The Power of Play: Exploring Stakeholders’ Perception of Play-Based Education in Early Childhood

The Power of Play: Exploring Stakeholders’ Perception of Play-Based Education in Early Childhood

Trixie Marie Riño, Kaira C. Brozo^*, Kimberly C. Ignacio, Fatima C. Isidro, Micaella-Anne B. Sanglay, Esther G. Domingo, Joel B. Faustino, Joseline M. Santos

College of Education, Bulacan State University, City of Malolos Bulacan, Philippines 3000

^*Corresponding author

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.90600009

Received: 20 May 2025; Accepted: 22 May 2025; Published: 26 June 2025

ABSTRACT

Play-based education is essential to promote children’s social, emotional, and cognitive growth. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of the key educational stakeholders, including teachers, learners, and parents, on play-based learning pedagogy. This study focused on understanding the underlying concerns among teachers, learners, and parents with play-based learning and how these concerns affect their views on the role of play in children’s overall development. A quantitative correlational research design was used with the sample population consisting of 100 primary grade teachers from different DepEd schools within Bulacan, 690 learners from primary grade, and 690 parents of primary grade learners. The data were collected using adopted-modified Likert questionnaires focusing on play-based education function, significance, and its efficacy in early childhood settings, along with learners’ academic records. The findings indicate that both teachers and learners hold play-based education in high regard, with mean satisfaction ratings of 3.85 and 3.42, respectively. However, parents showed mixed perceptions, highlighting a gap in understanding. Teachers and the students strongly support play-based learning and a need for a campaign to help parents understand play-based education.

Keywords: play-based education, early childhood education, stakeholder perceptions, cognitive development, academic performance, awareness campaign

INTRODUCTION

It has been demonstrated that children’s development benefits from learning through play. Playing is educational if it is enjoyable, meaningful, energetic, and socially involved (Parker & Thomsen, 2019). Placement in the classroom fosters initiative, participation, creativity, and friendliness. Play-based education promotes social skill development, encourages children to learn, and improves their language and numeracy skills. Engaging in play involves being proactive, focused, and curious.  It also aids children in solving problems, controlling their emotions, being creative, making decisions, collaborating, fortitude, sharing, and interacting with others in both small and large groups, all of which are beneficial. Children teach lifelong skills and help them make better decisions. Furthermore, stakeholders’ perceptions about play might affect how they see children’s education, growth, and the importance they place on playtime.

According to Keung and Cheung (2019), teachers perceive effective play-based learning to be closely linked to the overall development of children. Their conceptions of play pedagogy are influenced by their understanding of how play contributes to various developmental aspects, including social, emotional, and cognitive growth. In preschool classes, play- based learning offers opportunities to support students’ social and emotional development.  It demonstrates how play-based learning affects preschoolers’ development of social and emotional skills.

Furthermore, although it was stated above that play-based learning played a crucial role in the development of children, some teachers could not  execute play in the classroom. According to Zhang et al. (2021), while the teachers favored the conventional curriculum, they were usually aware of play-based learning among early primary school students. In terms of practice and play-based learning, teachers believed that they were time-consuming and added to their burden. It was stated that children played anyway, but in terms of learning, the conventional methods were more effective.

While existing literature and studies support play-based learning in early childhood education that benefits learners’ holistic development, stakeholders still have mixed opinions regarding this approach. In contrast, there were stakeholders—learners, teachers, and parents who had different views on this matter. Despite having a high level of knowledge, there were still stakeholders who had initial reactions or negative connotations when they discovered that children played at school to learn. They were concerned that play might not be sufficient for children to learn at school. They were used to believing that learning only happened through academic activities and not through play.

Play experience was emphasized in the DepEd Matatag Curriculum Program as a method of teaching young students.  A child’s natural activity aided in their exploration and interpretation of their surroundings.  While the instructor recognized the learning process and considered what they had seen to decide which activities should be encouraged and expanded upon, the children played.

By addressing the knowledge gap and promoting positive attitudes, stakeholders can encourage more parents to embrace Early Childhood Education, ultimately benefiting children’s development and educational outcomes. Through play-based learning, they were provided with a solid foundation for both academic and non-academic skills foster holistic development.
Play-based learning has been widely used in early childhood education. This way of teaching allowed learners to learn by doing the activities and not simply by learning it academically. However, due to different perceptions of stakeholders—learners, teachers, and parents putting it into practice sometimes became challenging.

