Coding group behaviours for preschool children in the playground and the effects of teachers’ proximity on preschool children’s playground behaviours

Abstract

Preschool-age children (range: 2.5–5 years old) were videotaped while in the sandbox and the climbing apparatus areas of a preschool playground prior to (i.e. baseline) and after a teacher zone defence training. The zone defence involved teachers being assigned to specific playground areas to monitor safety and facilitate the children’s play and peer interactions. The pretest data revealed less complex play behaviours in the sandbox area (i.e. greater aimless behaviour and solitary play) compared to the climbing area, and greater onlooker behaviour in the climbing area than in the sandbox area. Pre-to-post zone defence revealed a decrease in teacher interaction with other adults and an increase in teacher–child interactions in the playground as well as overall decreases in children’s play behaviours on the playground. Methods for coding and analysing group playground behaviours and the implications of teacher proximity in the playground are discussed.

Keywords:

• playground
• preschool children
• zone defence
• sandbox
• climbing apparatus
• interactions

Acknowledgements

We thank the preschool children, the teachers and the parents who participated in this study. We also thank the following individuals for their assistance on the project: Sherwood Burns, Maggie Porter, Rebecca Crotwell and Rebekah Allen. Special thanks are extended to Craig Graves for his technical assistance. This study was conducted in partial fulfilment of the master of science degree for the first author.

Notes

The first author may be contacted for a full description of the coding scheme.