior. By the help of this kind of Learning, parents and students help to have more
connection, like parents will guide and facilitate them when it comes to their learning while
on how their parents guided them, the students will apply it inside the classroom and they
will become more actively engaged in their studies.

Community. In this when learning is fun, there is a possible positive influence on both
learners and organization. It has a positive effect on motivation levels, determining what we
learn and how much to retain information. People in the community will help a lot to
motivate them to learn and to develop their critical thinking and problem solving skills.
There’s a lot of positive impact in the community by the use of Fun Based Learning, so in
this they will discover a new way of learning which helps them to foster creativity and to
become lifelong learners.
School Environment. Creating a fun day helps every student to be more active and engage
in their studies. They enjoy learning and gaining information while playing. Having fun
based learning inside the school will help every student to retain information and have a
positive environment. Especially in the kindergarten pupils, they become more active and
their mind will work properly by the help of this kind of learning.
Future Researcher. In this the researcher will understand how play based approach become
more active and engaging when it comes in learning of every students. Since us a future
teacher, we can identify and apply this study in our future learners. As we know that having a
fun learning will affect each student to be more participating in class and to develop their
critical thinking and problem solving.

Definition of Terms

The following concepts are explained operationally and theoretically to aid

comprehension of this research.

12
Assessment

Assessment refers to a related series of measures used to determine a complex

attribute of an individual or group of individuals. This involves gathering and interpreting
information about student level of attainment of learning goals. (Brown 2016).

As used in the study assessment refers to the various methods and tools used by
educators to evaluate, measure, and document pupils' academic preparedness, learning
progress, skill acquisition, or requirements for learning.

Kindergarten

Infant School is an educational division that serves as a supplement to elementary

school for children aged four to six years. The kindergarten arose from the theories and
methods of Robert Owen in the United Kingdom, J.H. Pestalozzi in Switzerland and his
disciple Friedrich Froebel in Germany, who originated the word, and Maria Montessori in
Italy in the early nineteenth century. It emphasized the child's emotional and spiritual
character, encouraging self-understanding through play activities and greater independence
rather than imposing adult beliefs. (Amy Tikkanen 2023).

As used in the study, kindergartens are the learners with the age range of 5 to 6 years
of age.

Play-based Approach

Play-based learning is, essentially, to learn while at play. Although the exact
definition of play continues to be an area of debate in research, including what activities can
be counted as play, play-based learning is distinct from the broader concept of play. Learning
is not necessary for an activity to be perceived as play but remains fundamental to the
definition of play-based learning Within studies that have examined the benefits of play-
based learning, two different types of play have been the primary focus: free play, which is
directed by the children themselves, and guided play, which is play that has some level of
teacher guidance or involvement.

As used in the study, play-based is the strategy that the teacher will use to teach the learners.

13
Skill Acquisition

It’s the process of developing skills. The importance of skill acquisition cannot be
overdone—in a world economy. Every person needs to acquire new skills to remain
competitive.

In this post, I’ll discuss what skill acquisition is, how it differs from other learning
processes, why it’s essential, and the three stages of it (cannibal digital, 2023).

As used in the study Skill acquisition is the science that supports movement learning
and execution, often known as motor learning and control. It involves both mental and
physical processes, as well as motivation from your surroundings.

14
CHAPTER 2

This chapter represents the related literature and studies from both local and foreign
sources. This is significant as it can give a proper overview of the paper as well as support the
implications of the current study. The literature and studies included in this chapter are from
different sources like articles, books, journals, and other existing studies.

Play-Based Learning

Out of 75, 44% (33) of the students preferred ladies as teacher, whereas preference for
male teacher was 27% (20) and 29% (22) of students were neutral. This observed difference
between preference for ladies and gents was statistically not significant i.e. But still many
students preferred ladies as teacher and the reasons attributed were, their sincerity, hard work,
efforts taken in preparing lectures, politeness and high pitch audible voice quality. Literature
points out that students are little biased to female teachers, which may be related to variety of
factors like empathic listening, better understanding and view of concern shown by them. In
one of the recent study by Bodhe et al., students do not find sex of the teacher worth
discrimination. A well dressed, clean and neat teacher produces good first impression, very
well draws the attention of the students and facilitates the further process of learning (Bar et
al., 2018).
Out of 75 students, 44% preferred ladies as teachers, with 27% favoring males and
29% neutral. Reasons for this preference include sincerity, hard work, politeness, and high
pitch voice quality. Students are not biased towards female teachers, possibly due to empathic
listening and better understanding. A well-dressed, clean teacher creates a good first
impression and facilitates learning.

Age is traditionally an asset to an individual, a most accessible variable, which is

added to a person‟s resume. The previous successful tenure, and previous trainings were
considered most important variables for promotion of teachers. In our study age of the
teacher was not taken as important attribute by the students. 44 % (33) of the students
preferred young and 43% (32) preferred older teachers while 13% of them did not have
specific age preference. This data for preference of age by students was not statistically
significant (Bodhe et al., 2018).
In view of all these, it is quite obvious that more recently the students did not consider
the age of the teachers and the looks of the teacher important. They have their own views. In

15
special remarks the students also suggested that knowledge of the teacher, clarity of thought
or idea, the concept, its explanation, confidence of teacher, the organization of lecture
material, command over the language and the subject, the classroom control and use of
proper audiovisual aids with recent knowledge are more important attributes. Use of
innovative and creative teaching techniques and student learning activities prevent boredom.
However these are supplementary not a substitute to a teacher.

Teacher experience refers to the number of years that a teacher has worked as a
classroom teacher. Many studies show a positive relationship between teacher experiences
and student achievement (Wayne and Youngs 2019). For example, using data from 4000
teachers in North Carolina, researchers found that teacher experience was positively related
to student achievement in both reading and mathematics. Rice (2019) found that the
relationship between teacher experience and student achievement was most pronounced for
students at the secondary level.

Coinciding with rising policy attention in attracting talented individuals to join the
teacher workforce, teacher education researchers and teacher policy makers have become
increasingly interested in understanding how observable traits are related to student learning
improvements (Liu and Xie 2021). In theoretical terms, holding a higher level of educational
attainment can imply either a better state of a teacher’s own level of human capital
development, or can act as a positive signal of adept innate ability, academic motivation, and
cognitive skills development compared to those teachers without such credentials. To that
end, a teacher’s better state of their own human capital development may reflect more
effective instructional craft, higher efficiency in classroom management, and greater
creativity to bolster learning (Liu 2021).

