The play experience is important in the cognitive, social, and moral development of children. This assertion is well-documented in the literature by researchers ranging from Piaget to Kohlberg. At issue is whether teachers in the classroom setting acknowledge the importance of play by allowing adequate time for unstructured activities during the school day.
Teachers are under increasing pressure by both parents and school administrators. Parents demand that their children demonstrate higher academic ability at earlier ages, and look to teachers to structure classroom activities that support this goal. School administrators likewise apply pressure for higher academic output because achievement scores are tied to an institution's prestige: "Further, educational policies may be created in which shorter lunch periods, recess, and free-play activities are alloted" (Newman, Brody, and Beauchamp 63). Responding to this pressure, teachers may sometimes deemphasize the role of play in favor of a more structured curriculum.
The study conducted by Newman, Brody, and Beauchamp sought to determine the amount of time alloted to play activities, the type of play activities allowed, and the attitudes of teachers toward play. This information was gathered via a questionnaire sent to elementary school teachers in one county in upstate New York. The grade levels taught ranged from first to sixth grade. A total of 286 teachers from 31 schools participated in the survey. The schools ranged in locale from urban to suburban to rural, with the majority of responses coming from suburban schools. Class sizes ranged from 9 to 44 students; the average class size was 23 students.
To determine teachers' attitudes toward play, the questionnaire contained 16 attitudinal items. Agreement to these items was conveyed using a 5-point Likert-type scale format. The questions were mixed to prevent the respondents from detecting a pattern in their...