Date of Award
4-23-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Educational Leadership, Ed.D.
First Advisor
Timberly Baker
Committee Members
Ella Benson; Mitchell Henke
Abstract
This qualitative, phenomenological study explored teachers’ experiences with the reduction of play in the preschool setting and its impact on social-emotional development and behavior in the preschool classroom. The problem addressed was the decreasing amount of time spent on play in early childhood education. While play is a developmentally appropriate way for children to develop social-emotional, physical, and cognitive skills, the teachers in East Tennessee are experiencing a decline in play. Deficits in social-emotional skills and behavior affect not only the child but also schools, early childhood centers, teachers, administrators, and other students in the classroom. There are long-term ramifications for students experiencing emotional and behavioral problems in academic functioning, occupation, and psychosocial functioning. This phenomenological qualitative study examined teachers’ experiences of the reduction of play and its impact on behavior and social-emotional development in Pre-K classrooms. Vygotsky’s cultural-historical development theory served as the theoretical framework for this study. This study used a three-interview approach of semi-structured interviews to collect information on individual teachers' experiences of the reduction of play and its impact on social-emotional development and behavior in the Pre-K classroom. The findings of this study reveal that the VPK teacher in East Tennessee are not only experiencing a reduction of play but also report that this reduction is adversely affecting social-emotional development and behavior in their behavior in the classroom.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Smith, Jacqueline Renee, "Teachers’ Experiences with the Reduction of Play and Its Impact on Social-Emotional Development and Behavior in the Preschool Setting." (2025). Student Theses and Dissertations. 680.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/680
