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*Corresponding author: E-mail: syomwenekisilu@mu.ac.ke, syomwene@yahoo.com;
Journal of Scientific Research & Reports
14(4): 1-13, 2017; Article no.JSRR.33594
ISSN: 2320-0227
Teacher Support and School Environment Factors
Influencing Children’s Outdoor Play in Early
Childhood Curriculum in Pre-schools in Kenya
Anne Syomwene
1*
1
School of Education, Moi University, P.O.Box 3900, 30100, Eldoret, Kenya.
Author’s contribution
The sole author designed, analyzed and interpreted and prepared the manuscript.
Article Information
DOI: 10.9734/JSRR/2017/33594
Editor(s):
(1) Kleopatra Nikolopoulou, Secondary Science Teacher and School of Education-University of Athens, Greece.
Reviewers:
(1)
Simone Correia Tostes, Brazilian Army Languages Center, Brasil.
(2)
Milton Rosa, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Brazil.
(3)
Terry Ellapen, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
(4)
Papadakis Stamatios, University of Crete, Greece.
Complete Peer review History:
http://www.sciencedomain.org/review-history/19236
Received 22
nd
April 2017
Accepted 22
nd
May 2017
Published 29
th
May 2017
ABSTRACT
Teacher support and school environment are central in the provision of play in early childhood
education. This paper is a report of a study that was carried out in the months of February and
March 2016 on teacher support and school environment factors influencing children’s outdoor play
in early childhood curriculum in pre-schools in Kenya. The study area was in Wareng Sub-County
in Uasin Gishu County in Kenya. The research objectives were to find out the teacher support; and
school environment factors influencing children’s outdoor play in early childhood curriculum. The
study was guided by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory and adopted a mixed methods research
methodology with a descriptive research design. The target population was all the teachers in the
pre-schools in the area. A total of 4 private and 17 public pre-schools were selected to participate
in the study through stratified and simple random sampling methods. The sample constituted 42
pre-school teachers selected through simple random sampling method. The research instruments
used were questionnaires for teachers, observation check lists and photo voice techniques. The
findings revealed that teachers provided minimal support to children’s outdoor play due to heavy
workloads, limited time and demotivation. School environment factors such as inadequacy of and
poor maintenance of materials; and safety issues affected children’s outdoor play. The study
Original Research Article
Syomwene; JSRR, 14(4): 1-13, 2017; Article no.JSRR.33594
2
recommended the need to strengthen teacher support in children’s outdoor play through in-service
training of teachers, improved teacher: pupil ratio; and improved teacher remunerations. Other
recommendations included the need to enhance play materials’ acquisition and maintenance; and
that the play environments should be carefully planned and maintained. This study will inform
curriculum implementation policies on early childhood education in Kenya and other parts of the
world.
Keywords: Early childhood education; play; teacher support; play materials; play resources;
environment.
1. INTRODUCTION
This paper is a report of a study that was carried
out on teacher support and school environment
factors influencing children’s outdoor play in early
childhood curriculum in pre-schools in Kenya in
the months of February and March 2016. The
study area was in Wareng sub County in
Uasin Gishu County in Kenya. For the purposes
of clarity, it’s important to define three key terms
in this study: Early childhood education;
curriculum and play. Early childhood education
encompasses the curriculum programs and
settings that serve young children from birth to
eight years of life [1,2]. According to Jackman
[2] the term curriculum in relation to early
childhood education is a multi-leveled process
that encompasses what happens in an early
education classroom each day, reflecting the
philosophy, goals and objectives of the early
childhood program. On the other hand, play is an
activity that is freely chosen, process oriented,
initiated and controlled by children and enjoyable
[2,3].
The motivation to do this study was centered on
the significance of play in early childhood
education. Play is the primary vehicle for
children’s learning and socialization [1,4,3]. We
also find that children spend so much of their
time in schools therefore making schools a good
setting for promoting physical activities in their
young lives [5,6]. However, various trends in
schools have currently deprived children this
important component of their lives. These
trends include minimal opportunities to natural
environments, priority to academic skills, limited
outdoor spaces and increased teacher workloads
[7,2,4,8].
1.1 Purpose of the study
The purpose of the study was to find out teacher
support and school environment factors
influencing children’s outdoor play in early
childhood curriculum in pre-schools in Kenya.
1.2 Research Objectives
The research objectives were to find out:
(i) Teacher support factors influencing
children’s outdoor play in early childhood
curriculum; and
(ii) School environment factors influencing
children’s outdoor play in early childhood
curriculum.
1.3 Statement of the Problem
Interest in early childhood education is constantly
increasing [9]. Of particular importance in early
childhood education is the school setting. Young
children gain a lot cognitively, emotionally,
physically and socially from being in a quality
school setting [10]. The skills gained in these
years predict their later functioning in all domains
of child development [11,3,10]. One of the
significant activities in early childhood education
and which has a great implication in their later
lives is play. The benefits of play in early
childhood education cannot be overemphasized.