Understanding the perceptions of different stakeholders in play-based learning is vital. By understanding the stakeholders’ perceptions of play-based learning, the researchers formulated a well-rounded framework that benefited the teacher, parents, and learners in their different developmental domains. Through this study, the researchers fully understand the parents and create different approaches for them to realize that play-based learning is not merely playing but more than just that.

The purpose of this study was to explore how different stakeholders—including learners, teachers and parents—perceive the function, significance, and efficacy of play-based learning in early childhood settings the research addressed the central question: What are the underlying concerns among educators, parents, and students regarding on the perception of play-based learning, and how do these concerns influence their views on the role of play in fostering critical thinking, social skills, and overall cognitive development in early childhood education? This research sought to provide valuable insights and create a campaign that would help teachers, learners, and parents address their concerns, which would facilitate and improve students’ academic performance.

While many stakeholders respond positively to frameworks that address their concerns and expand their understanding of play-based learning’s educational value, others remain hesitant, still favoring traditional methods because they perceive play-based learning as “just play” and not a structured approach to development.

The general problem of this study is how stakeholders perceive play-based education in early childhood.

Specifically, this study will find answers to the following questions:

• How can play-based learning education be perceived by teachers, learners and parents?
• Is there a significant difference in the perceptions of teachers, learners, and parents?
• How may the academic performance of learners be described?
• Is there a significant relationship between teachers’ and learners’ perception of play-based education and the learners’ academic performance?
• Is there a significant relationship between parents’ demographic profile and their perception of play-based education?
• What awareness campaigns can be developed to help parents understand the importance of play-based education?

This study investigated how early childhood educators, students, and parents perceive play-based learning.  It concentrated on how play-based learning was perceived in terms of its goal, significance, and efficacy in fostering children’s social, cognitive, and critical thinking development as well as their academic and non-academic progress.  It also examined how the three stakeholder groups’ perspectives differed from one another and how these perceptions were related to students’ academic achievement.  The study also suggested an awareness campaign to educate parents on the advantages of play-based learning and to dispel common misconceptions about it.

According to an increasing number of studies, play-based learning is beneficial for the development of a variety of social, emotional, and cognitive skills. According to Caven (2022), play fosters the development of 21st-century abilities such as confidence, teamwork, communication, creativity, and critical thinking. Children not only learn love but also acquire critical academic and life skills through meaningful, active, and socially engaging activities.

According to Yunianti (2020), learning through play is a potent way to promote holistic learning in contemporary educational settings because it improves children’s capacity for observation, analysis, planning, and meaning-making. Even though early childhood activists and scholars strongly endorse play-based learning, real-world obstacles still need to be overcome. Particularly in kindergarten, the advent of standards-based accountability has caused many teachers to place a higher priority on academic teaching strategies such as rote memorization and direct instruction.

According to Caven (2022), despite the fact that some states, such as New Hampshire, have made child-directed experience a requirement of their educational policy, many instructors are still unsure of how to successfully incorporate play-based learning into their lessons. Despite its benefits, the application of play-based learning is fraught with difficulty. Many teachers use more conventional teaching strategies, such as rote memorization and direct instruction, as a result of the pressures of standardized testing and rising academic demands (Caven, 2022).

METHODOLOGY

This study used a quantitative correlational research design. To examine stakeholders including teachers, learners, and parents’ perceptions of play-based education in early childhood. This approach ensured that the numerical insights were supplemented by subtle experiences and perspectives. Quantitative data were derived from the Quarterly Kindergarten Progress Report and Quarterly Academic Performance of Grades 1 to 3 to describe the relationship between play-based learning and academic performance. This study complied with ethical guidelines. It was approved by the Ethics Review Committee of Bulacan State University. All participants gave their informed consent including teachers, learners written consent and parents or guardians consent. The findings were used to develop campaign awareness to promote the benefits and importance of play-based education, focusing on the relationship between stakeholder perceptions and measurable academic performance.

The study focused on key stakeholders in early childhood education, especially pupils and parents from a  DepEd school in Bulacan, as well as teachers from selected DepEd Elementary schools in the same province. Using the Raosoft sample size calculator, a sample of 295 learners and 295 parents was drawn from a combined population of 1,295. In addition, 100 teachers were selected to participate in the study. This brought the total number of respondents to 690, consisting of 295 learners, 295 parents, and 100 teachers.

