An Assessment of outdoor play environment for teaching and learning in Private Pre-Primary Schools in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya

Abstract

In early childhood education, play is an important ingredient as it promotes learners‘ holistic development. However, despite the critical role of play environments in promoting children‘s participation in outdoor play activities, the availability, adequacy, and utilization of outdoor play environments for teaching and learning in private pre- primary schools have been lacking. The purpose of this study was to determine the availability, adequacy, and utilization of outdoor play environments for teaching and learning in private pre-primary schools in Uasin-Gishu County. The research objectives were to find out: the availability and adequacy of outdoor play space; the utilization of outdoor play space; the availability and adequacy of outdoor play materials; and the utilization of outdoor play materials for teaching and learning in private pre-primary schools in Uasin-Gishu County. Findings from this study are beneficial to education policymakers, education consultants, researchers, and school directors and administrators. The study embraced social learning theory by Albert Bandura. This theory emphasizes learning by interacting with others in a social context. A mixed- methods research approach and a descriptive survey research design were used in this study. The target population was head teachers and teachers in all private pre-primary schools in Uasin-Gishu County. The study sampled twelve private pre-primary schools from each of the six constituencies in Uasin-Gishu County using stratified and simple random sampling techniques to ensure representation. From the sampled schools, 24 teachers and 12 head teachers were sampled for the study using simple random sampling and purposive sampling techniques. Questionnaires were used to collect data from pre- primary teachers, while interview schedules were used for head teachers. An observation schedule was used to collect data on the availability and utilization of outdoor play environments for teaching and learning. Test-retest was used to determine reliability, while the content validity index was used to determine the validity of the instruments. A pilot study was also carried out to test the tools. Quantitative data was analyzed through descriptive statistics, while qualitative data was analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings were that the majority of the private pre-primary schools had an acceptable amount of play space. Grassy spaces and natural areas were available and highly utilized. Many schools had inadequate play equipment. Regular repair and replacement of worn- out play equipment was lacking. It was recommended that private pre-primary schools repair the play equipment more often. It was further recommended that the teachers improvise play equipment in cases where the school was unable to install or buy new equipment. Another recommendation was that preschool teachers should attend in- service courses on how to support play activities for learners.