Contemporary literature studies reveal that there are ongoing changes in the field of
learning and teaching, and play-based learning has long been regarded as one of the most
effective ways to learn something new. The goal of this study was to better understand the
teaching strategies utilized in play-based learning and their significance in the primary school
teaching process. The study included 24 teachers from six Austrian elementary schools.
Interviews were conducted in a semi-structured format. The investigation lasted two months
and included the researcher's observations and participation in classes. The findings of this

16
study are based on a descriptive examination of teachers' perspectives. According to the
study's findings, but also to the researcher's observations, it is understood that play-based
learning is a frequent teaching approach in Austrian elementary schools, which establishes
the setting of pleasant and productive game-based learning for children. Furthermore, the
findings of this study demonstrate the activities used by teachers in various disciplines, as
well as the many abilities and skills that children learn through play. Teachers report that
game-based learning poses continual problems in terms of locating and constructing various
game activities, as well as tailoring their learning to the needs and interests of their students.
(Avdiu Eliza, 2019).

This study explores play-based learning strategies in primary school teaching in

Austria. It involved 24 teachers from six schools and lasted two months. The findings suggest
play-based learning is a common approach, creating a pleasant and productive learning
environment for children. Teachers report challenges in finding and creating game activities,
as well as tailoring learning to students' needs and interests. The study highlights the
importance of game-based learning in education.

Preschool education focuses on providing children aged four to six years old with
enjoyable and relevant learning experiences. The primary emphasis is on the child-centered
teaching and learning process, with an emphasis on the findings inquiry idea, the utilization
of integrated teaching and learning, thematic learning, learning via play, contextual learning,
and project-based learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate fun learning with
numeracy utilizing the Fun-Learning Kids tool in the teaching of math to preschool kids in
Kelantan. The playing strategy was adopted in this study. Preschool pupils from two schools,
namely private and public, were employed as a sample for the study. After the preschool
pupils were exposed to the, data was collected utilizing test questions (Motealleh & Sharareh
et al… 2017).

This study investigates fun learning with numeracy using the Fun-Learning Kids tool
in teaching math to preschool kids in Kelantan. The research uses a child-centered approach,
incorporating integrated teaching, thematic learning, play, contextual learning, and project-
based learning. Data was collected through test questions after exposure to the tool.

Research studies show that all students--young and old, rich and poor, urban and
rural--benefit immensely from classrooms filled with art, creativity, and laughter. Fun,

17
playfulness, creative thinking, and individual expression reinforce positive experiences,
which in turn lead to more engaged students, better classroom environments, and successful
learning outcomes. Designed for K-12 educators, "The Playful Classroom" describes how
teachers can develop a playful mindset for giving students meaningful, relevant and fun
learning experiences. This unique real-world guide provides you with everything you need to
incorporate engaging, hands-on lessons and creative activities, regardless of the level and
subject you teach. Building on contemporary and seminal works on learning theory and play
pedagogy, the authors explain how to inspire your students by bringing play into your
classroom.

This clear, user-friendly guide supplies practical strategies and effective solutions for
adding the missing ingredients to your classroom culture. Access to the authors' companion
website provides videos, learning experiences, and downloadable teaching and learning
resources. Packed with relatable humor, proven methods, and valuable insights, this book
enables you to: (1) Provide meaningful experiences that will benefit students both in school
and later in life; (2) Combine the principles of PLAY with traditional curricula to encourage
creative learning; (3) Promote trust, collaboration, and growth in students; (4) Develop a
playful mindset for bringing the arts into every lesson; and (5) Foster critical thinking in any
school community. "The Playful Classroom: The Power of Play for All Ages" is a must-have
resource for K-12 educators, higher education professionals, and readers looking for
education-based professional development and training resources (Jossey-Bass, An Imprint of
Wiley, 2019).

Play and playfulness and their role in learning are researched extensively in early
childhood education. However, as the child matures into an adult, play and playfulness are
given less attention in the teaching and learning process. In adult education, there is very little
research about play/playfulness and its significance for learning. Despite this oversight, there
are adult educators who routinely incorporate play and playfulness in their classrooms and
see it as central in the teaching of adults. This study used a comparative case study approach
to explore the role of play and playfulness in learning in an adult and higher education
classroom context. Based on specific criteria, four playful classrooms were identified and
investigated through classroom observations, interviews with the educators, focus group
interviews with students, and paper and pencil surveys administered to all students in these
classrooms. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim, and the classroom

18
observations were videotaped and reviewed. Inductive analysis and constant comparative
technique were utilized to analyze the data.

The findings revealed that educators associated the following elements with play and
playfulness: fun, spontaneity, relationship and connection, silliness or goofiness, creativity
and imagination. Furthermore, play and playfulness were most frequently manifested in the
classroom through risk taking, storytelling, and physical activities. Students identified
cognitive gains in terms of engagement, retention, and understanding. More significantly,
students indicated that play and playfulness created a unique learning environment that felt
safe and encouraged risk taking. Additionally, play and playful created positive effects such
as fun, enjoyment, and laughter in the classroom environment. This study addresses the lack
of empirical research on play and playfulness in adult learning. It identifies positive benefits
of incorporating play and playfulness in a classroom context and suggests that to fully realize
these benefits, educators should adopt a model of learning that embraces the significance of
emotions and affect. Play and playfulness facilitate learning in the adult and higher education
classroom. (Ben-David Kolikant, Yifat 2018).

This study explores the role of play and playfulness in adult and higher education
classrooms. Using a comparative case study approach, four playful classrooms were
identified and investigated. The findings revealed that educators associate elements with play
and playfulness, such as fun, spontaneity, relationship, silliness, creativity, and imagination,
with play and playfulness being central in adult education.

Play and playfulness, as well as its function in learning, have been intensively
investigated in early childhood education. Play and playfulness, however, are given less
attention in the teaching and learning process as the kid grows into an adult. There is virtually
little study in adult education about play/playfulness and its importance for learning. Despite
this omission, some adult educators consistently include play and playfulness into their
classrooms and consider it as essential in adult education. A comparative case study
technique was utilized in this study to investigate the function of play and playfulness in
learning in adult and higher education classroom settings (Taheri, Morteza 2019). Play and
playfulness are studied extensively in early childhood education but are less studied in adult
education. This study investigates the role of play and playfulness in learning in adult and
higher education classroom settings using a comparative case study technique.

