Journal Article

Effect of School Pretend Play on Preschoolers’ Social Competence in Peer Interactions: Gender as a Potential Moderator

Fung, Wing-kai, Cheng, Rebecca Wing-yi

2017

Overview

This study investigated the moderating effect of gender on the causal relationships between different school play activities (pretend and non-pretend play) and social competence in peer interactions among a sample of Hong Kong children. Participants were 60 Hong Kong preschoolers (mean age = 5.44, 36.67 % female). Children with matched home pretend play time period were randomly assigned to pretend or non-pretend play groups to take part in pretend or non-pretend play activities respectively in the 1-month kindergarten play training. Children’s pre- and post-training social competences were assessed by their teachers. Results revealed a trend that girls who participated in school pretend play tended to be less disruptive during peer interactions after the training than those who participated in non-pretend play, while boys were similarly benefited from the two play activities. The implications for play-related research and children’s social competence development are discussed.

• Publisher: Springer Netherlands,Springer,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Asians / Boys / Child development / Competence / Control Groups / Correlation / Dramatic Play / Early childhood education / Education / Foreign Countries / Gender / Gender Differences / Girls / Interpersonal Competence / Kindergarten / Learning and Instruction / Peer Relationship / Peer relationships / Peers / Preschool Children / Pretend play / Schools / Social development / Social education / Social interaction / Social skills / Sociology / Sociology of Education / Teachers / Teaching Methods / Training / Young Children