This study examines the importance of play and its role in the learning process in selected nursery schools in Britain and Saudi Arabia. In particular, attention is focused on cognitive, social and physical development and the provisions made for play in the selected samples in both countries. The investigation involves a close survey of relevant literature and a small-scale research conducted by the author through the use of observation, oral interviews and intervention study. The major finding of the comparative analysis of nursery schools sampled in both Britain and Saudi Arabia was that nursery education in Britain is of a higher quality than that provided in Saudi Arabia. The findings suggest that in Britain learning provision for children is of a very high quality and carefully planned to meet children's developmental and learning needs. There is adequate provision of purpose-built buildings, staff training and teaching aids which are used during play in Britain, while in Saudi Arabia there is a dearth of purpose-built building, staff training and teaching aids and equipment used during play. Play is not employed as a medium of learning for infants in Saudi Arabia. The study has also found that play enhances children's cognitive, social and physical development if used as a medium of learning and within an environment which has very high quality provision. Based on the findings of this study a number of recommendations are proposed which aim to improve current pre-school education. These include the need to recognise the importance of play activities (learning through play), to young children within the school environment; the necessity for teachers in Saudi Arabia to employ an exploratory, investigative and imaginative approach in their day-to-day teaching; the necessity for nursery school buildings to be purpose-built with emphasis on good play environment and the urgency for the provision of adequate teaching materials to facilitate the systematic in service training of staff, all with the aim of raising the desired standard and quality of nursery education in Saudi Arabia.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:393025 |
| Date | January 1997 |
| Creators | Alkasem, Shareefah Mohammed |
| Publisher | Cardiff University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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