19
 Many academics believe that students expect their university learning experiences to
be entertaining, and play-based learning discourses reflect this, with a dominating narrative
emphasizing the enjoyment of educational play. It is unknown if students expect learning to
be entertaining or recognize a connection between fun and games. To address this, we
conducted a theme network analysis on data from 37 in-depth interviews with undergraduate
students to study student perceptions of fun in Higher Education. We highlight five aspects
that students consider to be enjoyable learning experiences: stimulating pedagogy, lecturer
engagement, a safe learning environment, shared experience, and a low-stress atmosphere
(Mahmood, 2022).
Academics believe students expect university learning experiences to be entertaining,
with play-based discourses emphasizing educational play. A study analyzing 37 interviews
found five aspects students consider enjoyable: stimulating pedagogy, lecturer engagement, a
safe environment, shared experience, and a low-stress atmosphere. Play also provides a
potential opportunity to unite academic and developmental orientations to kindergarten
education as the benefits of play have been explored in relation to both personal and social
development as well as academic learning (Bodrova, Germeroth, et al…2014).Play combines
academic and developmental aspects in kindergarten education, promoting personal, social,
and academic growth.
Play contexts allow children to guide their learning and thus learn at a pace that aligns
with their individual development (Weisberg, Hirsh- Pasek, & Golinkoff, 2014). Play-based
learning is an effective literacy strategy to teach phonemic awareness and phonics skills when
taught with an adult as a facilitator. When students are part of creating the rules for a game or
activity, students are more engaged and participate more. Students learn cooperating,
problem-solving, and early literacy skills through guided play. Different academic levels
during play provide a variety of skills and strategies students can teach and learn from while
playing. Play-based learning can be used along with current classroom routines and
curriculum.Chin and Effandi (2015) researched and concluded that play-based learning
enhances positive learning behaviors, prosocial behavior, and self-regulation as an effective
strategy to play-based learning (as cited in Mohamad Ashari & Baharuddin, 2017).
Similarly, self-regulation, prosocial behaviors, increased engagement, enhanced oral
language and transfer of skills to reading and writing time were all observed during role-play
in a dramatic play center (Pyle & Danniels, 2017). Pyle and Danniels (2017) noted students
who did not have an adult as a facilitator during role-play only exhibited enhanced oral

20
language and self-regulation behaviors. Play contexts enable children to learn at their own
pace.
Play can be used for not only learning with children but also for teachers to use as a
way to assess children, Play can be used for evaluating children and determining if any
interventions are needed, also Play can be used to assess communication, physical, social-
emotional, and cognitive development. Assessment in play is commonly used for linking
observations of children's development with future lesson planning. Teachers use play as a
way to observe children's development. These observations are used to determine where the
children are now developmentally and for the teacher to plan what play experiences they will
provide next (Moyles, 2014). Play is a valuable tool for teachers to assess children's
development, communication, physical, social-emotional, and cognitive growth. It helps
teachers identify areas for improvement and plan future play experiences, ensuring effective
learning and intervention.

Teachers are responsible for ensuring that the play children engage in is set up to help
foster their academic and social development. It is the task of early childhood educators to
help children learn how to analyze, synthesize, and clarify information, and not recite facts or
figures with no meaning (Rushton, 2016). Teachers ensure children's academic and social
development through play, promoting analysis, synthesizing, and clarifying information,
rather than reciting facts or figures.

Teachers have their own style, strategies, methods, approaches, and techniques in
terms of teaching because this is their passion to do the work. They have their own
characteristics to possess just to keep the students learning and productive in the class.
Teaching style is a multifaceted phenomenon that reveals how teachers impart knowledge,
conduct classroom activities, and manage student behavior (Sheikh & Mahmood,
2014).Teachers' perception of play-based learning influences classroom implementation.
Teachers possess unique teaching styles, strategies, methods, approaches, and techniques to
maintain student learning and productivity, encompassing knowledge, classroom activities,
and behavior management. Teachers perceive play-based learning decides how play is
implemented in the classroom (Fessha & Pyle, 2016).

Play enables children to direct learning, while adults facilitate and connect materials.
It has been defined as a way for children to direct their learning through play while the adult

21
acts as a facilitator to enhance and connect learning to the materials being used (Pyle &
Danniels, 2017).Play-based learning involves children learning through play, adult
facilitation, and conversation with friends. It is a way for children to learn through play with
the adult as a facilitator but also to enhance learning through conversation with friends
(Asahri & Baharuddin, 2017).

Play through the interaction and relationships between students and teachers. Play
includes activities that are culturally and contextually mediated, and the relationships and
activities are not valued based on free play. (Cutter-Mckenzie and Edwards; 2014).Play
involves culturally mediated interactions between students and teachers, valued based on
context.Play is a time when children can act on their interests, create explorations, and
discover new ideas. In early childhood settings, play can be spontaneous, guided or teacher
directed. These types of play occur along a continuum that moves from child initiated to
teacher initiated. When children are engaged in play activity with their peers, observers
notice a child’s unwillingness to be distracted (Ray & Smith, 2016).

Play in early childhood settings involves children exploring interests, discovering new
ideas, and engaging in spontaneous, guided, or teacher-directed activities. Observers observe
children's willingness to be distracted during play activities. Play, as well as learning, are
natural components of children’s everyday lives. When children are asked what they like to
do best, the answers are unanimous: to play. On the other hand, education for children is, on
the whole, organized to promote learning rather than play (Phillips and Scrinzi; 2013). It
shows and analyzes many benefits of play-based learning and outcomes that come from this
approach but from a limited amount of teachers and classrooms, especially for graders older
than kindergarten. Although limitations arise, such as barriers to training, expenses, and
pressure from administrators, it is essential to look at what is best for students in regards to
learning.

Play and learning are natural components of children's lives, with play being their
favorite, while education focuses on learning. The purpose of this review was to analyze the
use of systematic instruction and the use of play-based learning as effective literacy strategies
for kindergarteners. These strategies are proven to be effective, and they stay away from the
skill and drill worksheets. Developmentally appropriate strategies like these allow educators
to teach in a way that increases academics while thinking of the child holistically. However,

22
gaps in the literature show that there is a need for more extensive and current up to date
research for play-based learning.

