ABSTRACT
The study was conducted to analyze the association between parents’ perceptions of children’s play and its relationship with children’s social competence development. The objectives of the study were to (1) Understand parents’ perceptions of play (2) Determine whether there were differences in parents’ perceptions of children’s play when analyzed by parents: gender, age, and level of education (3) Determine whether there were differences in parents’ perceptions of children’s play when analyzed by child’s gender, and age (4) Assess parents rating of children’s emotional and behavioral problems and (5) Examine if there were relationships between parents’ play perceptions and their children’s emotional and behavioral problems.The study was carried out at Haatso in the Ga East Municipal District of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Purposive sampling was used to select two schools, one private and one public. A sample of 200 parents with children aged 4–7 participated in this study. The parent’s belief play scale and the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (parent and teacher version) were used for data collection. The Predictive Analytic Software version 21, (PASW21) was used for the analysis and the ANOVA tests, and Pearson correlation was used to test the hypotheses. It was hypothesized that: HO1: There is no significant relationship between parent’s perceptions of play and children’s social competence; HO2: There is no significant relationship between parent’s perceptions of play and parent’s level of education. HO3: There is no significant relationship between parent’s level of education and emotional and behavioral problems of children. The results were as follows: Ghanaian parents valued the significance of play to children’s growth and therefore supported playing with their children. Parents’ perceptions of child’s play differed by age, and educational level, but there was no difference by parents’ gender. There was no significant difference in parents’ perceptions of children’s play when examined by child’s gender and age. Significant difference was found for parents rating of their children’s emotional and behavioral problems
when analyzed by children’s gender. Boys were assessed by their parents as having advanced levels of total difficulties and hyperactivity problems, than girls. With regards to children’s age, differences were found for only emotional problems, children aged 6-7 years had higher levels of emotional problems when compared to 4-5 year olds.Parents’ play support was positively correlated to children’s pro social behaviours and academic support was negatively correlated with total difficulties, emotional, conduct, hyperactivity and peer problems. The Pearson correlation test revealed there was a statistically significant relationship between parents play beliefs and children’s development of social competence (r = 0.194 p = 0.006, r
= 0.188, p = 0.008). It also revealed there was statistically significant relationship between parents play beliefs and level of education (r= 0.145, p = 0.040, r = -0.410, p = 0.000). Finally, there was a significantly negative relationship between parent’s level of education and emotional and behavioral problems. In conclusion the findings in this study indicate that parents play perceptions had a positive relationship with children’s development of social competence. It is therefore recommended that parents be sensitized by teachers on the developmental role of play in child development.
