Early Child Development and Care

ISSN: 0300-4430 (Print) 1476-8275 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/gecd20

Free play in early childhood education: a

phenomenological study

Selda Aras

To cite this article: Selda Aras (2016) Free play in early childhood education: a
phenomenological study, Early Child Development and Care, 186:7, 1173-1184, DOI:
10.1080/03004430.2015.1083558

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2015.1083558

Published online: 15 Sep 2015.

Submit your article to this journal

Article views: 5178

View Crossmark data

Citing articles: 8 View citing articles

Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at

http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=gecd20
Early Child Development and Care, 2016
Vol. 186, No. 7, 1173–1184, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2015.1083558

Free play in early childhood education: a phenomenological study

Selda Aras*

Department of Elementary Education, TED University, Ankara, Turkey

(Received 1 June 2015; accepted 12 August 2015)

It is aimed to investigate perceptions and implementations of early childhood

teachers on free play and their involvement in children’s free play. Recent
studies focused on that, although there is an increase in the amount of teacher
involvement, the quality of this involvement should be clearly examined. Lev
Vygotsky examined play as an opportunity providing a context for socially
assisted learning, a key role in abstract thinking, and a tool promoting
development and learning. Teachers’ involvement is considered as an important
factor for the relationship between play and developmental outcomes. This
phenomenological study used interview and observation. Results indicate that
teachers respect the children’s play. However, they get involved in when
children have problems and need help. They use free playtime to complete their
daily plans and take attendance.
Keywords: early childhood teachers; play; involvement; perceptions of teachers;
implementations of teachers

Background of the study

Developmentally appropriate programmes for young children place developmental
characteristics of the young child at the centre of the curriculum. In early childhood
education, developmentally appropriate programmes are viewed as play-centred pro-
grammes that use the power of play to drive developmental areas of children
(Hoorn, Nourot, Scales, & Alward, 2007). However, the place of play in early child-
hood programmes seems to be a challenge. Play has been disappearing in early child-
hood programmes and children’s play has been replaced with academic activities and
media (Frost, 2010; Miller & Almon, 2009; Singer, Singer, D’Agostino, & DeLong,
2008).
Play is a term that cannot be easily defined or suited to a pattern. Different resources
give variety of definitions for play, as it is a multidimensional and fluid concept. Three
criteria are offered by Hughes (2003) aimed to help define play which are freedom of
choice, personal enjoyment, and the focus on the activity itself rather than its outcomes.
Researchers listed many characteristics for play (Johnson, Christie, & Wardle, 2005).
Initially, it has positive effect; it is usually fun and enjoyable. The motivation for
play comes from the within the player. It does not have any external motivation
resources such as gaining power or any reward. It offers its own rewards. While chil-
dren are playing, they do not think on the goals of the activity, they give attention to the
activity itself. It is process-oriented rather than product-oriented. Free choice is another

*Email: selda.aras@tedu.edu.tr

© 2015 Taylor & Francis

1174 S. Aras

important characteristic of play in young children’s conceptions of play. Other charac-

teristics are that play is self-directed and self-selected, it is open-ended, flexible, and
voluntary (Johnson et al., 2005).
Play has an important role in fostering development and learning of children. It pro-
motes socio-emotional, physical, and cognitive skills of children that cannot be taught
through teacher-directed instruction. The characteristics and nature of play provide
variety of opportunities for children; however, the quality of those opportunities
enhances the probability that children will learn through play (Zigler, Singer, &
Bishop-Josef, 2004). Piaget and Vygotsky emphasised the importance of play in
early childhood education. Piaget studied play from a cognitive perspective and
believed that play has a strong influence on cognitive processes and learning of
young children. Vygotsky looked at development through a social viewpoint and
believed that children move forward through while they are playing. A child’s greatest
achievements occur during play activity (Hoorn, et al., 2007).
Vygotsky, a social constructivist, examined play as an opportunity that provides a
context for socially assisted learning, a key role in abstract thinking, and a tool that pro-
motes learning. He defined two concepts: actual development and potential develop-
ment. The first is the level that the child can do something by his/her own, and the
other as the level that the child can do something by the help of adults. The distance
between actual and potential development is defined by Vygotsky as the zone of prox-
imal development. With scaffolding, the child can challenge his/herself and engage in
activities that he/she could not do alone which enables their skills to get improved.
Vygotsky defined play as the natural setting that scaffolding can occur (Lindon, 2001).