Children in play-based kindergartens have a double advantage over those who are
denied play: they end up equally good or better at reading and other intellectual skills, and
they are more likely to become well-adjusted healthy people (Miller & Almon, 2014).Play
Base learning, In the development and implementation of a professional development
programme for teachers of the kindergarten curriculum (4-5 year olds) in Ghana.
Kindergarten teachers in Ghana have little experience and meagre training in implementing a
play-based pedagogy as recommended in the national curriculum. An indigenous play-based
kindergarten teacher development programme was developed and successfully used to
improve participating teachers' knowledge, skills, attitudes and practices during the first year
of its implementation. Data collected through classroom observation, interviews,
photographs, participating teachers' reflective journals and an evaluation questionnaire
revealed that this programme had a positive impact on classroom practices and learners'
active participation in learning. The essential components of the programme are described as
a guide for professional teacher development for delivering indigenous play-based pedagogy
(IPBP) in early childhood education. (Dzamesi, Felicia Elinam 2020)

Play-based opportunities serve as an effective way for children to be engaged in the

learning process (Weisberg, et al. 2014 & Cavanaugh et al., 2016). Play-based kindergartens
benefit children by improving intellectual skills and fostering well-adjusted, healthy
individuals. Play-based learning engages children effectively. The "Playground Physics"
program combines informal, play-based, embodied learning experiences to support middle
school students' engagement with and motivation to learn about complex and abstract physics
concepts. This experimental design study examines the impact of "Playground Physics" on
students' science motivation, classroom engagement, and physics knowledge. The study
involved 24 treatment teachers using "Playground Physics" with 1,928 students, and 21
control teachers teaching their regular physics curriculum to 1,478 students. Results indicate
that students of treatment teachers showed significantly greater physics knowledge at posttest
than students of control teachers. No differences were noted for positive student engagement
and motivation in science class. Further research is needed to understand the relationship
between student engagement, motivation, and learning while using Playground Physics.
(Margolin, et al…2021)

23
 Play-based learning is, essentially, to learn while at play. While play has been shown
to benefit children’s development and learning, different types of play better support different
types of learning and development (Pyle et al., 2017). The promise of using games for
learning is that play- and learning-engagement would occur cohesively as a whole to
compose a highly motivated learning experience. Yet the conceptualization of such an
integrative process in the development of play-based learning engagement is lacking. In this
analytical paper, we explored and conceptualized the nature and development of game-based
learning engagement via an iterative, two-stage analytical process. The first stage was theory
driven. The literatures on motives of play, game and cognitive engagement, and game-based
learning were reviewed and analyzed. Theoretical discussions on how learning engagement is
activated and sustained during gameplay were distilled. The second stage was data driven. An
in situ, multiple-case study was conducted to further examine affective and cognitive facets
of learning engagement in gaming. The finding suggested that game-based learning
engagement is an integrated and continuing process that advances from affective engagement
driven by optimal challenge, cognitive engagement situated in playfulness, to potentially
game-action-based content engagement. (Kui; Xie, Ying 2016)

Play-based learning supports various learning styles and development in children,

enhancing their overall growth and development. Learner-centeredness is a consistent theme
in the field of education. Yet, the perspectives of young learners are still barely considered.
Have pointed out that even though young children have not developed cognitive maturity and
the metalinguistic awareness of adolescents or adults, they learn a language without any
stress or anxiety. They have the freedom to speak, be silent, pause, and make mistakes when
producing the language. It is extremely important, therefore, for teachers to consider
presenting relaxing learning contexts and environments for young language learners. This
paper reports the positive affective outcomes that have been found in a play-based language
learning (PLL) classroom and young EFL learners' opinions of play-based English language
learning. The participants were third graders that took part in PLL activities for 15 weeks.
Qualitative data were gathered from observations to shed light on the participants' positive
affective outcomes and interviews in order to investigate their opinions toward PLL
activities. These young language learners' voices and reflections on the PLL activities provide
a unique perspective on the usefulness of play activities integrated into young learners'
classroom language learning. (Lightbown and Spada 2015)

24
 Play-based learning benefits include free and guided play. Studies that have been
conducted on the benefits of play-based learning have typically focused on two types of play,
free play and guided play (Danniels & Pyle, 2018).This case study explores child, parent,
teacher, and school-leader perspectives of a play-based learning (Pb-L) approach in one new-
entrant classroom. Data were gathered through focus groups, interviews and an online survey.
Findings indicate that children valued the opportunity for self-initiated, handson, interest-
based exploration and social interaction with peers, as afforded in a Pb-L classroom. Parents,
the teacher, and the school leader valued a Pb-L approach as contributing to child wellbeing
and social and emotional development, as well as enhancing the transition experience. The
study affirms the importance of shared understanding and stakeholder acceptance and offers
insight into potential implications in implementing a Pb-L approach. (Jackson, Jayne 2018)

Kindergarten, a children's garden, nurtures children's natural play inclination. The

process of Education takes place in the society. Learning is ultimately a social process.
People initially learn something independently and eventually that learning is modified
through interaction with others. It is very important for a child to have good social skills to
learn meaningfully while interacting with the members of the society. Kindergarten focuses
on child-centered, playful growth and development. Kindergarten was originally designed as
a child-centered program, with a playful context for children to grow and develop (Froebel
2016).Kindergarten, or what he referred to as “the children’s garden,” he introduced the idea
of kindergarten as a place where children’s natural inclination of play could be nurtured (Pyle
et al., 2017).

Social skills encourage positive interactions and avoid negative interactions with
others. A child having good social skills can cope effectively with the social environment as
well as the school environment. Children’s school performance, behavior, social and family
relationships and involvement in co-curricular activities are influenced by the extent to which
they posses good social skills. (Flowers, 2017).Young children interact with family members,
peers and teachers throughout life. The children transfer their social interaction skills from
one context to another.
More specifically, families play a large role in successful literacy learning in young
children. Conducted a study to research how families support their child’s literacy
development. The participants in their study consisted of four different classes of 6 year olds
in the United Kingdom. The purpose of the study was to research how literacy development

25
occurs through social interactions within a home environment. Williams and Rask learned
that through the support and modeling of their families, children develop literacy skills that
emerge from situations they are encountering with their families. For example, reading stories
together enhances children’s reading and writing skills by teaching children that the words on
the page carry meaning. (Williams & Rask, 2016).

Play is used by practitioners from across disciplinary backgrounds as a natural and

enjoyable context for providing intervention and support in early childhood. In the case of
autism interventions, many therapies are based on the association between social play and the
development of social skills, language development, and communication skills, as these are
often particular areas of challenge for autistic children. However, play is a wide-ranging
concept and the extant literature on play-based interventions is large and heterogeneous. This
means it is challenging for practitioners and families to navigate the evidence base and make
choices about differing intervention strategies. This review aims to provide a comprehensive
map of the research on this topic and to develop a conceptual framework to inform clinical
decision-making. Methods: An initial stakeholder consultation confirmed the relevance of the
topic to practitioners and autistic people. A scoping review methodology (preregistered) was
used to identify relevant literature (Gibson, Jenny L, Pritchard, Emma et al…2021).

It is vital to foster children's ability to cooperate with others, communicate effectively,

and exercise self-control. These competencies represent a set of transferrable skills required
in many aspects of daily life and along any career path. In Hong Kong, a play-based training
programme was launched to support parents to target these areas of social competence. The
programme taught 414 parents to use group games that foster social skills development in
children aged 4-5 years. Parents completed culturally-appropriate questionnaires before the
programme started, one week after the programme ended, and three months after the
programme ended. Paired sample "t"-test analyses revealed significant improvements in
children's social skills. Implications for using play-based social learning experiences are
discussed. (Chau, Lilian 2022).

