Play as an Instructional Strategy in Pre-primary Education: Teachers’ Perception and Present Status

From the time of human birth to the age of six, a child develops rapidly, and childhood is seen as a fundamental stage of life in terms of physical, intellectual, social and emotional development (Russell, 2011). The quality and positive education acquired during this time develop life skills and values of children that inspire later school success (Bilde et al., 2015). In this regard, play is recognized as an essential component of a child's development (Griffiths, et al., 2007). According to Vygotsky (1978), play is a method of teaching children that requires minimum effort, especially when teachers engage, influence, and create play opportunities. The use of play as an instructional strategy should be highly regarded by teachers to enhance cognitive development and prepare children for school (Tarimo, 2013). However, Lynch (2015) found that two opposing trends emerged in the use of play in the classroom. Firstly, research indicates that play fosters a wide range of social, cognitive, physical, and linguistic development (Eberle, 2011). Secondly, despite the obvious academic benefits of play, the amount of time allotted to play in pre-school classrooms has significantly reduced in recent years (Frost, 2012). Early childhood teachers encounter pedagogical obstacles (Islam et al., 2021), and there is a gap between policy and implementation of teaching practices at the pre-primary level. In Bangladeshi context, limited research has been conducted exploring the gap between perceptions and practices of the ‘play as an instructional strategy’ concept. Therefore, this study helps to acquire an understanding of teachers' perceptions, practices, and any challenges they face when they include play in their classrooms.