Teachers’ involvement
Vygotsky emphasised higher mental functions that are created by play environment.
Teachers are responsible for supporting children’s development of play through inter-
action and involvement in order to construct a zone of proximal development in play
(Vygotsky, 1997). Therefore, the other important role of teachers during play is to
encourage higher models of play (Hakkarainen, Bredikyte, Jakkula, & Munter,
2013). The role of adults is a complex issue, as there are both positive and negative
effects of their involvement on plays of children. Adults can be observer, consulter,
material and resource selector, and planner. The involvement of a teacher should
enhance learning of children through play; however, it should give children the confi-
dence to act autonomously and make their own choices. Before 1960s and 1970s, it was
believed that teachers should be involved in children’s play, and that their role should
be only observing their activities. However, after 1970s, Vygotsky stated that teachers’
role in play should be more than observing. During 1990s, researchers studied teachers’
specific roles in play. There has been increasing emphasis on teacher involvement in
children’s play with developmentally appropriate practice. A play setting that is
directed by the child and supported by the teacher is an important part of developmen-
tally appropriate programmes (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009).
The extent of teacher involvement in children’s play is a controversial issue and it
depends on many circumstances. The role of teacher and the amount of teacher inter-
vention to children’s play may influence the opportunity of children to learn from mis-
takes, solve problems with their own reasoning, and creative thinking. When teachers
supportively and appropriately get involved in children’s play, they have a key role in
fostering play. Teachers assume a variety of roles when they interact with children in
 Early Child Development and Care 1175

play (Santer, Griffiths, & Goodall, 2007; Tarman & Tarman, 2011). Each of the roles
has positive and negative effects on children. Teacher involvement is an important
component for the outcomes of play to be gained (Holmes, Romeo, Ciraola, &
Grushko, 2015).

Play in Turkish context

Turkey has a centralised early childhood education programme provided for teachers
by the Ministry of National Education (MoNE) renewed in 2013. MoNE prepares
the National Early Childhood Education Program and expects teachers to follow its
guidelines and principles. The programme provides objectives and indicators for
each developmental domain including cognitive, language, social-emotional, psycho-
motor, and self-care. The Turkish programme also aims to support children’s appropri-
ate transition to elementary school (Ministry of National Education [MoNE], 2013).
Traditionally, Turkish education system viewed play and other activities as distinct
activities. Teachers strictly planned other activities except from play and let the children
play themselves. Within the updated curriculum, this paradigm came to an end and tea-
chers have been recommended to integrate play with other activities (Ivrendi & Isıkoğlu
Erdoğan, 2015). This modification increased the roles of teachers during play such as
organising learning centres, selecting appropriate materials, taking observational notes,
and even being a play partner with children.
In Turkish context where the study was conducted, free play is the time that children
are engaging in play activities with a little or no teacher construction (MoNE, 2013).
There are three types of play in Turkish national programme: free play, semi-structured
play activities, and structured play activities. Free play is described as choice times pro-
vided for children at the beginning and end of the school day, semi-structured play
activities are described as creative play initiated by children with educative roles,
and the last one is traditional games with rules (MoNE, 2013). In Turkey, free play
times provide children the opportunity of playing based on their personal interests
and needs. Children select what to play, with whom to play, and how to play. This
type of play lasts at least an hour each day.
The increased value given for the play by the programme evokes the implemen-
tations of teachers regarding play. As teachers are the implementers of the curriculum,
it is critical to investigate their practices in early childhood settings. The limited
research has indicated that teachers demonstrate deficiencies when it comes to
provide play opportunities for children (Ivrendi & Işıkoğlu Erdoğan, 2015). This situ-
ation increases the importance of new studies that focus on teacher implementations,
present the recent practices, and inform related educators and units to take attention
on the issue.