Project Summary Play in the classroom supports academic skills andis

developmentally appropriate for children to grow cognitively, socially, and emotionally. Play
in the classroom that is child-centered and teacher guided with desired learning outcomes is
play-based learning (PBL). (Pyle & Danniels, 2017). Research on PBL shows overall student

26
growth in academic, social and emotional development .PBL is a child-centered and focused
pedagogical practice that is developmentally appropriate for first grade students, yet as
students move from kindergarten to first grade, they experience a significant change in their
school environment. (Davis, 2017; Pyle & Alaca, et al… 2018).

Student engagement in tertiary cinema studies can be fickle: while most students
respond strongly to films, little regard is similarly paid to prescribed readings or other
coursework that is crucial to developing complex critical thinking with media. This paper
presents a case study of an intervention aimed to remedy this disparity of student interest:
play-based learning. Play-based learning, here defined as 'the use of playful elements in both
the explanation of subjects and their evaluation' (Torres-Toukoumidis, 2020), has a long
history of encouraging lateral and creative modes of thinking, increasing engagement and
participation, and fostering a supportive and enjoyable learning community. This paper
outlines the ways that play-based learning was engaged in a small-scale action research
project, and the positive effects that this created within the cinema studies classroom.
Critically, it shows the value of play-based learning in fostering resilient, creative and
motivated students, particularly at the first-year level of tertiary film education. (Henderson,
Laura, 2022).

Literacy skills specialized for content learning are closely associated with individual
higher-order thinking and advanced language skill development .The development of
advanced literacy skills can only be achieved through students’ active engagement in
authentic and purposeful disciplinary learning activities imbued with meaning, value, and
emotions. (Shanahan, 2015).

Teachers can implement play-based learning through games that intentionally target
literacy skills through rich, integrated curriculum and instructional materials of high quality.
With a rich, integrated curriculum and top-notch teaching resources, teachers can apply play-
based learning through games that specifically target reading skills. (Paciga, et al… 2015;
Pyle, 2018).

In a meta-analysis of play studies, Hall et al …2014) found that a number of research

reports reflect the relationships between play and literacy. Hall summarizes the conclusions
of these studies related as follows:

27
1. Play as a fundamental cognitive activity is preparation for more complex cognitive
activities such as literacy.
2. Symbolic behavior in play is related to the understanding of a representational system like
written language.
3. Language behavior in play is related to literate language.
4. When children are offered play experience with literacy-related resources, they act in
literate ways.

Studies that support conclusion 1 indicate that children learn more complex
knowledge through play. For example, Gentile and Hoot et al., 2016) state, “through painting,
children become aware that images on paper are meaningful and say something” (as cited in
Hall, 2014). Believes that children recognize things have meaning by experiencing them
during play, but that the relationship between play and literacy is somewhat “incidental”. In
other words, Hall implies that the relationship happens naturally rather than deliberately and
literacy is learned when experiencing play.
Studies that support conclusion 2 imply that children learn how to write by expressing
their thoughts orally when playing. Through symbolic play children have the opportunity to
pretend and create something that has meaning to them. (Isenberg and Jacob, 2015) state,
“symbolic play, the process of transforming an object or oneself into another object, person,
situation, or event through the use of motor and verbal actions in a make believe activity,
provides an important source of literacy development” (as cited in Hall, 2014). Symbolic play
encourages literacy development by facilitating children’s knowledge of how sounds and
symbols work as they communicate in the play setting.

Studies that support conclusion 3 imply that the language that children use during
play is similar to the language children will use when they begin to read and write. Research
shows that children who are engaged in socio-dramatic play use language to develop scripts,
thus merging the literacy skills of reading and writing into play. Having practice with these
skills, allows children to transfer their knowledge to reading texts within a school setting
(Hall, 2014).

Studies that support conclusion 4 are based on research that integrates the use of
literacy related objects into a play setting so that children have the opportunity to deliberately
develop literacy skills. Isenberg and Jacob, 2016) examined two four-year-old girls while

28
playing in a literacy rich environment and found that the girls used literacy activities at home
and at school. The two girls showed that when children are provided with literacy-related
objects, regardless of the setting, engaging in play will only enhance their literacy skills.
Isenberg and Jacob concluded from their observations that young children can develop
literacy skills by engaging in play (Hall,, 2014).

The overarching interest of this study concerns how to outline learning opportunities
and support in early childhood education (ECE) without losing its play-based character. More
specifically, the study reports an empirical investigation into the evolving activity of a 6.5-
year-old child and an adult conversing about the child's drawing of "Numberland." What the
child's drawing and his discussion about it with the adult tell us about his emergent
mathematics skills is analysed. How the child shifts between speaking and enacting "as if"
and "as is," and how the adult supports his mathematics understanding through entering into
the play-frame are analysed. How imaginary, play-based activities like this can provide the
means for ECE and what this implies for the teacher are discussed. (Pramling, Niklas 2018).

Early literacy is largely acquired through child-led learning, yet current ways to
support and enhance it may present problems of coercion and adult control. The "Following
in our Footsteps II" intervention sought to circumvent such problems by teaching parent and
educator pairs of 46 preschoolers how to make every day literacy and numeracy processes
(attention control condition) visible to children. Mixed-design ANOVAs indicated that
children's literacy- and numeracy-related play increased significantly after four weeks of
demonstrations. Reading and writing performance improvements were significantly greater in
the Literacy group than in the Numeracy group. The results indicate that preschoolers'
exposure to parents' and educators' everyday code-related literacy practices can enhance
preschoolers' literacy interest and learning. They highlight an innovative way to increase
exposure to code-related literacy skills and circumnavigate possible problems of coercion and
adult control. Implications for literacy learning in play-based settings are discussed.
(Magnusson, Maria 2021).

Early literacy is largely acquired through child-led learning, yet current ways to
support and enhance it may present problems of coercion and adult control. The "Following
in our Footsteps II" intervention sought to circumvent such problems by teaching parent and
educator pairs of 46 preschoolers how to make every day literacy and numeracy processes

29
(attention control condition) visible to children. Mixed-design ANOVAs indicated that
children's literacy- and numeracy-related play increased significantly after four weeks of
demonstrations. Reading and writing performance improvements were significantly greater in
the Literacy group than in the Numeracy group. The results indicate that preschoolers'
exposure to parents' and educators' everyday code-related literacy practices can enhance
preschoolers' literacy interest and learning. They highlight an innovative way to increase
exposure to code-related literacy skills and circumnavigate possible problems of coercion and
adult control. Implications for literacy learning in play-based settings are discussed. (Parrila,
Rauno 2021).