Denying children play can be equated to denying
them food. Play stimulates children’s holistic
development in the four major areas of child
development: Cognitive, physical, social and
emotional development. Without play, childhood
would be empty, meaningless, boring and
incomplete. Play is the primary mode of learning
in early childhood [7,11,12,3]. Play gives children
the opportunity to create, invent, discover and
learn about their world. It provides joy and
understanding of themselves and others [2,11].
The drive to do this research stemmed from
various issues. First, was the significance of play
in early childhood education as discussed in the
preceding sections of this paper. Second, were
the researcher’s experiences as a teacher
educator in a Teacher Training College and at
the University for close to fifteen years. During
teaching practice sessions, the researcher noted
that some pre-schools were squeezed in limited
Syomwene; JSRR, 14(4): 1-13, 2017; Article no.JSRR.33594
3
spaces and that some schools had minimal
materials for play. Second, until the year 2014,
pre-schools in Kenya were staffed by teachers
employed and paid by Parents Associations. In
most schools, the teachers were poorly paid and
in some cases untrained. This posed a challenge
on adequacy of funds as schools require funds to
purchase or put up the required facilities and
resources [13]. In the year 2014, pre-school
teachers in Kenya were hired by the county
governments contrary to the constitution [14,15].
We note that the mandate to recruit teachers in
Kenya rests with the Teachers’ Service
Commission (TSC) and as a result the Kenya
National Union of Teachers (KNUT) sought court
redress over the same [14]. Consequently, it was
ruled out that the TSC would register all pre-
school teachers [16]. In addition, complains have
been aired that pre-school teachers in Kenya are
under paid; that most pre-schools are
understaffed; and that most pre-schools lack
important resources and facilities [17,18,19].
It was out of these diverse reasons that the
researcher set out to investigate teacher support
and school environment factors influencing
children’s outdoor play in early childhood
education in pre-schools in Kenya. Children
spend most of their time in schools and schools
provide an opportunity for active play to children
who may have limited time for play at home or in
their community [5,6]. Teachers are the key
curriculum implementers and their support in
learning activities is vital. On the other hand, the
school environment is the setting of the learning
experiences provided in schools. Teachers and
learners interact in the school environment for
effective learning. The environment can thus
enhance or inhibit the implementation of school
programs.
1.4 Justification of the Study
This study investigated teacher support and
school environment factors influencing children’s
outdoor play in early childhood curriculum in pre-
schools in Kenya. The study was justified by the
significance of play in children’s holistic
development; the role of the teacher; and the
school environment in the provision of play in
early childhood education. The study shed light
on important teacher support and school
environment factors inhibiting the provision of
outdoor play in pre-schools in Kenya. This study
will inform curriculum implementation policies on
early childhood education in Kenya and other
parts of the world.
1.5 Theoretical Framework
This study adopted Bronfenbrenner’s ecological
theory [20]. Bronfenbrenner believes that child
development can be explained through the
influence of the environment. He proposes that
there are multiple environmental systems that
form systems around the child. The theory
supports the influences that the child
receives from the environment that can either
support or inhibit holistic development. In this
study are the roles of the teacher and school
environment in supporting children’s outdoor
play. The child is at the center of the systems. In
this theory, Bronfenbrenner proposes
five interrelating environmental systems that
include:
(i) The micro-system: This includes any
settings in which children have direct
experiences such as the influences from
interactions with parents, family, peers,
child care, schools, neighborhood and
religious groups. This study was an
investigation of teacher support and school
environment factors influencing children’s
outdoor play in early childhood education
in pre-schools in Kenya. Both teacher
support and school environmental factors
fall under the micro-system.
(ii) The meso-system: These are the
linkages and interactions between micro-
systems such as parent and teacher
relationships.
(iii) The exo-system: This includes the social
settings that do not influence children
directly but affect their micro-systems such
as influences from parents’ work settings.
(iv) The macro-system- This is the larger
cultural socio-economic background such
as culture, customs and values of the
society.
(v) The chrono-system: These are the
environmental influences and events that
influence children over lifetime such as
technology.
In this study, Bronfrenbrenner’s micro-system
was the major focus on teacher support and
school environment factors influencing children’s
outdoor play. Teacher support was measured
using initiatives by teachers such as:
(i) Teacher training in early childhood
education.
(ii) Playing with children
(iii) Demonstrating new games
(iv) Arranging the play environment
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(v) Observing children as they play
(vi) Taking charge of emergencies and
accidents
(vii) Settling disputes between and among
the pupils
(viii) Provision of required materials.
Various school environment factors were
investigated and included:
(i) The availability and adequacy of play
materials and resources such as open
space, swings, slides, tyres, balls, ropes,
toys, natural features (trees/grass),
water, sand, and play houses.
(ii) Children’s safety in the environment.
(iii) The ability of the environment to allow
adequate exploration by the children
during outdoor play times.