Significance of the study

The nature of play enables children to weave together their daily experiences and it has
serious consequences for children and the childhood itself. It encourages all develop-
mental areas of children with various positive influences. However, increasingly, pre-
school and kindergarten children find themselves in school settings which feature
scripted teaching, computerised learning, and standardised assessment. Kindergartens
are built without playgrounds and the opportunities for children that provide them to
act physically and freely are being limited (Bergen, 2009; Miller & Almon, 2009;
1176 S. Aras

Pui-Wah, 2010). Early childhood education programmes include limited times for chil-
dren to play freely. So, the importance of free play times gets increased for healthy
development.
The role of teachers during free play times is a critical phenomenon that should be
investigated to make free play times more effective and meaningful. Higher amount of
interruption and whole uninvolvement of adults affect the quality of play. A series of
studies emphasise specific roles and responsibilities teachers adopt during play and
identified specific roles that appeared to enhance children’s play-related learning
(Johnson et al., 2005). Researchers have begun to study what teachers do while children
are playing. Studies conducted in 1990s indicated that teachers’ involvement in chil-
dren’s play is not adequate and they found low levels of teacher involvement
(Erwin, Carpenter, & Kontos, 1993; Shin & Spodek, 1991). In 2000s, the studies indi-
cated that there is an increase in teacher involvement while children are engaging in
play. However, they also examined the outcomes of teacher involvement. Recent
studies focused on that, although there is an increase in the amount of teacher involve-
ment, the quality of this involvement should be clearly examined (Johnson et al., 2005).
There are both positive and negative effects of teacher involvement in children play.
When children are exposed to higher amount of interruption and structure on construc-
tion activities, negative effects were observed (Tarman & Tarman, 2011).
The amount of teacher involvement and the roles of teachers while children are
engaging in a play are controversial issues that should be studied in an in-depth
manner. It is also emphasised that teachers’ involvement of children’s play also
depends on how teachers value play during early childhood (Holmes et al., 2015).
So, the study aims to look at this issue from a national viewpoint and investigate tea-
chers’ perceptions and implementations while children are playing, how they get
involved in children’s play, and the decision-making process of teachers in their invol-
vement of children’s free play. It is expected to provide positive contribution in order to
increase the effectiveness of play on children and increase awareness of teachers on
play and its importance on learning and development.
The limited time presented for children to play freely makes the role of teachers
during free play times more critical. The research informs about the significance of
play and also the role of teachers in play; however, it lacks information on how teachers
perceive free play times and what they do while children are playing. Especially, litera-
ture on Turkish teachers’ practices is highly limited with a few studies. Studies concern-
ing play are mostly focused on the contributions of play on children’s development and
learning (Ahioğlu, 1999; Sevinç, 1999; Ulutaş, 2011). Play takes important place
within the Turkish early childhood curriculum; however, the literature has a gap on
teacher perceptions and implementations on free play. This lack is also seen in inter-
national literature. The decreasing amount of time that children play at school has
been reported. Researchers studying play have warned educators on the possible con-
sequences of this situation. This situation increases the valuable place of free play, how
it is perceived by teachers, and how it is implemented in early childhood settings. So,
the aim of the study is to investigate perceptions and implementations of early child-
hood teachers while children are in a free playtime and their involvement in children’s
free play. The research questions are:

. What are the perceptions and implementations of early childhood teachers on free
play?
. How do early childhood teachers involve in their students’ free play?
 Early Child Development and Care 1177

. What decisions do early childhood teachers make in their involvement of stu-

dents’ free play?

Method
Design of the study
The study was designed within a phenomenological framework which describes a
specific phenomenon within experiences (Bogdan & Biklen, 2007). The perceptions,
experiences, and implementations of early childhood teachers’ involvement while chil-
dren are in free playtime were investigated through in-depth interview and observation.

Sampling
\The study was conducted with four early childhood teachers. Teachers were selected
based on maximum variation sampling as the aim is to maximise diversity and gather
data from different teachers with different backgrounds and schools. Different contexts
in which teachers are working and teachers with different educational backgrounds were
selected to increase the variation of the participants. The teachers participated in the study
were working in different public and private schools. Public and private schools in
Turkey differ from each other in terms of official documents to be filled by the teachers
and the programme: half-day or full-day programme. Participants had different back-
grounds; two of them have an undergraduate degree and the other two of them have a
graduate degree on early childhood education or child development and learning depart-
ments. Participants are studying with groups of five-year or six-year-old children.