Numeracy is a skill that involves confidence and the ability to deal with numbers and
measurements. (Arguel, Amael 2015). It necessitates a working knowledge of the number
system, a set of computational skills, and a desire and capacity to solve number issues in
various situations. Numeracy also requires a practical understanding of how data is obtained
by counting and measuring and then presented or depicted in graphs, diagrams, charts, and
tables.

Numeracy defined in the broadest sense is the ability to understand and use numbers.
This would include an understanding of the real number line, the ability to compare numbers
in magnitude, the understanding of time and money, measurement, estimation, and the ability
to perform simple arithmetic. At a somewhat higher level, a broad definition might also
include basic logic, performing multi-step operations, a fundamental understanding of chance
and basic statistical principles, and comfort with proportions, fractions, probabilities, and
risks. Researchers have defined and measured numeracy in various ways, often because of
differences in their specific research interests and domain of study. For example, (Paulos,
2016) defines innumeracy as the “inability to deal comfortably with the fundamental notions
of number and chance” (pg. 3). He discusses difficulties individuals have in understanding
extremely large and small numbers, grasping infinity, correctly using combinations and
permutations to calculate quantities, and understanding basic concepts involving chance and
probability.

Numeracy, is the knowledge, skills, practices, and attitudes that learners need to do
math in a variety of situations. It involves perceiving and comprehending the world's

30
mathematical functions. (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2017). It involves
perceiving and comprehending the world's mathematical functions.

Many people's numerical experience in daily life includes number, estimation, and
calculation (Raymundo, 2014). Numerical agreement, familiarity, and critical thinking get
extremely advanced and developed as learners grow (Kurmaniak,2021). These abilities
enable students to use arithmetic to make informed decisions and solve problems effectively.

Early math and numeracy are the general understanding of numbers and basic
mathematical concepts (Harris & Petersen 2019); (Toll & Van Luit 2014). These are skills
such as counting, comparing and contrasting, describing shapes and positions and problem
solving.
Students who are exposed to and master early math abilities at a young age are more likely to
succeed in school. (Harris & Petersen, 2019). Student who enter Kindergarten low in math
skills tend to continue to perform below their peers in later grades. Math learning and
intervention needs to happen before Kindergarten. These students, especially at-risk students,
need to opportunity to build a strong foundation at a young age.

Supporting children's schemas in play-based activities and curricula are a valued and
embedded part of early childhood practice in many education systems (Meade, A., and P.
Cubey. 2008. "Thinking Children, Learning About Schemas." Berkshire: Open University;
Nutbrown, C. 2011. "Threads of Thinking Schemas and Young Children's Learning." 4th ed.
London: Sage; Arnold, C. 2013. "Drawing Our Learning Together from the Case Studies." In
Mairs, K. and The Pen Green Team. "Young Children Learning through Schemas," edited by
Cath Arnold, 169-174. London: Routledge; Atherton, F., and C. Nutbrown. 2013.
"Understanding Schemas and Young Children." London: Sage; Constable, K. 2013.
"Planning for Schemas Play in the Early Years." Oxon: Routledge.) This study takes place in
South East Wales in the current early years' curriculum, the Foundation Phase (FP). Currently
FP practitioners are provided with little guidance on supporting children's schemes, with
limited references to schemes within FP policy documents. Therefore, this research provides
empirical data comparing children's levels of involvement in literacy and numeracy activities
between those planned for schematically and those planned for non-
schematically. (Education, 2021).

31
 Research suggests that young children have a complex sense of informal mathematics,
including an understanding of more and less, shape, and patterns (Ginsburg, Lee, & Boyd,
2017), and that attention to mathematics in early childhood ensures that children have a
strong foundation for later learning. For children with identified disabilities, the Individual
Family Service Plan under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires
an educational focus that promotes school readiness and includes preliteracy and numeracy
skills (IDEA, 2018). A primary area of early mathematical development is number sense.
Number sense involves an understanding of the meaning and representation of numbers as
well as relationships among numbers (NCTM, 2015), and it includes counting, numerical
comparisons, and verbal and nonverbal addition and subtraction (Sarama & Clements, 2015).
Early discrepancies in mathematical performance signal the need for formal and informal
interventions for at-risk children (Duncan et al., 2007). Explicit teaching of concepts such as
the linear representation of number through play with number board games has been shown
to be effective in increasing numerical skill (Ramani, 2014) and has potential for
collaborative implementation across school and home. This article touches on how board
game play affects numeracy development, instructional practices during board game play,
and connecting home and school. Young Exceptional Children, 2020).
Synthesis

Based on the studies, journals, and articles that the researchers gathered, the profile of
the respondents in terms of age and sex in relation to literacy, social, and numeracy skills.
Play-based learning has long been regarded as one of the most effective ways to learn new
things, and examinations of contemporary literature indicate that there are continual
improvements in the fields of learning and teaching. The purpose of this study was to gain a
deeper understanding of the play-based learning teaching methodologies and their importance
to primary school instruction. The study's findings and the researcher's observations indicate
that play-based learning is a common teaching strategy in Austrian primary schools, creating
the ideal environment for children to learn through games in a fun and effective way. The
results of this study also show the activities utilized by teachers in many fields and the
numerous abilities and skills that kids pick up through play.
In the study conducted by International Journal of Early Childhood Education and
Care, Preschool education focuses on providing children aged four to six years old with
enjoyable and relevant learning experiences. The primary emphasis is on the child-centered
teaching and learning process, with an emphasis on the findings inquiry idea, the utilization
of integrated teaching and learning, thematic learning, learning via play, contextual learning,
and project-based learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate fun learning with
numeracy utilizing the Fun-Learning Kids tool in the teaching of math to preschool kids in

32
Kelantan. The playing strategy was adopted in this study. Preschool pupils from two schools,
namely private and public, were employed as a sample for the study. After the preschool
pupils were exposed to the, data was collected utilizing test questions.
As stated by Teaching in Higher Education, Play and playfulness are extensively
studied in early childhood education but are often overlooked in adult education. Despite this,
some adult educators incorporate play and playfulness into their classrooms, recognizing its
importance for learning. This study used a comparative case study technique to investigate
the role of play and playfulness in learning in adult and higher education classroom settings.
This study investigates the role of play and playfulness in learning in adult and higher
education classroom settings using a comparative case study technique.