(iv) Maintenance of materials and resources.
(v) The ability of the outdoor environment to
allow the children to enjoy active,
engaged, meaningful learning.
(vi) Availability of developmentally
appropriate materials.
(vii) The benefit of the children from the
environment in enjoying warm
interactions amongst themselves during
outdoor play.
(viii) The benefit of the children from the
environment in enjoying warm
interactions with the teachers during
outdoor play.
(ix) The ability of the school environment to
provide a home away from home.
The teacher support and school environment
challenges that teachers faced in the provision of
children’s outdoor play were also sought.
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
This section is a discussion of literature review in
relation to the research topic and objectives. The
literature review covers various sections: The
goals of early childhood education; the role of the
teacher in children’s play; and the role of the
school environment in children’s play.
2.1 The Goals of Early Childhood
Education
Early childhood is an important phase in
children’s lives. Early childhood education forms
the foundation of all other levels of education and
generally the future of the child [21,22]. Early
childhood experiences have profound effects in
children’s later lives [21,2,23,4,22]. As Follari [4]
puts it; “There’s no more influential period of life
than the first eight years”. Children in early
childhood require a firm foundation in order to
develop their innate potentials as individuals [24].
Early childhood period is the time when children
develop basic values, attitudes, skills, behaviors
and habits which will be long lasting [22,10].
Early childhood programs should focus on
children’s holistic development in the four
domains of child development: Physical,
cognitive, social and emotional developments.
This points out at the role of play in child
development as it enhances the holistic
development in the four domains [7,12,2,3,11].
Play gives children a chance to build active,
healthy bodies and to develop their decision
making, negotiating, thinking and motor skills as
well as their emotional well-being [5,10]. Outdoor
play enables children’s brains to process
information after the indoor instruction [6].
Quality early childhood programs create
improved life outcomes [10]. On the other hand,
quality early childhood programs have to focus
on teacher support and school environment. This
is especially because schools are currently
receiving children with deficiencies in various
needs as a result of socio-economic changes in
the world that have pushed parents to spend less
time with their children [24].
The following are the objectives of Early
Childhood Development Education (ECDE) in
Kenya as stipulated in KIE, [24: x]. Early
Childhood Development Education should:
1. Provide education geared towards
development of the child’s mental and
physical capabilities.
2. Enable the child enjoy living and learning
through play.
3. Develop the child’s self-awareness, self-
esteem and self-confidence.
4. Enable the child to develop understanding
and appreciation of his/her culture and
environment.
5. Foster the child’s exploration skills,
creativity, self-expression and discovery.
6. Identify the child with special needs and
align him/her with existing services.
7. Enable the child build good habits and
acquire acceptable values and behavior
for effective living as an individual and a
member of a group.
8. Foster the spiritual and moral growth of the
child.
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9. Improve the status of the child’s health,
care and nutritional needs, and link
him/her with health services such as
immunization, health check-ups and
growth monitoring and promotion.
10. Enrich the child’s experiences to enable
him/her cope better with primary school
life.
11. Develop the child’s aesthetic and artistic
skills.
The second objective of early childhood
education in Kenya is centered on play. In
addition all the other objectives cannot be
adequately realized without play. This is because
play stimulates the holistic development of the
child in the early years. Play is the vehicle
through which children acquire skills. Essa [11]
says: “Play promotes mastery as children
practice skills; it furthers cognitive development
as thinking abilities are stretched; it involves
language, encouraging new uses; it involves
physical activity; it helps children work through
emotions; its inventive nature makes it creative
and it’s often a socializing event”. Papadakis
et al. [9] conducted a research on “improving
mathematics teaching in Kindergarten with
Realistic Mathematical Education” Their findings
revealed that use of the deductive approach
emphasized in Realistic Mathematical Education
contributed significantly to the development of
mathematical concepts in young children. Play
methods of teaching are based on the deductive
approach and therefore, these findings support
the importance of play in the teaching and
learning process in early childhood education.
Due to the importance of play in the early years
of a child, the curriculum for early childhood
education must include play as part of the
content or activity area. In addition, teachers are
encouraged to use play as a teaching method
because children naturally love play. As
observed by Wang and Lam [25], the relationship
between play, teaching and learning can never
be ignored. This paper holds that play in early
childhood education can be greatly influenced by
teacher support and school environment factors.
2.2 Teachers’ Role in Children’s Play
Teachers are the key implementers of the
curriculum. Their role can enhance or inhibit the
implementation of learning experiences in
schools. According to Follari [4] early childhood
educators have profound effects on children’s
lives. Pre-school teachers have extra ordinary
opportunities to influence developmental
outcomes in children [25]. They take diverse
roles as teachers, researchers, life-long learners,
care givers, family and child advocate,
provocateur and play mates. Teachers perform
the roles of planning; implementation and
evaluation in children’s play [26]. They are the
main resources for school activities [27,13]. They
are planners of classroom activities, role models
and managers of instructional materials [27]. KIE
[24] states that early childhood educators play a
significant role in enhancing the provision for the
needs of children for their holistic growth and
development. Of importance is teachers support
in children’s play. Child guided or teacher
supported play greatly benefits children in their
holistic development. A meaningful way to form
close bonds with children can be through their
play.
