School Play Activities: Assessment of Educators’ Knowledgeability of Physical, Creative and Cognitive Development of Basic Education Children

摘要

The purpose of the research study was to assess the educators’ knowledgeability regarding children’s physical, creative and cognitive development through play activities in Basic Education schools in Uyo Urban of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. It was assumed that the findings of the study would help educators to have an understanding that pupils’ play activities should not be regarded as time for children to expend excess energy while the teachers take rest. A 5-point structured questionnaire with 30 item-statements based on the fundamental principle of Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) was used to elicit opinion from the respondents. A sample of 180 educators randomly drawn from 18 Basic Education schools in Uyo Urban was surveyed. The reliability index of the instrument was 0.78 determined through Cronbach Alpha method. The data collected were analysed using frequency, percentage and the rank order statistics. The findings of the study showed that educators implementing the Basic Education programme are quite knowledgeable of children’s physical, creative and cognitive development through school play activities but the highest ranking goes for the physical development. This seems to suggest that the goals of play activities are not mutually exclusive, hence, children’s development should be considered wholistically through play activities.