The researchers found that children who spent more time interacting in social groups
within their free play activities were rated by their teachers as more socially competent than
those who spent time playing alone. These are children who seem better able to sustain
positive peer relationships and engage in positive social exchanges, even when the play is
considered rough and tumble. They also found that the quality of peer interactions (defined as
prolonged interactions with smaller groups of peers) and the time spent in free play are more
important to the development of ASC than any one type of play. A high correlation was
found between children who scored higher on the SDQ and those who spent time in positive
peer interactions. Therefore, they conclude that the play environment and quality of the play
interactions have a greater effect on social outcomes than any one type of play. They
recommend that the importance of free, unstructured play time not be overlooked in this era
of replacing play with academics.
As predicted, children who exhibited higher levels of peer play (as measured by
PIPPS Penn Interactive Peer Play Scale) in Head Start were rated as more school-ready by
their kindergarten teachers. These children were better able to follow directions, self-regulate,
and cooperate, and they were better prepared for the academic rigors of kindergarten. The
authors suggest that because children practice these ASC skills during peer play, they are
learning, through play, how to behave and learn in a way that is socially and academically
acceptable to their kindergarten teachers. This study was exclusive to the children's Head
Start and kindergarten years. The authors do not know which children had prior formal
schooling, which could have influenced their peer play abilities.
Researchers found that both social and abstract pretend play positively correlated with
an overall higher SSRS score, leading the authors to suggest that these types of play are
important in the development of social and cognitive ASC skills. They recommend that
parents and teachers actively promote and extend social pretend play activities to build these
important skills (Li, Hestenes, & Wang, 2016). The authors note that this study only looked
at play behaviors on the playground. The benefits of social pretend play will extend into the
classroom if teachers consciously promote pretend play during the school day.
The study used Performance Indicators in Primary Schools (PIPS) to measure
vocabulary and reading development in children. Initially, there were no positive effects with
Early Childhood Education (EC) in the first three years, with some negative effects.
However, by year four, the EC cohorts matched the control group, and by year seven, the
EC2 cohort outperformed the EC 1 cohort, suggesting that teachers and children had adapted

33
to the new curriculum. The authors caution that administrators and teachers should be
mindful of the time it takes to settle in to a play-based approach, as it can have a positive
effect on literacy development and future academic achievement. Further study is needed to
determine if better professional development fills the gaps or if the EC cohorts eventually
outpace the control group.
All participants stressed that student-centred learning was of high importance when
applying play-based learning, as has been previously demonstrated. The results of the online
survey and interviews assured that applying play-based learning is a source of enjoyment for
both students and teachers, as has been noted in previous research. In addition, the findings
demonstrated that the teacher educators believe that play-based learning is a motivational
factor for learning. The interviewees cited that a range of skills are developed by the pre-
service teachers when applying play-based learning, including socio-psychological skills,
self-reflection, self-confidence, cooperation, stress management and language abilities; this is
consistent with previous studies.
The Framework for Quality LTP (Learning through Play) is a framework designed to
bridge the gap between early years learning contexts and school implementation. It is based
on definitional statements based on learning science, child development theory, the role of
the child and adult, and existing high impact teaching strategies. The framework provides a
basic structure for understanding, applying, and evaluating learning through play and playful
pedagogies. It bridges dichotomous representations and creates a common language for those
responsible for developing, designing, applying, and evaluating these pedagogies.
School communities must understand the meaning of play and learning, the roles and
responsibilities of the child and teacher, and the benefits for learning. The Framework for
Quality LTP offers a clear and consistent language that aligns with expectations of school
communities around evidence of learning and the teacher's role as facilitator. It
communicates the role and benefits of playful pedagogies as legitimate vehicles for learning.
A lack of consensus on a definition and core components of learning through play at
school means it is not possible to develop instruments to measure its impact. The Framework
for Quality LTP provides the opportunity to develop the research base and instruments
required to effectively measure playful learning, including performance assessments and
portfolio evaluations. However, critical steps in the research process are required to
determine the validity of the framework across different contexts.

Lastly, this study was made by the researcher for the purpose of assessing the play-
based approach to skill acquisition in kindergarten. In this researcher can identify the effect
of play based on every student when it comes in their learning. It will help them a lot to be
more active and become more engaging in their studies. Since we are future educators, we
can apply this study in our future students when it comes in their learning.

34
CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURE

This chapter will present the methodology of the study. This includes the research
design, research locale, research instrument, sampling respondents, data gathering
procedures, data analysis, statistical, treatment, and potential ethical considerations.

Research Design

This study will aim to assess the Play-based Approach on Skill Acquisition of
Kindergarten. The most appropriate method in this study is descriptive research design.
Descriptive research design will be used to describe a population, situation of phenomenon.
The researchers believed that this design would truly help in conducting their survey.

A research design is the specific procedure involved in the research process: data
collection, data analysis, and report writing. The research design specifies the procedures for
collecting and analyzing the required data, as well as how all of this will contribute to
answering the research question.

Research Locale

In the study titled "Assessment of Play-Based Approach on Skill Acquisition of

Kindergarten," the research locale will be carefully selected to ensure comprehensive
coverage. The researchers targeted 60 schools from a total of 72 public elementary schools
within the Division of Lipa. To determine the appropriate sample size, they employed
Slovin's formula, which accounts for the population size and the desired level of accuracy.
This approach allowed the researchers to gather data from a representative set of schools,
enabling a more in-depth understanding of the challenges encountered by Kindergarten
Teachers in overseeing student activities within the educational context of the region.

Research Instrument

The researchers will use the survey questionnaire as the primary tool to gather the
data. The researchers constructed a questionnaire and presented it to the respondents in
school that are being chosen. There were 2 parts of the questionnaire, first the profile of the
teacher including the age, gender and socio-economic status.

The second part was about the effect of fun based teaching on the development of
kindergarten students' skills in terms of: literacy skills, social skills, time management skills

35
and numeracy skills. Research instrument is a measuring instrument such as tests,
questionnaires, interview guides and observation guidelines used by researchers to collect
data in a study (Sugiyono, 2015).

Principally researching is measuring, then there must be a good measuring tool.

Gauges in research are usually called research instruments. Thus a research instrument is an
instrument used to measure the natural and social phenomena observed. Specifically these
phenomena are called the research variables.

The research instrument is used as a data collection tool, and the instruments
commonly used in the research are some questionnaires and questionnaires submitted and
given to each respondent who is sampled in the research during observation and interview.
The instrument of this research is questionnaire (questionnaire is a technique of data
collection which is done by giving a set of questions or a written statement to the respondent
to be answered). It means that to collect the data, we give the questions or statements for
respondents to be answered. The type of the question is a closed questionnaire. A closed
questionnaire is a set of questionnaires and options that have already been settled by
researchers.

