Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The placement and use of loose parts in the construction area has received greater attention. This study explored the current situation of loose parts in kindergarten construction areas based on social construction theory and gamified learning theory through questionnaires (130 teachers) and interviews (10 teachers). The study found that teachers identified loose parts primarily by emphasizing manipulability, malleability, and variety, while valuing their dual advantages: promoting child development and enhancing instructional efficiency. Teachers' motivation to use loose parts has both internal and external factors. Although teachers actively use diverse materials and develop structured implementation plans to support children's development, many challenges remain. These challenges included insufficient child engagement, difficulty maintaining deep exploration, and a mismatch between program goals and children's spontaneous activities. Teachers used multidimensional adjustment strategies, particularly through group discussions to dynamically adjust the selection of instructional materials, layout, and the way activities were guided. Based on these findings, we make 4 targeted recommendations: layering progressive material design to enhance complexity; implementing dynamic individualized adjustments; rooting instructional planning in teachers' intrinsic motivation; and constructing an actionable construct framework.
Source: Education insights.
DOI: 10.70088/degm9d40
Author: Feiyue Liang
Institution: East China Normal University
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4413417795