A qualitative study on play corners: comparison of a semi-private preschool and a public preschool in Catalonia, Spain

摘要

This study aims at comparing and contrasting the physical environment, play materials offered in the centers, pedagogical approaches used by the teachers during the play hours and emergence of play situations that are beneficial in children's development. Data was collected mainly through naturalistic observation. In addition to observation, photos were taken in order to analyze the physical space. 4-year-olds preschool- (P-4) classes were selected in both public and semi-private centers in Catalonia in order to compare and contrast educational opportunities in the play corners. Data was analyzed qualitatively. Findings on physical space have revealed that quality of child interaction and play time depended highly on the spatial organization and sizeumber of children ratio. This investigation has revealed that the teacher in the public pre-school was using pedagogically more appropriate strategies of teaching and was fulfilling her role as a guide more adequately. It was concluded that play corners in the public center were providing more (and better) opportunities for socio-dramatic play.