Data collection and analysis

The study was conducted through interview and observation. Semi-structured interview
schedule was prepared by the researcher to gather data about perceptions of early child-
hood teachers. The interview schedule involved 13 questions exploring demographic
information about teachers, their perceptions on free play, and their perceptions on
teacher involvement in free plays of children. Teachers were observed in order to get
information about their implementations while children are engaging in play and
how they get involved in children’s play. The observation sought to investigate what
early childhood teachers do while children are in free playtime and how they get
involved in children’s play. Teachers were first observed and then interviewed in
order to enable the teachers and the researcher to refer to some related cases or
moments from the observations. Teachers found opportunity to express their percep-
tions and implementations more clearly as they exemplified their explanations referring
to the time they were observed. In order to prevent data loss, a video camera was used
during observation. Stream of behaviour records approach was used in data collection.
Descriptive notes and separately thoughts and reflections of the researcher were noted
during data collection.
An inductive process was used to analyse the data. Open coding and axial coding
were followed throughout the study (Patton, 1990). Transcription of the each partici-
pant was read and annotated and then specific themes and patterns were extracted.
The primary themes and patterns were categorised and subcategories were examined.
The final part of the analysis was finding explanation and drawing conclusion.
1178 S. Aras

Trustworthiness
The credibility of qualitative studies needs to be strengthened by using some techniques
(Creswell, 2007). Some strategies are suggested by researchers for validity in qualitat-
ive studies. Triangulation, peer review, clarifying researcher bias from the outset of the
study, member checking, rich and thick description, and external audits are some of the
strategies (Marshall & Rossman, 2011). A pilot study was conducted to increase the
trustworthiness of instruments. Peer review, external audits, and using thick descrip-
tions were used in this study for the trustworthiness. The results and findings of the
research were also analysed by another coder who is in the field of early childhood edu-
cation. In addition, rich and thick descriptions of the interviews were included in the
study to allow readers to evaluate its credibility.

Findings
Teachers’ perceptions of free play
Analysis of teachers’ interviews revealed that teachers perceive free play as an oppor-
tunity to enable children be discharged and get ready for the day and the next activity.
They believed that children listen to them and pay more attention after free play times.
Teachers got difficulty when they started a day without engaging in free play. Two of
the teachers stated that they invite children for free play before an academic activity.
They believed that the effectiveness of the activity increases when there is a free
play hour before it.
Teachers also used free play as an opportunity to learn about children’s daily psy-
chologies. One of the teachers stated that children reflect upon what they experienced in
their home and it is easy to catch a problematic situation that they had lived as a family.
The teacher stated that: ‘I learn about if the child has slept well or not, if there is a
problem as a family. The roles they pretend during play give important clues about
the child’s psychology … .’
Teachers also perceived free play as supporter of their teaching process. One of the
teachers stated that free play is one of the teaching methodologies that is used in her
class. Free play supported what was learnt during the activities and helped children
to practise what they learnt. Similarly, another teacher stated that free play is part of
learning. During play, children, consciously or unconsciously, experience about the
concepts they learnt, be part of decision-making, use their problem-solving abilities,
interact with others, and making mistakes.
Teachers believed that free play supports children’s developmental areas. Most of
the teachers especially focused on contributions of free play on social development.
One of the teachers stated that:

While playing children use their whole developmental areas. In terms of cognitive area
they think, do decision-making, use problem-solving strategies; in terms of psychomotor
area they use their bodies, they cut, they draw; in terms of social area they communicate,
learn to take their turn, listen, decide how to behave; in terms of language area they com-
municate, experience how to use the language effectively …

Teachers’ activities during free play

Analysis of interviews conducted with teachers and observations indicated that early
childhood teachers spend their time mostly by observing children and dealing with
 Early Child Development and Care 1179

some forms for school or the Ministry of Education. All of the teachers stated that they
use free playtime as an opportunity to deal with some official issues such as preparing
daily plans and filling some forms. One of the teachers complained about this issue and
stated that:

If there were not so much official duties or I had time to deal with them later I would defi-
nitely play with children. It is miracle for my students if I play with them. It would be
better and more effective to learn about their learning processes while playing with
them …

One of the teachers participated in the study told that her initial role as a teacher was
to provide safety for children. She stated that it is important to prevent them from
getting damaged. In order to prevent from injuries, the teacher always observes children
and also provides safe environment.
Analysis of observations also supports explanations of teachers regarding their role
and activities during free play time. Teachers dealt with some documents while children
were playing. One of the teachers filled observation forms. She observed children indi-
vidually and mostly focused on one child at a time. She sometimes asked questions to
specific children and took notes on the forms. Teachers often observed children when
they were busy with some documents.