Teachers should support children’s play in a
variety of ways: As planners; observers; models;
resource persons; mediators; and protectors
[2,28,3,8,4,27,26].
Teachers are the planners of the play
environment. Wang and Lam [26] opine that
planning is how the teacher frames the aims and
intents of the play. Jackman [2] supports
teachers’ role to plan the environment, provide
safety in play environments, and provide
materials. As Kostelnik, et al. [28] assert,
teachers should make sure children play in
places comfortable enough to engage in
meaningful activities. Saracho [29] argues that
teachers need to design indoor and outdoor play
settings that provide adequate space for desired
children’s play. According to Saracho [29] in
order for teachers to use educational play to
support their curricular, they must be aware not
only of their goals but also of how they can use
play resources to further support these goals. As
guides in children play, teachers have to be
aware of the elements that constitute children’s
play such as the children (players), the materials,
and the play setting (space inside and outside
the classroom). As planners, teachers organize
the play environment for learning including
space, time, resources and activities [27,26].
Teachers should observe children during play.
By observing children, teachers can understand
their behavior and evaluate activities and
materials. Actually, lack of supervision greatly
contributes to childhood injuries [30]. KIE [21]
opines that teachers have the responsibility of
interacting with the children under their care.
Syomwene; JSRR, 14(4): 1-13, 2017; Article no.JSRR.33594
6
Teachers are models and children will always
imitate their teachers. The teacher can thus
demonstrate new games or generally encourage
the children to play. During play, both the teacher
and the children should play together [26].
As children engage in play, they can constantly
differ and permit quarrels and disagreements.
This calls for the teacher to be a mediator.
Children need to be supported to settle disputes
and maintain healthy relationships and
cooperation. Children require the company of
others to enjoy play.
Teachers play the role of protectors in children’s
play. They enhance the security of the children
and administer first aids when need be. Teachers
are thus facilitators of children’s play and their
support is prerequisite in the success of play
experiences in early childhood education.
2.3 Play Environments that Support
Children’s Play
The school environment that the teacher and the
learners interact can enhance or inhibit
implementation of school programs. Jackman [2]
defines the term environment in an early
childhood setting as the conditions and
surroundings affecting children and adults.
According to Saracho [29], the quality of early
childhood environment influences children’s play.
High quality play environments are conducive to
academic learning and support young children’s
development. Children have two classrooms:
Indoor and outdoor classrooms. This paper
delved on children’s outdoor play and how it was
influenced by the school environment. High
quality play environments should bear various
characteristics.
First, the play environment should be safe and
healthy. A healthy environment should be clean
and well maintained [3,8,11]. According to Catron
and Allen [7], in a healthy environment, children’s
needs are met and there are opportunities for
rest and relaxation; exploration and enjoyment.
Essa [11] opine that children demonstrate higher
cognitive skill levels and greater social
competence in schools that are safe and orderly,
contain a variety of stimulating equipment and
materials. A safe and pleasant school
environment includes a safe neighborhood, free
from traffic and environmental hazards, a fenced
play area with well-maintained equipment, child-
sized equipment and facilities [8]. Sandseter and
Sando [30] suggest that schools require risky
management strategies because risky play can
lead into injuries. A healthy environment should
be attractive and pleasant too. A pleasant and
attractive environment addresses all children
play needs.
A healthy environment conveys to children that
this is a good place to be; that people care about
them, that these people are able to satisfy their
desire to learn and their innate curiosity and that
it is a place in which it is safe to try without fear
of failure [11]. Other scholars [3,28] opine that
early childhood programs require a safe and
healthy environment that provides appropriate
and well maintained indoor and outdoor physical
environments. The environment includes
facilities, equipment and materials to facilitate
child and staff learning and development. A
healthy environment is a respectable one in
which caregivers deeply care for children [8].
Care givers do this by listening, observing and
responding to children’s verbal and non-verbal
communications. Bakken, Brown and Downing
[10] state that social skills that children exhibit
their entire lives are well entrenched as they
navigate their way through the school day. Peer
and teacher interactions are thus pertinent in the
school setting.
Second, the play environment should be
supportive of child development and learning.
Morrison [8] argues that a supportive
environment means you spend time with
children, pleasantly interact with them,
encourage and help them. Supportive
environments encourage and promote children’s
routine social interactions. Teachers can support
children’s play by playing with them, observing
them, demonstrating new games, providing the
required materials, settling disputes and taking
charge of emergencies.
The outdoor environment should offer the
children the opportunities to interact with natural
features. Nature offers children with opportunities
for discovery, adventure, challenge and learning
about the mystery and majesty of the world [7].
The environment should take advantage of all
available natural features [11].
