Parents’ perceptions about the role of play in young children’s development

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate parents’ perceptions about the role of play in young children’s development. The research question was tackled through two different research methods, which contributed to the attainment of the different aims and objectives set. 152 questionnaires were carried out with parents from 18 different childcare centres in Malta, while 6 structured interviews were conducted with 4 parents to provide a more in-depth perception of what the parents’ standpoint really was. Results indicate that parents are aware of the important role that play has on young children’s development, and encourage it. However, there are times when parents limit their children’s play. Some differences were also noted between male and female parents. Parents also identified how much time they spend on a daily basis playing with their children, and they even established that when they participate in their children’s play they prefer to lead rather than control their play. The majority, also seemed to have a similar view that as children grow older, play activities should be decreased so that they can focus more on academic education. On the other hand some parents said that although their children are still young, they still do not believe that they have enough time dedicated for play.