Changes in primary school teachers’ perceptions of play

ABSTRACT

This study examined the effect of play-based practices implemented with a national project on the development of Turkish primary school teachers’ perceptions of play. Thirty primary school teachers participated in the study, and the play-based applications lasted six days. Sample play activities were taught to the teachers, and then they were asked to produce their own. The perception of play scale was used to examine the effects of the applications on perceptions of play. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted to examine the changes in individuals more clearly. Teachers’ perceptions of play were examined in terms of the contributions, tasks, and nature of play activities. Nonparametric tests were used in the analysis of quantitative data, and content analysis was used in the analysis of qualitative data. As a result of this study, positive changes were seen in the teachers’ perceptions of play.

KEYWORDS:

• Perception of play
• primary school teacher
• view of play
• child-centred approach
• play-based learning

Acknowledgments

The My Teacher’s Play project was a very difficult process. I would like to thank my husband, Yusuf Küçükaydın, for his psychological support throughout this process.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethics approval

An ethical committee proposal was submitted to the Necmettin Erbakan University Ethical Committee before data collection, and it was approved with the commission date and the number of 2020/110.

Supplemental data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/13664530.2023.2298216.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the TÜBİTAK (Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey) [grant number 121B385].

Notes on contributors

Menşure Alkış Küçükaydın

Menşure Alkış Küçükaydın is the Primary School Teacher Education Scholar at the Necmettin Erbakan University, Turkey. She has experience as a primary school teacher and a teacher educator in Konya. Her research interests are primary school teachers’ science knowledge for teaching and their science professional development.