Third, the play environment should be carefully
planned. Catron and Allen [7:120] support a
carefully planned play environment and say: “A
carefully planned outdoor environment enhances
children’s sense of well-being, extends the level
of body awareness, facilitates social interactions,
promotes problem solving skills, enriches
Syomwene; JSRR, 14(4): 1-13, 2017; Article no.JSRR.33594
7
movement vocabulary, develops perceptual
motor skills, heightens respect for nature and
supports creative expression”.
The play environment should be designed with
children’s needs and development in mind. The
environment enhances children’s self-esteem
when it is designed with their needs and
development in mind [11]. Once children have
sufficient space to move without interfering with
others they feel comfortable [28]. Such an
environment allows freedom of movement,
exploration, experimentation and discovery.
Organization of the play environment requires
attention to safety factors and the need to
supervise all play areas. Teachers have the
responsibility to plan and organize the play
environment to enhance child development.
According to Essa [11], the outdoor area should
be more than a place where children can let off
steam and exercise large muscles. It should
provide opportunities that enhance socialization,
cognitive and language development, sensory
exploration, creative expression and appreciation
of nature. This requirement calls for adequate
open spaces that are well maintained and safe.
This is because as Catron and Allen [7] observe,
children need to engage in movement to engage
in the outdoor environment for instance by
running and jumping. Ample outdoor space is
oriental to support children’s perceptual motor
development and to provide a variety of creative
play activities. Essa [11] observes that positive
peer interaction is promoted when children are
not crowded, when an ample number and variety
of items are available.
Forth, the play environment should have
adequate materials and resources. The
environment for early childhood education
requires availability of adequate program
resources such as teaching materials, indoor and
outdoor equipment [7,28]. The availability of
resources and materials can greatly influence the
implementation of school programs [1,13].
According to Cuffaro [31] materials are the
textbooks of early childhood classrooms. They
offer openings and pathways by and through
which children enter the ordered knowledge of
the adult world. Materials become tools with
which children give form to and express their
understanding of the world and the meanings
they have constructed. Play grounds should be
designed with equipment that promotes both
quiet and active, individual and group
activities.
According to Catron and Allen [7] playground
materials can be classified into three broad
categories according to the curricular objectives
they support:
(i) Sensory and tactile materials- they support
children’s cognitive development and help
children to learn many concepts as they
are exposed to various sights, sounds,
texture, smells tastes, outdoors such as
water play, sand play, gardening area, and
nature activities (trees, grass and other
plants).
(ii) Creative and dramatic play materials-The
opportunities provided by these materials
enhance early socialization, expression of
emotions, acting out different roles,
development of language and children
imaginations such as play stages, pretend
transportation equipment, play houses and
creative art materials.
(iii) Large motor materials- they enhance
motor skill development such as motor
planning ability, flexibility, agility, strength
endurance, timing, sequencing and
rhythm. The materials include slides and
swings.
Adequate materials and resources make the
play environment challenging. A challenging
environment provides opportunities for children
to be actively involved with other children and
staff [8]. Play has to be an engaging fun for
children [6]. Through the interactions in
play, children learn about the world and
themselves. Examples of the play materials and
resources necessary for children’s outdoor
play include an open space, swings, slides, tyres,
balls, ropes, toys, natural features (trees/grass),
water, and sand. This study investigated the
availability and adequacy of play materials
for children’s outdoor play in pre-schools in
Kenya.
Fifth, the play environment should be stimulating
and explorative. KIE [1] opines that a stimulating
environment that includes supportive, caring
and encouraging people provides good
opportunities for learning and development.
Children learn through senses, imitation,
observation, experimenting, talking, listening,
participating and doing things on their own. They
are active learners. Children need a stimulating
environment for a growth and development.
They need an environment that has love,
affection, protection, safety, care and nurturing
[11, 28].
Syomwene; JSRR, 14(4): 1-13, 2017; Article no.JSRR.33594
8
3. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODO-
LOGY
The study was carried out in Wareng Sub-county
in Uasin Gishu County in Kenya. The study
adopted a mixed methods research methodology
with a descriptive research design. Quantitative
data was collected through structured questions
in the teachers’ questionnaires and observation
checklists; while qualitative data was gathered
through open ended questions in the teachers’
questionnaires and through photo voice
techniques. The target population was all the
teachers in the pre-schools in the area. A total of
4 private and 17 public pre-schools were
selected to participate in the study through
stratified and simple random sampling methods
giving a total of 21 pre-schools. The sample
constituted 42 pre-school teachers selected
through simple random sampling method. Out of
these, 8 teachers were from private pre-schools
while the remaining 34 were from public pre-
schools. Data analysis was done through
descriptive statistics for quantitative data while
qualitative data was analyzed through a
discussion of emerging themes.
3.1 The Findings
This study was an investigation of teacher
support and school environment factors
influencing children’s outdoor play. This section
presents the findings that this study arrived at.
