Browsing by Author "Maina, Josphine Wanjiku"

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    Influence of teacher collaboration on use of a play-based approach in teaching reading In Wuxi-Xiehe bilingual kindergarten, China
    (oapub, 2025-04) Maina, Josphine Wanjiku; Waithaka, Esther N.
    Reading is an important basic academic skill that has a major influence on learning and performance in other subjects. Studies have reported that using play in kindergartens helps learners acquire basic reading skills. Research has demonstrated that in China, there is limited use of play in kindergartens. Since teachers are key players in kindergarten learners’ experiences, it was important to establish the teacher factors that accounted for the limited use of play in kindergartens. This study sought to explore how teacher collaboration influences the use of a play-based approach in teaching reading in Wuxi-Xiehe Bilingual Kindergarten, China. The study was anchored on the Cognitive Theory of Development by Vygotsky (1978). A descriptive research design was applied, and the study targeted a population of 37 individuals from whom a sample of 13 respondents, comprising one head teacher and 12 preschool teachers, was obtained. A questionnaire, an observation checklist, and an interview schedule were used to collect data. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics that included frequencies and percentages, while the qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The findings showed that the majority (46.2%) of the teachers occasionally engaged in team inquiries and collaborative decision-making regarding teaching methods. Additionally, the study established a strong correlation(r=0.884, p=0.001 <0.005) between teacher collaboration and their use of play as a teaching approach. The study concluded that there was partial adoption of teacher collaboration in Wuxi-Xiehe Bilingual Kindergarten, which could negatively affect the implementation of play-based strategies for teaching reading. The study recommended that teachers should continue to foster collaborative professional learning, especially collaborative learning, on both structural and educational processes
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    Teacher Factors Influencing Use of Play in Teaching Reading among Preschool Teachers in Wuxi-Xiehe Bilingual Kindergarten, China
    (Kenyatta University, 2024-10) Maina, Josphine Wanjiku
    Reading is an important basic academic skill which has a major influence in learning and performance in other subjects. Studies have reported that the use of play in kindergartens help learners to acquire basic reading skills. Research has demonstrated that in China there is limited use of play in kindergartens, however, research has not been conducted to establish teacher factors that account for limited use of play in the kindergartens. Hence, this study purposed to establish teacher factors that influence the use of play in the teaching of reading in Wuxi Xiehe bilingual kindergarten, China. The study was guided by three objectives which include: to establish how teachers’ professional training influence use of play in teaching of reading, to find out the extent to which teachers’ perception influence use of play in teaching of reading and to determine the extent to which the availability of adequate play resources influence teaching of reading in Wuxi-Xiehe Bilingual Kindergarten. This research was anchored on the Cognitive Theory of Development by Vygotsky (1978) to explain the use of play by teachers to teach reading in preschool. A descriptive research design was applied, and the study targeted a population of 37 individuals. Purposive sampling technique was used to sample 13 respondents comprising of one head teacher and 12 preschool teachers. Data were collected from the participants through use of a questionnaire, an observation checklist, and an interview schedule. The pilot study involved one school in Jiangsu province. Validity was ensured through consultations with the subject experts. Reliability was ascertained through test-retest method in a one-week interval. After data collection, quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages whereas qualitative data was analyzed thematically. The findings showed that that the majority (46.2%) of the teachers occasionally used play when teaching reading. In addition, the study established a positive and significant correlation between teachers’ professional training and the use of play (0.01< 0.05). Further, the researcher established a correlation between the teachers’ perceptions and the use of play as a teaching strategy in teaching reading (r=0.688, p=.002<0.005). This indicated that teachers’ perceptions influence the use of play in teaching reading in Wuxi-Xiehe Bilingual Kindergarten. Additionally, the study established a strong correlation between teacher collaboration and the use of play as a teaching approach (r=0.884, p=0.001<0.005). This demonstrated that the use of play in reading instruction in Wuxi-Xiehe Bilingual Kindergarten was influenced by teacher collaboration. Based on the findings the study concluded that most teachers occasionally used play to teach reading. This implies that teachers in Wuxi-Xiehe Bilingual Kindergarten underuse play in teaching reading, inhibiting the development of young children's critical reading abilities. Therefore, it was recommended that play as a teaching strategy be made compulsory when instructing preprimary learners since it fosters holistic education and learners’ innovativeness and creativity. The Ministry of Education in China to develop a policy that makes use of play in the classroom a mandatory practice rather than a choice.