Teachers’ involvement of free play

Teachers’ perceptions: Teachers believed in the importance of teachers’ involvement in
children’s play. However, their perceptions differed on the amount of the involvement.
They stated that children should be given opportunity to play freely. Two of the tea-
chers stared that they got involved when children asked for it. Teachers believed in
the importance of child’s permission before getting involved in their play. They
stated that teachers should respect children’s play and should avoid interrupting chil-
dren’s ongoing play when trying to be involved.

… teacher should give the opportunity for children to construct and play. Teacher should
allow them to experience their own plays..

Two of the teachers stated that teachers should be involved when there is a proble-
matic situation and when children need help about anything.

..teacher should be got involved when a child is so much dominant, in such a position the
teacher should organize the play with children and be in the decision-making process..

… teacher should be responsive when children need help..

Teachers’ implementations: Analysis of the interviews and observations revealed

that teachers mostly got involved in children’s play when they observed a problematic
situation or when children complained about any situation or any of their peers during
play. It is common among teachers to make an involvement when a child is crying,
shouting at another child, hitting or pushing his/her peers. One of the teachers reminded
the classroom rules when such a problematic situation occurred during playing.
Teachers commented on children’s play when children asked for them. In both of
the observations, some of the children shared something that they created during
1180 S. Aras

play or something they experienced during play and the teachers comment such as ‘well
done’ or ‘so good’.
One of the teachers gave some suggestions for children who had some sharing with
her. For example, one of the children in her class shared a product that she designed
with manipulatives. The teacher congratulated her and suggested to make it three-
dimensional. The child interested with her teacher’s idea and started to construct it.
The same teacher also guided some children to support their specific developmental
areas. During the observation when we talked about it, she told that ‘..I knew that he
will get bored and I still wanted him to play with wooden blocks, because he always
plays with cars. I want him to play with other materials in the class and support his cog-
nitive skills..’
Results indicated that teachers took five roles while children are playing:

Teachers Teacher 1 Teacher 2 Teacher 3 Teacher 4

Teacher roles
Onlooker ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Stage Manager ✓
Co-player ✓
Uninvolved ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Director/Redirector ✓

The teachers who participated in the study mostly observed as onlooker and
remained uninvolved during children’s free play. As an onlooker, teachers are watching
and listening to children’s play. They use verbal and non-verbal comments. When tea-
chers do not get involved in children’s play or do not support children’s play, they take
uninvolved roles. All of the teachers make informal observations during play. One of
the teachers observed children formally and took notes on observation form that was
given to the administration of the school. All of the teachers left children to play. Tea-
chers did not give any direction for children’s play. The only direction was given at the
beginning of the free playtime. Three of the teachers filled out some official documents.
All of the teachers gave children feedback limited with ‘well done’ or ‘good’. Only one
of them made suggestion to children’s play when the child asked for a feedback. Only
one of the teachers participated in children’s play. She played with a child who had
short attention span and got bored with his play.

Discussion and conclusion

The purpose of the study was twofold: to learn about perceptions and implementations
of early childhood teachers in children’s free play, and to investigate their involvement
in children’s free play. Teachers perceptions were searched through interview and their
implementations and how they get involved were investigated through observations.
Results indicated that teachers believe in the importance of involvement in chil-
dren’s play. However, there are some controversial issues: Teachers told that it is
important to play with children, but that their implementations did not support their per-
ceptions. They told that there are many issues that should be dealt with during a day and
they use free play times mostly to sort out those issues. Teachers used playtime to fill
some documents and forms. They left children alone to play themselves. Participation
in the play was only observed in one teacher for a limited time. This case occurred as
the teacher finished filling the observation form and the child was getting bored with his
 Early Child Development and Care 1181

