The Role of Play-Based Learning in the Cognitive Development of Preschool Children: A Mixed-Methods Study
Keywords:
play-based learning, cognitive development, preschool children, guided play, executive function, early childhood educationAbstract
Play-based learning has been widely endorsed as a developmentally appropriate pedagogy for early childhood education, yet in many preschool settings it continues to be displaced by formal academic instruction. This study examined the role of play-based learning in the cognitive development of preschool children aged three to five years. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was adopted, combining a structured educator-completed survey covering 400 purposively sampled children from urban and semi-urban preschool centres with repeated classroom observations and qualitative inputs from teachers and caregivers. Cognitive development was operationalised across six domains: attention, memory, language acquisition, problem-solving, reasoning, and executive functioning. Descriptive results showed that most children participated frequently in play-based activities and sustained attention for developmentally appropriate durations during play. Correlation analysis revealed strong, significant positive relationships between exposure to play-based learning and all cognitive domains, with the strongest association observed for executive functioning (r = .67, p < .01). An independent samples t-test showed that children experiencing predominantly teacher-guided play achieved significantly higher cognitive development scores than those engaged mainly in independent play (t(398) = 4.62, p < .001). Qualitative findings underscored the mediating role of teacher scaffolding and enriched play environments. The study concludes that play-based learning is a powerful, integrative mechanism of cognitive growth and recommends its structural integration into preschool curricula, supported by teacher training, observational assessment, and caregiver engagement.
References
Ali, E., Constantino, K. M., Hussain, A., & Akhtar, Z. (2018). The effects of play-based learning on early childhood education and development. Journal of Evolution of Medical and Dental Sciences, 7(43), 4682–4685.
Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2018). Research methods in education (8th ed.). Routledge.
Creswell, J. W., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2018). Designing and conducting mixed methods research (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Fesseha, E., & Pyle, A. (2016). Conceptualising play-based learning from kindergarten teachers' perspectives. International Journal of Early Years Education, 24(3), 361–377.
Gibb, R., Coelho, L., Van Rootselaar, N. A., Halliwell, C., MacKinnon, M., Plomp, I., & Gonzalez, C. L. R. (2021). Promoting executive function skills in preschoolers using a play-based program. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 720225.
Hirsh-Pasek, K., Zosh, J. M., Golinkoff, R. M., Gray, J. H., Robb, M. B., & Kaufman, J. (2015). Putting education in “educational” apps: Lessons from the science of learning. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 16(1), 3–34.
Keung, C. P. C., & Cheung, A. C. K. (2019). Towards holistic supporting of play-based learning implementation in kindergartens: A mixed method study. Early Childhood Education Journal, 47(5), 627–640.
Parker, R., Thomsen, B. S., & Berry, A. (2022). Learning through play at school: A framework for policy and practice. Frontiers in Education, 7, 751801.
Pyle, A., DeLuca, C., & Danniels, E. (2017). A scoping review of research on play-based pedagogies in kindergarten education. Review of Education, 5(3), 311–351.
Sezgin, E., & Demiriz, S. (2019). Effect of play-based educational programme on behavioural self-regulation skills of 48–60 month-old children. Early Child Development and Care, 189(7), 1100–1113. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2017.1369972
Skene, K., O'Farrelly, C. M., Byrne, E. M., Kirby, N., Stevens, E. C., & Ramchandani, P. G. (2022). Can guidance during play enhance children's learning and development in educational contexts? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Child Development, 93(4), 1162–1180.
Taylor, M. E., & Boyer, W. (2020). Play-based learning: Evidence-based research to improve children's learning experiences in the kindergarten classroom. Early Childhood Education Journal, 48(2), 127–133
Vidal Carulla, C., Christodoulakis, N., & Adbo, K. (2021). Development of preschool children's executive functions throughout a play-based learning approach that embeds science concepts. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(2), 588.
Weisberg, D. S., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Golinkoff, R. M., Kittredge, A. K., & Klahr, D. (2016). Guided play: Principles and practices. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 25(3), 177–182.
Yogman, M., Garner, A., Hutchinson, J., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, R. M. (2018). The power of play: A pediatric role in enhancing development in young children. Pediatrics, 142(3), e20182058.
Downloads
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Kavya Setu
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
