The purpose of this study was to discover the relationships of young children's play zone preference and play behavior to the sociality development.
In the detail, this study was:
First, to know whether young children's play zone preference, play be...
The purpose of this study was to discover the relationships of young children's play zone preference and play behavior to the sociality development.
In the detail, this study was:
First, to know whether young children's play zone preference, play behavior and sociality have differences according to age and gender.
Second, to analyze the correlation between young children's play zone preference and sociality development.
Third, to analyze the correlation between young children's play behavior and sociality development.
This study considered the concept and significance of play, classification of play zones and play behaviors, variables effected on the play, relationships between play and sociality development, prior research, etc.
This study used random sampling. The number of subjects was 120 young children attending a kindergarten and a children's school located in Chon-ju city.
The instruments of study were two. One is the play behavior observation questionnaire which referred to Parten's Classification of play Behavior, the other is Doll's Social Maturity Scale for knowing young children's sociality development degree. This scale was 139 items, from which 62 items were extracted according to this study's subject.
For the data process of this study, one-way ANOVA was performed to test differences among play zone preference, play behavior, and sociality according to age and gender. Pearson's Correlation Coefficient was used to compare possible relationships between play zone preference and sociality development, as well as relationships between play behavior and sociality development.
The results of this study were as follows:
First, there were differences according to age in young children's play zone preference. Three- year old children preferred pile zone and five-year old children preferred word zone and operational play zone in the play zone preference. The gender differences were that boys preferred pile zone and girls preferred not only role playing zone but also shaping activity zone.
Second, there was a difference according to age but no difference according to gender in young children's play behavior. Three-year old children spent more time onlooking behavior and solitary play, four- year old children preferred parallel play, five- year old children participated more associative play and cooperative play. Boys leaned towards more parallel play, associative play and cooperative play than girls. Girls selected more onlooking behavior and solitary play than boys but there was not significant.
Third, young children's sociality had difference according to age and gender. Five-year old children's sociality according to age were much higher than three-year old children and four- year old children in the factors of socialization, communication, locomotion and autonomy.
Fourth, there was correlation between young children's play zone preference and sociality development. The following factors revealed positive correlation. Word zone and shaping activity zone preference were positive to communication. Role playing zone preference was positive to autonomy. Music activity zone preference was positive to socialization and communication. Pile zone preference had negative correlation with socialization, communication, and autonomy.
Finally, there was correlation between young children's play behavior and sociality development. Associative play and cooperative play had positive correlation relationships with socialization, communication, and autonomy. Onlooker behavior and solitary play had negative correlation with socialization, communication, and autonomy.