play. The results indicated that teachers have a rather passive role in children’s play.
Child–adult interaction during play is a must to construct zone of proximal develop-
ment. It is difficult to create this form when teachers are uninvolved in children’s
play. Literature has defined several roles of teachers when children are playing. Tea-
chers may be onlooker, parallel player, playmates, co-players, play tutors, interviewer,
director, stage manager, and play leader (Christies & Enz, 1997; Einarsdottir, 1998;
Tarman & Tarman, 2011). Teachers in the study have precarious roles while children
are playing. The precarious roles are twofold: uninvolved and director (Tarman &
Tarman, 2011). Inadequate or too much involvement of teachers can affect children’s
play. Teachers were uninvolved and did not support children’s play. Children are not
provided opportunity to develop higher forms of play when teachers are uninvolved
(Hakkarainen, et al., 2013). Uninterrupted play environment may have negative conse-
quences on children’s development (Kilderry, 2012). For instance, children may choose
media images which have war or violence and also show some aggressive behaviours
(Tarman & Tarman, 2011). Onlooker teacher role was another finding of the study.
Teachers monitor children’s play, are responsive to their questions and give some com-
ments when children ask for. However, to increase developmental outcomes of play,
the role of teacher should be more than observing. Teachers, through their observations,
need to effectively enhance children’s play through scaffolding and modelling.
Observation is one of the critical terms for educators studying with young children.
It is the tool that provides educators to have viewpoints on competencies, skills, inter-
ests, development, and learning of children. Observation of children’s free play reveals
children’s way of thinking. Systematic observation of children’s play provides a multi-
dimensional look for teachers and presents important clues and opinions for individual
developments of children including concepts, abilities, dispositions, and feelings
(McAfee & Leong, 2011). Teachers gain important ideas when they use play as an
assessment tool and they become better to evaluate their programmes and improve it
for the well-being of children. Teachers who participated in the study focused on obser-
vation while children are playing. They observed and tried to catch clues about chil-
dren. However, only one of the teachers was taking notes during play. It is important
for a teacher to take notes and not to miss any important observation and use it for
the improvement of instruction.
Teachers perceive play as a tool to support developmental areas of children. The
importance of play in developmental areas of children has been studied by many
researchers. The studies indicated that play helps children to perform better on conver-
sation tasks, promotes reasoning, and divergent thinking skills, and contributes to chil-
dren’s ability to solve problems by increasing their behavioural options (Bruner, 1972;
Lloyd & Howe, 2003; Wyver & Spence, 1999). Children gain language practice and
use their maximum language abilities by engaging in play (Johnson et al., 2005).
Another strongest benefit of play is the way it enhances social and emotional
development.
The role of adults while children are playing is the key point to enhance their poten-
tial gains from play. A play environment responsive to the needs and interests of chil-
dren should be provided. Providing a safe environment for children, observing children,
participating in their plays, selecting materials for play, or planning play time; at the
same time, respecting for children’s needs, allowing children to act freely and make
their own choices and interact with their peers are some of the critical roles of teachers
(Johnson et al., 2005; Frost, Wortham, & Refel, 2001). Teachers in the study focused
on some of the issues discussed within the literature. They respect children, allow them
1182 S. Aras

