Relationship between Play Activities’ Implementation and Learners’ Academic Performance in Public Early Childhood Development Centres In Pokot County, Kenya

Abstract

Play serves as an important process for promoting children’s learning and development besides enhancing emotional, intellectual and social skills of the child. It’s the teacher’s role in ECDE to set up environment that facilitate play experiences. The main purpose of this paper was to establish the relationship between play activities’ implementation and learners’ academic performance in Pokot County. A descriptive survey design was adopted. The target population was derived from all the 417 public ECDE canters in Pokot County. The respondents were sampled through the use of stratified, simple random and purposive sampling and a sample size of 90 teachers and 16 head teachers was obtained. Questionnaires were used as instruments of data collection. Data obtained from pilot testing was analyzed to test for reliability and validity. The data obtained was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics which involved measures of central tendency, measures of dispersion and Pearson Correlation and Chi-square presented using charts and tables. The study findings indicated that 68.7 percent ECDE Centers had inadequate playgrounds and furthermore 62.5percent ECDE centres were not provided with instructional materials required. Similarly, ECDE Centres use play activities time for other activities. Notwithstanding, teachers did not engage and participate with the children in the playfields. The study recommended that the government should conduct in service courses for teachers on the  use play activities. It is hoped that, this study will provide valuable insights to education stakeholders on the factors influencing the implementation of play activities in ECDE curriculum. Teachers will benefit from the study in that; they are likely to acquire information to guide them on the need to sharpen their skills in dealing with challenges of curriculum implementation.

Keywords: ECDE, Play Activities’, Academic Performance, play facilities