Exploring parents' perceptions of the play-based approach for early childhood education

Abstract

The research being investigated examines how parents see the play-based approach to early childhood education. It aims to understand their opinions, experiences, and attitudes about this educational approach. A comprehensive sample of parents whose children were in preschool was asked and interviewed as part of qualitative approaches used to gather data. One FGD with same schools teachers explore their experience with parents' perciptions about play-based education. To find common themes and patterns in the parents' comments, thematic analysis was used. The results show a range of parental viewpoints, from strong support for play-based learning to planning how it conforms to academic requirements. While many parents understand how play helps their children develop their creativity, social skills, and cognitive abilities, others voice concerns about play's reported lack of academic focus. The study emphasizes the value of cooperative relationships between parents and educators in support of play-based learning strategies and highlights the necessity of ongoing communication and instruction to soothe the concerns expressed by parents. To further improve knowledge and support for play-based learning in early childhood education settings, recommendations are given for future study and practice.