3.2 Teacher Support Factors Influencing
Children’s Outdoor Play
The first research objective was to find out
teacher support factors influencing children’s
play. Teachers were asked to indicate their
highest level of training. It was evident that
majority of the teachers were trained in early
childhood education in which 47.6% had
certificates in ECDE and 35.7% had diplomas in
ECDE. It can thus be inferred that teachers had
the required knowledge and skills on children’s
play in early childhood education.
Teachers were asked how conversant they were
with the role of play in child development. Out of
the 42 teachers, majority of them were
conversant with the role of play in early childhood
where 15 (35.7%); and 22 teachers (52.4%) said
they were very conversant and conversant
respectively. Only 5 teachers (11.9%) indicated
that they were not conversant with the role of
play in early childhood. The findings indicated
that the teachers understood the significance of
play in early childhood education.
Teachers were asked to indicate how often
they would undertake various roles during
children’s play. The findings are summarized in
Table 1.
From the findings in Table 1, it’s evident that
most teachers rarely or never undertook most of
the roles in support of children’s play. Most of the
affected roles were playing with children,
demonstration of new games, arranging the play
environment, observing children as they play and
provision of the required materials. The roles that
most of the teachers undertook in most cases
included taking charge of emergencies and
accidents and settling disputes between and
among the children during play. These findings
agree with the study by Hyndman, Stanley,
Boshoff and Dollman cited in Hyndman et al. [5]
that established teacher support as a positive
correlate to active play on school play-grounds.
In support of these findings, Wang and Lami [26]
Table 1. Teachers’ responses on the frequency at which they undertook various roles during
children’s outdoor play
Roles
Very
often
Often
Rarely
Never
Totals
(i) Playing with children 2 (4.8) 5 (11.9) 30 (71.4) 5 (11.9) 42 (100)
(ii) Demonstrating new games 4 (9.5) 10 (23.8)
17 (40.5) 11 (26.2) 42 (100)
(iii) Arranging the play environment 0 (0.0) 9 (21.4) 24 (57.1) 9 (21.4) 42 (100)
(iv) Observing children as they play 6 (14.3) 20 (47.6)
11 (26.2) 5 (11.9) 42 (100)
(v) Taking charge of emergencies
and accidents 36 (85.7) 6 (14.3) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 42 (100)
(vi) Settling disputes between and
among the pupils 34 (81.0) 8 (19.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 42 (100)
(vii)
Provision of required materials 7 (16.7) 14 (33.3)
21(50) 0 (0.0) 42 (100)
(N=42; the percentage frequencies are indicated in brackets and have been rounded up to 1 decimal place; the
percentage totals have been rounded to a whole number)
Syomwene; JSRR, 14(4): 1-13, 2017; Article no.JSRR.33594
9
observe that teachers can support children’s play
by using such strategies as playing along with
children, introducing ideas, demonstrating skills,
evaluation activities and assessing outcomes.
The analysis of the open ended questions
revealed various challenges that affected
teachers in undertaking their roles during
children’s play.
The first challenge that teachers indicated was
heavy work load. The pupil-teacher ratio in most
cases in the public schools was beyond 1:40.
The recommended one is 1:15. The teachers
therefore preferred to use the outdoor play time
for teacher preparation and for attending to
children’s work books. However, in most of the
private schools that were visited, there were two
teachers in classes of beyond 25 children. This
reduced their work load and gave them ample
time to plan and engage in outdoor play.
The second challenge was demotivation of the
teachers as a result of poor remunerations vis a
vis the heavy workloads. Most of the teachers
claimed that they were dissatisfied with their
salaries. The overall success of school activities
depends on teacher motivation [27,13]. These
findings concur with the findings of a study by
Oluvotimi et al. [27] on motivational factors and
teachers commitment in public secondary
schools in Mbale Municipality. They found out
that there was a moderate significant relationship
between teacher motivation and commitment to
work.
The third challenge was inadequate time for both
class work and outdoor play. Most public schools
run from 8.30 am up to 12.00 am. The teachers
claimed that they had minimal time for both class
work and outdoor work. As a result, teachers
would use the time for outdoor play to attend to
the children’s work books and for teacher
planning and preparation. The private schools
had more time as the children would remain in
school up to 4 pm in most of the schools. The
teachers would utilize the time for children’s rest
to go through the children’s work books and plan
for outdoor activities. Hyndman et al [5] observes
that sometimes teachers consider active play a
taxing demand on their busy day. On the other
hand, Syomwene [13] observes that teacher
work load vis a vis the available time can greatly
influence implementation of school programs.
From the observations carried out by the
researcher coupled by the photographs taken,
teacher companion during children’s play was
found to be stronger in the private pre-schools
compared to the public pre-schools. In most of
the private schools visited, teachers would
accompany the children in play, demonstrate
new games, observe children during play and
provide the required materials. However in most
of the public schools, children were found playing
on their own without the company of the teacher.
