Date of Graduation

8-2017

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Human Development, Family Sciences and Rural Sociology

Advisor/Mentor

Wiersma-Mosley, Jacquelyn

Committee Member

Herold, Laura

Second Committee Member

McNally, Shelley

Abstract

From early on in their lives, children use play as a way to explore their environment and as a catalyst to begin the process of learning. Children play in a variety of forms-dramatic play, playing with blocks, rough and tumble play, playing with dolls, etc.-that play is involved in nearly every aspect of their lives. It is important to study children’s play, as well as the perceptions of play by important adults in their lives, because it is so deeply entrenched in their development. A survey was created to understand the perceptions of teachers on young children’s play, as well as based on gender. Surveys were distributed to 9 teachers in a child-care facility in a large city in the southern U.S. The results of the study reflect that length of time as a caregiver, as well as highest level of education completed, had no impact on the caregiver’s views of children’s play based on gender, and did not play a significant role in how egalitarian their views are within the sample collected. Further research that includes larger sample sizes and more diverse caregiving centers is warranted.

Keywords

Children's play; Caregiver

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