Teacher’s Perception on the Contribution of Pretend Play on Children’s Self-Regulation in Tanzanian Pre-primary Schools

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore teachers’ perceptions on the contribution of pretend play on self-regulation behavior among young children in pre-primary schools in a Tanzanian context. Four groups prepared hypothetical pretend play; these addressed aggressive, isolation, hyperactive and prosocial behaviours, and were purposively included in the study to explore their contribution on children’s self-regulation. This was a case study design, whereas, in-depth interview was used to collect data. Twenty participants participated in this study. The findings revealed that some teachers are aware about the contribution of pretend play they prepared on children’s self-regulation behavior in pre-primary school; while some argued that pretend play contributes solely on learning numeracy, arithmetic and fun.  The study recommends that pre-primary teachers should be trained on the contribution of pretend play in a wider perspective, including behavior self-regulation which forms a foundation of learning adjustment and other social skills.