This study used a Likert scale questionnaire and interviews to gather data on teachers, learners, and parents’ perceptions of play-based education. The research used a Likert scale questionnaire and interviews to gather data on teachers, learners, and parents’ perceptions of play-based education. The questionnaire consisted of four Likert-scale questions, seven open-ended questions for parents, and six open-ended questions for teachers and learners. The study used adopted-modified questionnaires and was validated by three educational professionals. Each modified questionnaire was adopted from a related study. The questionnaire for teachers was taken from Tuba (2021). The questionnaire for learners came from a study of Mauro (2024). The questionnaire for parents was adopted from Zhang et al. (2021) and Fogle and Mendez (2017).

The data-gathering procedure for this quantitative correlational research study began with formal communication and consent procedures involving key stakeholders including teachers, parents, and learners’ guardians. These steps ensured that all the parties were informed and voluntarily agreed to participate in the study. To determine the sample size of students and parents, the Raosoft calculator was used, ensuring a 95% level of significance. From a total population of 1,259 a sample size of 295 was selected to represent the study population. The study employed stratified random sampling, which was administered proportionally to learners from Kindergarten to Grade 3. To maintain equity in the selection procedure, the advisory teacher actively assisted in selecting the students from each class. With the knowledge of their students, they were able to expedite the selection process while still honoring the essence of the sampling technique.

The researchers collected data on stakeholder experiences of play-based learning through structured surveys using interview techniques. Teachers shared information about their use of play-based teaching approaches, together with the number of occurrences and observed results. This study measured students’ perspective through a series of specific questions customized for different age ranges. The survey evaluated parents to understand how play-based teaching methods affected their children academically and in social domains, as well as developmental outcomes. The collected survey data showed how different stakeholders understood these concepts by studying their responses to the search for shared beliefs along with divergent viewpoints. The faculty used the collected information to create an awareness strategy that improved play-learning methods and boosted the educational results for young children.

Following the completion of the data collection, the survey results were subjected to statistical analysis to identify the patterns and correlations of stakeholders’ perceptions. This analysis revealed commonalities and differences among teachers, parents, and learners regarding the implementation and effectiveness of play-based learning. The insights obtained from the experiment were then utilized to develop an awareness campaign that addressed stakeholders’ concerns and misconceptions, aimed at improving play-based learning practices to enhance students’ academic performance in early childhood education.

RESULTS

Table 1 Perceptions of Teachers in Play-Based Learning Education

Table 1 shows the survey results regarding the perceptions of kindergarten and grades 1 to 3 teachers in DepEd schools in Bulacan. The results demonstrated that the teachers strongly agreed with play-based learning in early childhood education, as indicated by the overall total mean value of 3.85, with a standard deviation of 0.33, which was considered as extremely severe.

Table 2 Perceptions of Learners in Play-Based Learning Education

This table shows learners’ perceptions towards play-based learning in their early childhood. The learners perceived play-based learning education positively in early childhood since the aggregate weighted mean was 3.42, reflecting an agreement rating in the descriptions, with a standard deviation of 0.64 reflecting a severe interpretation.

Table 3 Perceptions of Parents in Play-Based Learning Education

Table 3 shows the survey results regarding parents’ perception of play-based learning education in early childhood. Based on the respondents perspective, the parents agreed on the significance of learning through play for young children, as evidenced by the general mean score of 3.09 with a standard deviation of 0.49, which has a severe interpretation.

Table 4 Anova Test Among Three Groups

The table presents the ANOVA results for the three groups. A statistical difference exists between the stakeholder perceptions of teachers, learners, and parents, according to the F-value of 77.9388 and p-value of 0.00001. The test’s p-value of 0.00001 falls below the defined level of 0.05, and the researchers reject the null hypothesis.

Table 5 Frequency, Percentage and Remarks Distribution of Kindergarten Learners’ Academic Performance Based on Grade Interpretation

The table displays the grade classification for kindergarten learner achievement based on DepEd Orders No. 47, 2016 Omnibus Policy on Kindergarten Education. The average achievement for the second grading period showed a grade classification notation of 80-119. This means that collectively, all 67 students were aggregated under the heading average overall development, with a 100% in the percentage having a passing remark.

Table 6 Frequency, Percentage and Remarks Distribution of Grade 1 to 3 Learners’ Academic Performance Based on Grade Descriptors

The table demonstrates the result distribution of the total 228 Grade 1 to 3 learners, from the descriptor of Outstanding (90-100) with a percentage of 46.49% and 53.51% as Very Satisfactory (85-89). Have an overall 100% in the percentage having a passed remark, this aligns with DepEd Order No. 8,s. 2015.