to act freely and make their own choices and interact with their friends. They also
observe children while playing. However, only one of them told about safe environ-
ment that is so crucial while studying with young children. In addition, teachers did
not talk about any preparation in terms of material selection and learning environment
design. Do materials have high initial interest and prolonged interest, can materials be
used by minimum adult assistance, do materials support development, are they safe and
durable, are they flexile, adaptable, or progressive, are materials developmentally
appropriate are some of the questions that should be asked by educators and programme
developers while selecting materials for children’s play (Frost et al., 2001).
One of the possible explanations for teachers’ un-involvement in children’s play
may be explained self-efficacy of teachers. Teachers’ background and experiences
may make them feel uncomfortable while participating in play with children. Involve-
ment of play and making children’s play to take a higher form requires additional back-
ground on children and their play. Another explanation may be based on the duties of
teachers in a full day. Teachers in the study complained about official forms and duties
they should sort out and make them use free playtime to deal with those issues. Yet,
teachers’ own upbringing is influential on children’s development and learning.
Researchers emphasised the role of social and cultural norms on viewing children as
a member of the social system which reflects teacher’s philosophy and practices
(Einarsdottir, 1998).
The 2013 version of Turkish programme on early childhood education is considered
as more developmentally appropriate compared to the previous ones. There is an
attempt to increase teachers’ practices towards developmental appropriateness. There
are important principles presented for teachers to improve their competencies and
skills. Signs of change are clear regarding the critical role of play in early childhood
settings. However, the implementation process is more painful, as it highly depends
on teachers. The programme gives a complex role to teachers regarding play: integrat-
ing play with other activities; taking observational notes for the programme implemen-
tation; and being play partners when it is needed. It was stated by research conducted in
Turkish context that teachers need additional training and the curriculum needs to be
improved in terms of its credibility and practicability for teachers (Demircan &
Erden, 2014; Erdiller Akın, 2013; Olgan, 2014). What actually happens in learning
environments is the result of myriad decisions at all levels – teachers, families, admin-
istrators, researchers, and policy-makers. The effects of the revised programme on chil-
dren’s development and learning depend on teachers’ implementation of it and as the
programme is revised, there is a need for an adaptation, modification, or improvement
on teachers’ knowledge and skills. In order to see the effect of the new programme, it is
needed to prepare teachers who have competencies and skills to implement it in their
classrooms. Teacher education programmes should take research conducted on tea-
chers’ strengths and needs into consideration and adapt the programme according to
their needs. In-service teachers may receive additional trainings such as in-service train-
ings to improve their practices regarding new programme.
This study aimed to identify teachers’ perceptions, implementations, and involve-
ment of children’s free play. The results indicated that teachers need additional training
on how to increase the quality of free playtimes. The roles teachers had during free play
are open to trouble possible benefits of play on children’s development and learning.
Targeting educators for the purpose of promoting children’s play is extremely impor-
tant, as they have a special role and considerable opportunities. The results revealed
that teachers see free playtime as an opportunity to make their plans and complete
 Early Child Development and Care 1183

their formal duties. It can be claimed that teachers need additional time and support to
deal with formal documents and planning.
Play is a special and universal concept that is fully developmentally appropriate.
The contributions of play are common for each and every child with different back-
grounds. So, it is expected to get attention on the quality of teacher involvement in
play, increase awareness on play, and its importance on learning and development.

Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributors
Selda Aras, Research assisstant in the Department of Elementary Education at TED Uniersity
and continues her PhD at Middle East Technical University, Turkey. Her research interests
include play, classroom management, and curriculum in early childhood education.

References
Ahioğlu, N. (1999). Sembolik oyunun 4 yaş çocuklarının dil kazanımına etkisi. [Theeffect of
symbolic play on preschoolers language development] Unpublished Master Thesis.
Ankara Üniversity, Ankara.
Bergen, D. (2009). Play as the learning medium for future scientists, mathematicians, and engin-
eers. American Journal of Play, Spring, 1(4), 413–428.
Bogdan, R. C., & Biklen, S. K. (2007). Qualitative research for education: An introduction to
theories and methods (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
Bruner, J. (1972). The nature and uses of immaturity. American Psychologist, 27, 687–708.
Christies, J. F., & Enz, B. (1997). Teacher play interaction styles: Effects on play behavior and
relationships with teacher training and experience. International Journal of Early Childhood
Education, 2, 55–75.
Copple, C., & Bredekamp, S. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood
programs: Serving children from birth through age 8. Washington, DC: NAEYC.
Creswell, J. W. (2007). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five tra-
ditions (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Demircan, O., & Tantekin- Erden, F. (2014). Parental involvement and developmentally appro-
priate practices: A comparison of parent and teacher beliefs. Early Child Development and
Care, 185, 209–225. doi:10.1080/03004430.2014.919493
Einarsdottir, J. (1998). The role of adults in children’s dramatic play in Icelandic preschools.
European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 6(2), 87–106.
Erdiller Akın, Z. B. (2013). Examining the beliefs of Turkish pre-service early childhood tea-
chers regarding early childhood curriculum. Journal of Research in Childhood
Education, 27, 302–318.
Erwin, E., Carpenter, E., & Kontos, S. (1993). What preschool teachers do when children play.
Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association,
Atlanta.
Frost, J. L. (2010). A History of children’s play and play environments. New York, NY:
Routledge.
Frost, J., Wortham, S., & Refel, S. (2001). Play and child development. Upper Saddle River,
New Jersey: Merrill Prentice Hall.
Hakkarainen, P., Bredikyte, M., Jakkula, K., & Munter, H. (2013). Adult play guidance and chil-
dren’s play development in a narrative play-world. European Early Childhood Research
Journal, 21(2), 213–225.
Holmes, R. M., Romeo, L., Ciraola, S., & Grushko, M. (2015). The relationship between crea-
tivity, social play, and children’s language abilities. Early Child Development and Care, 185
(7), 1180–1197.
1184 S. Aras