3.3 School Environment Factors Influ-
encing Children’s Outdoor Play
The second research objective was to find out
the school environment factors that affected
children’s outdoor play. Teachers were asked to
indicate the availability and adequacy of various
outdoor materials and resources. The results are
indicated in Table 2.
Table 2. Teachers’ responses on the availability and adequacy of materials and resources for
children’s outdoor play
Materials/
resources
Available and
adequate
Available but
inadequate
Not
available
Totals
(i) Open space 28 (66.7) 14 (33.3) 0 (0.0) 42 (100)
(ii) Swings 4 (9.5) 7 (16.7) 31 (73.8) 42 (100)
(iii) Slides 3 (7.1) 8 (19.0) 31 (73.9) 42 (100)
(iv) Tyres 10 (23.8) 21 (50.0) 11 (26.2) 42 (100)
(v) Balls 13 (31.0) 20 (47.6) 9 (21.4) 42 (100)
(vi) Ropes 14 (33.3) 13 (31.0) 15 (35.7) 42 (100)
(vii) Toys 4 (9.5) 21 (50.0) 17 (40.5) 42 (100)
(viii) Natural features
(trees/grass) 36 (85.7) 6 (14.3) 0 (0.0) 42 (100)
(ix) Water 27 (64.3) 15 (35.7) 0 (0.0) 42 (100)
(x) Sand 7 (16.7) 13 (31.0) 22 (52.4) 42 (100)
(N=42; the percentage frequencies are indicated in brackets and have been rounded up to 1 decimal place; the
percentage totals have been rounded to a whole number)
Syomwene; JSRR, 14(4): 1-13, 2017; Article no.JSRR.33594
10
Table 2 shows that most of the materials were
available but inadequate. These were materials
such as tyres, balls, ropes and toys. The
materials and resources that were available and
adequate in most schools were the open spaces,
natural features and water as indicated by
majority of the teachers. Some materials were
however lacking in many of the schools such as
swings, slides, and sand. From the observations
made, balls were available in most of the schools
though in all the public schools visited the balls
were improvised. In most of the private schools
however, real balls were available. Syomwene
[13] warns of flaws in the implementation of
school programs in cases where materials are
unavailable or insufficient.
The analysis of the open ended questions in the
teachers’ questionnaires indicated that teachers
faced the challenges of lack of and inadequacy
of materials and resources for children’s outdoor
play. The observations by the researcher
confirmed this too.
From the analysis of the open ended questions,
teachers indicated lack of maintenance of the
available materials as a challenge that they
encountered. Majority of the teachers in the
public primary schools indicated that the play
grounds were not flattened for easy movements;
that the few materials they had were not regularly
maintained; meaning that they were in poor
condition. The results from the observations
confirmed this. From the observations, cases of
poorly maintained materials such as swings and
slides were evident in the pre-schools that were
visited. Teachers also indicated that they
encountered accidents due to the poorly
maintained materials.
Although the data obtained from the
questionnaires indicated adequate open space in
most public and private pre-schools; the
observations revealed that most of the private
schools visited lacked adequate open space for
children’s play. However, most of the private
schools had materials such as balls, swings,
slides, tyres, ropes and toys which lacked in
most public schools. As for the public schools,
the open spaces were empty in most cases
without any fixed materials such as swings and
slides. The findings concur with a study by
Sandsetter and Sando [30] on how the
Norwegian society’s focus on safety influenced
play and activities in early Childhood Education
and Care. Their findings indicated that limited
outdoor space inhibited children’s active play. In
another study about policy implementation and
problems in pre-primary education in Nigeria,
Ejiel cited in Adegbami and Adewole [22] found
out that most pre-schools had space and
equipment problems.
Results from observations indicated that natural
features were available in both private and public
pre-schools though they were more adequate in
the public pre-schools than in the private pre-
schools. Sand was lacking in most of the
schools. Soil was available though in most cases
it wasn’t loose and easy to access. The children
had to scoop it or dig it out.
Teachers were asked to respond to some
statements to indicate their level of agreement on
how their school environment supported
children’s play. The results are summarized in
Table 3.
From the findings summarized in Table 3, the
environment in most of the schools did not fully
support children’s play. Many of the teachers
disagreed or strongly disagreed on the following
facts: That their school environment was safe
and healthy; that their school environment
allowed adequate exploration by the children
during play; that their school environment had
adequate materials for children’s play; that the
materials were well maintained; that the school
environment allowed children to enjoy active,
engaged and meaningful learning; that the
school environment was carefully planned,
pleasant and attractive; and that the environment
allowed warm interactions with the teachers
during play. On other hand, many of the teachers
agreed; or strongly agreed to the following
statements: That their school environment had
adequate space; that the environment allowed
warm interactions amongst the children and that
the environment provided a home away from
home. These findings were an indication of
challenges in children’s provision of play and
which would adversely affect children’s
development. Within the school environment,
children’s relationships with teachers and
peers may have long term consequences
for their academic motivation and achievement
[25].
