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http://dx.doi.org/10.5723/KJCS.2014.35.2.25

The Relationships among Play Space, Play Behaviors and Playfulness of 4-Year Old Children in Childcare Centers  

Nam, Jin Kyung (Department of Child and Family Studies, Yonsei University)
Kim, Myoung Soon (Department of Child and Family Studies, Yonsei University)
Publication Information
Korean Journal of Child Studies / v.35, no.2, 2014 , pp. 25-41 More about this Journal
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between play behaviors and young children's playfulness in a variety of play space environments. The subjects were 150 4-year old children of 29 mixed-age classes in childcare centers of Seoul and Gyeonggi area. The results were as follows; (1) Their play behaviors differed according to their play environment in terms of classroom spaces. Solitary-active play behaviors were more frequently observed in large play spaces than small. (2) Leading participation, cognitive flexibility, voluntary full immersion, and total playfulness scores correlated negatively with reticent behavior. Leading participation, voluntary full immersion, and total playfulness scores, on the other hand, correlated positively with group play behavior. (3) In small play spaces, leading participation, voluntary full immersion correlated negatively with reticent behavior, but leading participation correlated positively with group play. In middle play spaces, cognitive flexibility correlated negatively with reticent behavior. In large play spaces, voluntary full immersion correlated negatively with parallel play, but leading participation, cognitive flexibility, expressions of joy, voluntary full immersion, and total playfulness score correlated positively with group play.
Keywords
play behavior; play space; play space per child; solitary play behavior; playfulness;
Citations & Related Records
Times Cited By KSCI : 2  (Citation Analysis)
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