Table 7 Correlation Analysis Between the Perception of the Teachers and Kindergarten Learners in Play-Based Education and the Academic Performance of Kindergarten

The table shows the correlation analysis between the perception of teachers and kindergarten learners regarding play-based education and the academic performance of kindergarten learners. The value of r between teachers’ perceptions and kindergarten academic performance was -0.0345, indicating a weak negative correlation. With a p-value of 0.80956, there was no significant relationship between teacher perceptions and kindergarten learners’ academic performance. Similarly, the correlation between the kindergartens’ perception and their academic performance, with the value of r = 0.1211, presented a weak positive correlation. Although there was a p-value of 0.32897, there was no significant relationship between the perception of kindergarten learners and their academic performance.

Table 8 Correlation Analysis Between the Perception of the Teachers and Grade 1 to 3 Learners in Play-Based Education and the Academic Performance of Grade 1 to 3

Table 8 shows the correlation analysis between the perception of teachers and grades 1-3 learners about play-based education and their academic performance. The findings found a weak positive correlation between teachers’ perception and grades 1 to 3 academic performance, with a value of r = 0.1031 and a p-value = 0.307368, indicating no significant relationship between the variables. Similarly, the correlation between Grade 1 to 3 learners’ perceptions and their academic performance was 0.0573, which represented a weak positive correlation. However, with a p-value of 0.389148, there was no significant relationship between Grades 1 to 3 learners’ perception and their academic performance.

Table 9 Correlation Analysis Between Parents’ Demographic Profile and Their Perception of Play-Based Education

Table 9 shows the correlation between parents’ demographic profiles and their perception of play-based education. The findings found no significant difference in parents’ perception of play-based education based on gender, age, marital status, relationship with the child, or educational attainment. However, a moderate positive correlation was found, suggesting that higher educational attainment leads to a more favorable perception of play-based education. The results suggested that parents’ ages, marital status, and relationship with their child did not significantly influence their perception of play-based education.

Figure 1 The Visual of the Campaign Awareness Plan about Play-Based Learning

Figure 2 A Visual of Leaflets Used for Campaign Awareness about Play-Based Learning

DISCUSSION

This study explored the perceptions of stakeholders -teachers, learners, and parents, regarding play-based learning education. Through survey questionnaires, the researchers found that the majority of teachers, learners, and parents held a positive perception of play-based education. The results of the study showed that teachers from four DepEd schools in Bulacan strongly agreed to recognize the important role played in fostering creativity, problem-solving, and social-emotional development that lay the foundation for lifelong learning. Supported by Kangas (2025), play-based learning increases students’ motivation, active involvement, and learning. The learners perceived favorable views of play-based learning education, with study results showing a positive, agreed-upon view, which means that the learners enjoy playing a lot and find it motivating. The results of the findings showed that most of the parents agreed, although while parents valued play-based learning, there was still a tendency to prioritize academic capability over play.

The results showed significant differences among stakeholders’ perceptions concerning play-based education based on the results of the ANOVA Test. In this case, the researchers accepted the alternate hypothesis and concluded that there were differences in how teachers, learners, and parents perceive play-based education. Most teachers appreciated play-based education because of its systematic contribution towards organized learning outcomes, while pupils regarded it as active and participatory learning. On the other hand, parents held mixed views based on their varying educational experiences. These results underscore the different interpretations defined by the various roles and functions of each stakeholder group and show how these differences need to be reconciled to value and support the effective use of play-based learning models in education.

The results of the correlation analysis between the perception of the teacher and learners in play-based education and the learners’ academic performance found that there was no significant relationship between the perception of the teacher and learners in play-based education and the learners’ academic performance. These findings align with those of previous research on early childhood education. According to Lynch (2015), while teachers value the importance of play in developing creativity and motivation, academic demands elsewhere outside the classroom limit the perceived or measurable academic value of play-based approaches. Similarly, Nicolopoulou (2007) asserted that play fostered the development of narrative and symbolic skills through developmental processes; however, it was difficult to measure direct academic effects without using long-term evaluation techniques.