In this research, the content of the questionnaire will be some questions about the
effects of fun-based teaching in kindergarten. The respondent will alternatively choose the
answer between 1 to 4. 1 count strongly disagrees and 4 represent strongly agree. The scale to
measure this research is Likert Scale. The Likert Scale is a tool used to develop instruments
used to measure the attitudes, perceptions, and opinions of a person or group of people
against the potentials and problems of an object, the design of a product, the process of
creating products and products that have been developed or created.

The choice of the answer is as the following table:

POINT EXPLANATION

4 Strongly Agree

3 Agree

2 Disagree

1 Strongly Disagree

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Respondents of the study

The subject of the study will be the Kindergarten teachers in the 60 schools out of 72
schools in Public Elementary Schools in the Division of Lipa. These educators make a big
impact on the socialization of the kindergarten students.

To investigate this topic comprehensively, the researchers will select respondents

from the various schools within the Division of Lipa.

NAME OF SCHOOLS NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

1. Senator Claro M. Recto 2

2. Pagolingin Elementary School 2

3. San Carlos Elementary School 2

4. Marawoy Elementary School 2

5. Teodoro M. Kalaw Memorial School 2

6. Gaudencio B. Lontok Memorial School 2

7. Inosloban Marawoy Elementary School 2

8. Dagatan Elementary School 2

9. Bulacnin Elementary School 2

10. Fernando Air Base 2

11. San Celestino Elementary School 2

12. San Francisco Elementary School 2

13. San Isidro Elementary School 2

14. San Jose Elementary School 2

15. Sto. Nino Elementary School 2

16. Sto. Toribio Elementary School 2

17. Padre Valerio Elementary School 2

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18. Abundio Torre Memorial School 2

19. Tambo Elementary School 2

20. Sico Elementary School 2

21. Brion Elementary School 2

22. Labac Elementary School 2

23. Pinagkawitan Elementary School 2

24. Don Leon Memorial Elementary School 2

25. Edilberto Memorial Elementary School 2

26. Anilao Elementary School 2

27. Kayumanggi Elementary School 2

28. Jose K. Obando Elementary School 2

29. San Adriano Elementary School 2

30. Tipakan Elementary School 2

31. San Benito Elementary School 2

32. Anangi Elementary School 2

33. Malitlit Elementary School 2

34. Tangob Elementary School 2

35. Bugtong na Pulo Elementary School 2

36. Lumbang Elementary School 2

37. Talisay Elementary School 2

38. Bolbok Elementary School 2

39. Lodlod Elementary School 2

40. Mabini Elementary School 2

41. Sampaguita Elementary School 2

38
42. Calamias Elementary School 2

43. Tangway Loob Elementary School 2

44. San Gullermo Elementary School 2

45. San Sebastian Elementary School 2

46. Bagong Pook Elementary School 2

47. Bulaklakin Elementary School 2

48. Duhatan Elementary School 2

49. San Lucas Elementary School 2

50. Tibig Elementary School 2

51. Tangway Elementary School 2

52. 2

53. San Salvador Elementary School 2

54. Malitlit Anangi Elementary School 2

55. Pusil Elementary School 2

56. Plaridel Elementary School 2

57. Leoncio Elementary School 2

58. Rizal Elementary School 2

59. Malagundong Elementary School 2

60. Cipriano Andal Elementary School 2

Sampling

In this study, the researchers used Fish Bowl sampling. The researchers used Fish
Bowl to randomly select schools.

39
 The researchers chose the teachers of kindergarten since they are the ones who will
teach first to their students because the children don’t have knowledge yet. All the
respondents were given a questionnaire to assess the effects of fun-based learning to skills;
acquisition of kindergarten.

Data Gathering Procedure and Analysis

The researcher utilized a conceptual framework in order to gather information of

respondents, it also states the following procedure that researcher conducted this framework
contains Phase 1, 2 and 3.

Phase 1
Phase 2 Phase 3

 Pre- Assessment
Interview
 Distribution of  Tabulation of
 Crafting of
letter Analysis Data
Survey
 Administering the  Tallying Analysis
Questionnaire
Survey Interpreting
 Validation of
Questionnaire
Survey
Questionnaire

The researchers will conduct a pre-analysis of different schools in the City of Lipa
and based on the results of pre-assessment, the researchers found out that the Pagolingin Bata
Elementary School, Pagolingin Elementary School, Kayumanggi Elementary School, Anilao
Elementary School, Labac Elementary School, Brion Elementary School, Don Leon E. Dolor
MES,

In order to create a survey questionnaire, researchers will first think about and look
for study related questions. The researchers will choose different schools that are near Lipa to

40
validate their survey questionnaire. The comment and suggestion were considered in making
the final draft to improve the instruments.

In order to conduct study, the researchers will make a letter that will be given to the
Principal. After the letter that researchers did, it will be given to the school head. In order to
proceed with the survey, the researchers will give the letter of consent to the school head to
ask permission to conduct a survey that will be given by the Kindergarten teachers. The
researchers also will send a letter of consent to participate and after making a formal letter
and making it approve, the researchers distributed the survey questionnaire.

Statistical Treatment of Data

The data gathered will be treated through the use of various formulas. The researchers
used the following statistical tools to measure the collected data accurately.

Frequency- the rate at which something occurs or is repeated over a particular period of time
or in a given sample.

Percentage- a rate, number, or amount in each hundred.

Frequency and Percentage- it is used by calculating the taking frequency in the category
divided by the total number of participants.

p=frequency /(total no . of respondents)×100

Ranking- used to arrange the different indicators of the study as perceived by the
respondents.

Mean- it is used to represent the typical value.

×=(∑ x)/n
Weighted Mean- involves multiplying each data point in a set by a value which is
determined by some characteristic of whatever contributed to the data point.

WM=(∑ FW )/ N
Analysis of Variance- it is used to determine if there is a significant difference between the
profile of the respondents and the effects of fun-based learning in the skill acquisition of
kindergarten.

F=MST / MSE

Ethical Potential Consideration

41
 The respondents will be voluntary and not forced by the researchers to be included in
a study. The researchers gave an assent form or consent letter to the principal to give
permission for their Kindergarten teacher to participate in a study that was conducted by the
researchers. There is no forced coercion on kindergarten teachers since the researchers
wanted to know the effects of fun-based teaching to skills; acquisition to kindergarten. The
researchers communicated the school through the hardbound of their thesis that was
conducted in the different schools in the Lipa area Pagolingin Bata Elementary School,
Pagolingin Elementary School, Kayumanggi Elementary School, Anilao Elementary School
and Labac Elementary School.

The information that the researchers got about the respondents were confidential
where no one knew. All the financial expenses that were utilized are own expenses from the
researchers. Pagolingin Bata Elementary School, Pagolingin Elementary School,
Kayumanggi Elementary School, Anilao Elementary School, Labac Elementary School.

42