An experimental study of eduplay and social competence among preschool students in Hong Kong

Abstract

Parents in Hong Kong believe that play is harmful to children’s studies and socio‐emotional development. However, the term ‘eduplay’ was first introduced by Rao and Li, a form of play‐based education with ‘Chinese characteristics’. This term captures the beliefs of teachers and parents about how learning could happen through play and how it occurs in Chinese early childhood education settings. Nevertheless, the concept of ‘playing to learn’ is becoming more accepted by Chinese parents. In many Chinese schools today, eduplay activities are designed to enhance children’s social competency. In the present study, a pre–post study was conducted to select 60 preschool students aged from three to five years. Thirty students were randomly assigned to the ‘experimental group’ to receive 10 eduplay sessions, whereas the remaining 30 students were assigned to the ‘control group’. The Child Behaviour Checklist was distributed to the teachers before and after 10 eduplay sessions to assess the students’ social competence. An analysis of covariance was used to assess whether the internalising problems reduced more significantly in the students in the experimental group than in the students in the control group. The results indicate that the students’ social competence was significantly enhanced after 10 eduplay sessions. Suggestions were given to the school, teachers, and parents on how to apply eduplay in children’s learning and classroom teaching.

Keywords:

• eduplay
• social competence
• preschool children

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to the Guidepost Kindergarten Groups and Cheung Cheuk Shan Kindergarten which provide a full support to the eduplay project, and two final‐year early childhood education students involved in the eduplay activities. Thanks to the project research assistant, Ms Vivia Mak, who provides technical support to the project.