Early years and key stage 1 teachers’ attitudes towards outdoor and online play

Figures & data

Figure 1. The three components of attitude.

Table 1. Technology utilisation for online play within EY and KS1 classrooms.

How often is technology used for online play within your classroom?
		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Never	1	3.3	3.3	3.3
	Less than once a month	5	16.7	16.7	20.0
	Once a month	1	3.3	3.3	23.3
	2-3 times a month	7	23.3	23.3	46.7
	Once a week	10	33.3	33.3	80.0
	3-4 times a week	5	16.7	16.7	96.7
	Every day	1	3.3	3.3	100.00
	Total	30	100.0	100.0

Table 2. Outdoor play thematic analysis.

Theme	Freq.	Sub-themes	Freq.	Examples in data
Benefits of outdoor play	22 of 30 (73%)	Learning/development benefits	22 of 30 (73%)	‘[Outdoor play] allows different opportunities for learning and development … allows more interactions’ (#4)
		Children’s enjoyment	13 of 30 (43%)	‘[Children] enjoy spending time outside and having time to be free’ (#18)
Limited access to outdoor play	12 of 30 (40%)	Time for outdoor play	7 of 30 (23%)	‘We don’t have as much time as we used to have to allow time for play outdoors’ (#14)
		Space for outdoor play	5 of 30 (16%)	‘Access to a quality outdoor environment is essential but not available’ (#8)

Table 3. Online play thematic analysis.

Theme	Freq.	Sub-themes	Freq.	Examples in data
Positive responses	16 of 30 (53%)	Technology skills needed for the future	10 of 30 (33%)	‘Technology is an essential part of life … it is crucial the next generation learns how to use it through play’ (P#5)
		Learning/development benefits	6 of 30 (20%)	‘The apps children use reinforce learning and teach them new things’ (P#8)
		Children’s enjoyment	7 of 30 (23%)	‘Children always enjoy online play’ (P#28)
Negative responses	18 of 30 (60%)	‘too young’ for online play	13 of 30 (43%)	‘Children of this age are far too young to be given time for online play’ (P#19)
		Other types of play more beneficial	7 of 30 (23%)	‘More online play is not needed as learning is far more beneficial through other activities’ (P#12)