Hughes, F. (2003). Spontaneous play in the 21st century. In O. Saracho & B. Spodek (Eds.),
Contemporary perspectives on play in early childhood education (pp. 21–40).
Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.
Ivrendi, A., & Isıkoğlu Erdoğan, N. (2015). Play in a Turkish cultural context. In J. Roopnarine,
M. M. Patte, E. Johnson, & D. Kuscher (Eds.), International perspectives on children’s play
(pp. 210–221). New York: Open University Press.
Johnson, J. E., Christie, J. F., & Wardle, F. (2005). Play, development, and early education.
Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
Kilderry, A. (2012). Teacher decision making in early childhood education (Unpublished dis-
sertation). Victoria: Queensland University of Technology.
Lindon, J. (2001) Understanding children’s play. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes.
Lloyd, B., & Howe, N. (2003). Solitary play and convergent and divergent thinking skills in pre-
school children. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 18, 22–41.
Marshall, C., & Rossman, G. B. (2011). Designing qualitative research (5th ed.). Thousand
Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
McAfee, O., & Leong, D. J. (2011). Assessing and guiding young children’s growth and devel-
opment (6th ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Miller, E., & Almon, J. (2009). Crisis in the kindergarten: Why children need to play in school.
College Park, MD: Alliance for Childhood.
Ministry of National Education. (2007). Çocuk Gelişimi ve Eğitimi Serbest Zaman Etkinlikleri.
Ankara: Author.
Ministry of National Education. (2013). Education programs. Retrieved September 2014, from
http://ttkb.meb.gov.tr/www/ogretim-programlari/icerik/72
Olgan, R. (2014). Influences on Turkish early childhood teachers’ science teaching practices and
the science content covered in the early years. Early Child Development and Care, 185,
926–942. doi:10.1080/03004430.2014.967689
Patton, M. Q. (1990). Qualitative evaluation and research methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Pui-Wah, D. (2010). Exploring the tactfulness of implementing play in the classroom: A Hong
Kong experience. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 38(1), 69–82.
Santer, J., Griffiths, C., & Goodall, D. (2007). Free play in childhood. A literature review.
London: National Children’s Bureau.
Sevinç, M. (1999). Role of symbolic play on children’s cognitive and social development. Paper
presented at 3rd International Early Childhood Education Congress, Warwick.
Shin, E., & Spodek, B. (1991). The relationship between children’s play patterns and types of
teacher intervention. Paper presented at the annual conference of the American Educational
Research Association, Chicago, IL. April 3–7.
Singer, D. G., Singer, J. L., D’Agostino, H., & DeLong, H. (2008). Children’s pastimes and play
in sixteen nations: Is free-play declining? American Journal of Play, 1(3), 283–312.
Tarman, B., & Tarman, I. (2011). Teachers’ involvement in children’s play and social inter-
action. Elementary Education Online, 10(1), 326–338.
Ulutaş, A. (2011). The effects of games on children’s psychomotor development at the preschool
period (Unpublished master’s thesis). Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey.
Van Hoorn, J., Nourot, P. M., Scales, B., & Alward, K. (2007). Play at the center of the curri-
culum. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall.
Vygotsky, Lev. S. (1997). The historical meaning of the crisis in psychology: A methodological
investigation. In R. W. Rieber (Ed.), The Collected Works of L. S. Vygotsky (vol. 4, pp. 223–
343). New York: Plenum Press.
Wyver, S. R., & Spence, S. H. (1999). Play and divergent problem solving: Evidence supporting
a reciprocal relationship. Early Education and Development, 10, 419–444. doi:10.1207/
s15566935eed1004_1
Zigler, E. F., Singer, D. G., & Bishop-Joseph, S. J. (Eds.). (2004). Children’s play: The roots of
reading. Washington, DC: Zero to Three Press.