The observations by the researcher further
confirmed the findings. It was found out that both
private and public schools had fences though the
fences for the private schools appeared stronger
than those of the public schools. The play
grounds in some of the schools were not very
Syomwene; JSRR, 14(4): 1-13, 2017; Article no.JSRR.33594
11
Table 3. Teachers’ responses on how their school environment supported children’s play
Statements
Strongly
agree
Agree
Uncertain
Disagree
Strongly
disagree
(i) My school environment is very safe
and healthy for the children during
outdoor play
5 (11.9) 6 (14.3) 0 (0.0) 17 (40.5) 14 (33.3)
(ii) My school environment allows
adequate exploration by the children
during outdoor play times
3 (7.1) 5 (11.9) 0 (0.0) 18 (42.9) 16 (38.1)
(iii)
My school environment has adequate
open space for children’s outdoor
play and interactions.
11 (26.2)
13 (31.0)
1 (2.4) 10 (23.8) 7 (16.7)
(iv) My school environment has a variety
of materials and resources for
children’s outdoor play.
6 (14.3) 8 (19.0) 0 (0.0) 15 (35.7) 13 (31.0)
(v) The materials and resources in my
school are well maintained for
children’s safety during outdoor play.
3 (7.1) 6 (14.3) 0 (0.0) 14 (33.3) 19 (45.2)
(vi) My school outdoor environment
allows the children to enjoy active,
engaged, meaningful learning.
2 (4.8) 4 (9.5) 2 (4.8) 19 (45.2) 15 (35.8)
(viii)
My school environment is carefully
planned, pleasant and attractive. 2 (4.8) 5 (11.9) 0 (0.0) 18 (42.9) 17 (40.5)
(ix) My pupils enjoy warm interactions
with amongst themselves during
outdoor play.
14 (33.3)
12 (28.6)
1 (2.4) 9 (21.4) 6 (14.3)
(x) My pupils enjoy warm interactions
with the teacher during outdoor play. 8 (19.0) 10 (23.8)
3 (7.1) 14 (33.3) 7 (16.7)
(xi) My school environment provides a
home away from home 11 (26.2)
13 (31.0)
4 (9.5) 7 (16.7) 7 (16.7)
(N=42; the percentage frequencies are indicated in brackets and have been rounded up to 1 decimal place; the
percentage totals have been rounded to a whole number)
safe for children. Pools of water in the play-
grounds were observed in some of the
schools.Some play grounds some had long
grass, rubbish pits and animal waste. In one of
the public schools that I visited, some domestic
animals were found grazing in the play-ground.
In another public school that was visited, a bore
hole was observed in the play-ground whose
entrance was not properly locked.
4. CONCLUSIONS
The first research objective was to investigate
the teacher support factors that influenced
children’s outdoor play. From the findings, it was
concluded that teachers provided minimal
support in children’s outdoor play. Most of the
affected roles were playing with children,
demonstration of new games, arranging the play
environment, observing children as they play and
provision of the required materials. Teachers
pointed out at heavy workloads, demotivation
due to poor remunerations and inadequate time
as some of the challenges that affected them in
support of children’s outdoor play. Teacher
support was found to be stronger in the private
pre-schools as opposed to the public pre-
schools.
The second research objective was to find out
the school environment factors affecting
children’s play. From the findings, it was
concluded that most of the schools either lacked
or experienced inadequacies of the required
materials and resources for children’s outdoor
play. Poor maintenance of the available
resources and materials affected the schools. In
most pre-schools, the school environment
affected children’s play on issues to do with
safety, exploration by children, active learning,
careful planning, and interactions with the
teachers. The school environment in the public
pre-schools was more affected compared to the
private pre-schools.
Syomwene; JSRR, 14(4): 1-13, 2017; Article no.JSRR.33594
12
Consequently, the study concluded that teacher
support and school environment factors
influenced children’s outdoor play in early
childhood curriculum in Kenya.
5. RECOMMENDATIONS
From the conclusions arrived at, the study
recommended the need to strengthen teacher
support in children’s play through in-service
training of teachers, improved teacher: pupil
ratio; and teacher remunerations. Another
recommendation was the need to enhance play
materials’ acquisition and maintenance through
parent, government, community, and well-
wishers’ support. In addition, the play
environment should be carefully planned and
maintained.
DISCLAIMER
Some part of this manuscript was previously
presented in the following conference.
Conference name: The Association of
Educational Development in Africa (AEDA)
Dates: 3rd to 5th April 2017
Location: Blue Waters Hotel in Durban, South
Africa
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I acknowledge: (i) The management of Moi
University, Kenya who granted me leave of
absence to travel and attend the AEDA 2017
conference in Durban, South Africa where I
presented part of this paper; and (ii) The CERM-
ESA office at Moi University which funded my
travel costs for the conference.
COMPETING INTERESTS
Author has declared that no competing interests
exist.
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