Moreover, the learners achieved successful outcomes in the study, with most excelling in their academic work based on their academic performance. All kindergarten learners displayed Average Overall Development with passing remarks results according to the assessment measurements by DepEd Orders No. 47, s. 2016, while half of the learners in Grades 1 to 3 received Outstanding grades, also with passing remarks, aligned with DepEd Order No. 8,s. 2015, which provided a summary of learners’ progress through a grading scale and its corresponding descriptors to assess performance. The powerful data indicated that learning through play does not interfere with academic development, but possibly serves as an excellent basis, even though the statistical evidence is weak.

The results of the study revealed a weak positive correlation between parents’ demographic profiles and their perceptions of play-based education. The results showed no significant differences in gender, age, marital status, relationship to the child, or educational attainment. The higher the parents’ educational attainment, the more favorable their perception was toward play-based education. However, the relationships between gender, age, marital status, relationship to the child, and educational attainment were not statistically significant. This study supports the finding of Wright et al. (2023) that parents with higher educational attainment tend to favor play, while less educated parents are generally inclined to prefer direct instruction. Similarly, a study by Navitha Jayaraj et al. (2022) also revealed factors that affect the way parents perceive play, such as age, educational level, race, and religion. Moreover, parents’ marital status greatly affected their attitudes toward play.

The researchers developed an awareness campaign program plan and designed easily understandable leaflets that highlight the importance and benefits of play-based learning in children’s academics for parents to see that play-based learning was not just about playing, and for them to know that incorporating play in their child’s academic activity was very helpful for their child’s development. The objectives of the proposed awareness campaign program plan is to address the understanding gap of parents toward play-based education in early childhood and to offer a firsthand experience through a play-based educational booth where children can engage and parents can observe.

The campaign awareness seminar will present an opportunity to empower parents with knowledge to support their child development through play. Parents/Guardians will be able to  observe and engage with their children as they participate in interactive booths within the provided educational booths. Interactive booths consist of different booth activities that are designed for Early childhood learners.

CONCLUSIONS

This study affirmed the vital role of play-based learning as a meaningful strategy in early childhood education. The strong support among teachers, the positive reception among learners, and moderate yet critical approval among parents highlighted the multifaceted value of play as both a developmental and academic tool. The existence of significant differences among stakeholder perceptions reflects the natural diversity of expectations surrounding early education, but it also underscores the necessity of bridging these perspectives for more cohesive and effective implementation. Moreover, the positive influence of teachers’ and learners’ perceptions of academic outcomes substantiates the educational value of integrating structured play into early learning environments. The results further suggest that although play-based learning was generally embraced, targeted efforts remained necessary to strengthen parental understanding, particularly regarding marital status and educational background. Ultimately, the study concluded that fostering shared commitment among teachers, learners, and parents to play-based methodologies is essential for maximizing children’s holistic growth. Play should not merely be regarded as a supplementary activity but also recognized as a core pedagogical practice that meaningfully supports cognitive, social, and academic development during the foundational years of education.

Every author made a significant contribution to the completion of this study. Trixie Marie Riño, Kaira C. Brozo, Kimberly C. Ignacio, Fatima C. Isidro along with Micaella-Anne B. Sanglay was primarily responsible for gathering data, analyzing it and writing the manuscript. Esther G.  Domingo Joel B. Faustino provided oversight on research methodological  design and validation, while Joseline M. Santos offered guidance in refining the conceptual framework and reviewing the improvement of the final paper. Every author looked over and gave their approval to the final version of the manuscript. The data that support the findings and conclusions of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. The writers say they have no conflicts of interest.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The researchers would like to express their profound gratitude and appreciation to the individuals who made significant contributions to the completion of this study. We want to start by sincerely thanking our supervisor, Dr. Joseline M. Santos, for her unwavering support and direction during the research and writing of this thesis. She has been incredibly patient, motivated, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable over the last few months. In addition to our supervisor, we would like to express our gratitude to the COED faculty members Mr. Christian Tuazon and Ms. Katherine Anne F. Tolentino, Ms. Audri Andes, Ms. Joel B. Faustino, and Ms. Esther G. Domingo for their assistance in examining and validating our research questionnaires. Additionally, to our panel members for their support, wise remarks, and constructive criticisms that serve us our foundation and challenge for the success of our profession. We are grateful to the research participants who shared their valuable time, effort and experience in our study. We also want to thank our families, especially our parents, who have always been there for us financially, emotionally, physically, and unconditionally. Without it, this thesis could never have been completed. Finally, we would like to praise and thank God, the almighty, and the source of everything, for guiding and giving us perseverance, motivation, strength, knowledge and wisdom to hurdle all the obstacles in making this thesis successfully.

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