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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 8, No. 12

Publication Date: December 25, 2021

DOI:10.14738/assrj.812.11346. Adewale, I. F., & Olajide, S. O. (2021 Assessment of Early Childhood Educators’ Competence in Facilitating Scientific Play- Learn

Activities in Early Childhood Education Centres in Delta State. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 8(12). 217-231.

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

Assessment of Early Childhood Educators’ Competence in

Facilitating Scientific Play- Learn Activities in Early Childhood

Education Centres in Delta State

ADEWALE Ifelayo Favour

Institute of Education, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria

OLAJIDE Simeon Olayinka

Institute of Education, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

The study identified the scientific play-learn activities practiced in early childhood

education centres in Delta state and investigated the academic qualifications of the

early childhood educators. It also assessed the scientific play-learn skills of the

early childhood educators and examined the relationship between early childhood

educators’ qualifications and scientific play-learn activities facilitation skills in the

study area. These were with a view to providing succinct information about early

childhood educators’ competence in facilitating scientific play-learn activities in

early childhood centres in the State. The study adopted a descriptive survey

research design. The population of the study comprised all early childhood

educators in the State. The sample for the study consisted of 360 early childhood

educators drawn from the three senatorial districts in the state using multistage

sampling procedure. One self-designed instrument titled ‘‘Early Childhood

Educators’ Competence in Science Play-learn Activities Questionnaire’’ (ECECSPAQ)

was used for data collection. The data collected were analysed using frequency

count, percentage, and regression analysis. The results of the study showed that

29.5% of early childhood educators in all the centres practised gravity, 22.3%

practised motion, 16.4% practised electricity, 46.4% practised sound, and 24.2%

practised air and wind. The results further showed that 16.1 % of the early

childhood educators had senior school certificate, 11.4% had ND certificate, 20.6%

had TC11 and NCE, 14.4% had HND, 4.7% had certificate in Nursery and Primary

education while 10.5% also had certificate in science areas. The results also showed

that early childhood educators possessed very low level of scientific play-learn

skills (21.90%). The results finally showed a significant relationship of early

childhood educators’ qualifications on scientific play-learn activities facilitation

skills (F = 2.547, p < 0.05). The study concluded that early childhood educators

possessed low competence in embarking on rich scientific play-learn activities

necessary to promote science learning in children.

Keywords: Assessment, Early Childhood, Educators, Play-Learn, Competence

INTRODUCTION

Human being once born, possess a brain likened to an empty slate, or a white paper ready to

receive imprints from those around him (Locke, 1997). Nevertheless, as time unfolds, they

begin to show tendencies to learn and communicate. Being a social entity, family members and

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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 8, Issue 12, December-2021

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

other significant others provide a form of impact that may never be possible to erase, such as

sounds of parents’ voices, siblings, and other experience within the family (Vouloumanos &

Werker, 2007). This signifies the early childhood period as a very crucial one in every human

and thus indicates that the experiences gained by the child be aimed at ensuring a holistic and

proper development, whilst guiding the child towards positive and rich experiences.

The early childhood period spans from birth to eight years according to the National Policy on

Education (2014). Early Childhood Education performs the task of providing learning within

an educational institution to children aged three to five plus, prior to entering the primary

education (Eshach, 2006). Schooling within this age is just before the child begins any formal

education involving standardized evaluation, with activities centered on play. Such play-like

activities should have an impact on the mental, physical, emotional, cultural, moral, and social

aspect of the child to be termed balanced. Science play-learn activities introduced as early as

possible (early childhood period) is nonetheless crucial in ensuring and sustaining the

development of lifelong basic skills in science (Esach &Fried, 2005). Research supports science

learning among young children as early as possible (Duschl, Schwingruber and Shouse, 2007;

French, 2004; Metz, 2009). Discoveries have also shown that exposure of children to science

foster and reinforces the understanding of science concepts for later life (Brenneman, 2010;

Eshach & Fried, 2005; Metz, 2009). Again, lifelong positive attitudes toward science and

becoming scientists are fostered (Edwards & Loveridge 2011; Metz, 2009).

Science is an area of study that affects our day-to-day living in various ways. Regardless of the

race, age, or location of an individual, the knowledge of science is paramount. Olajide and

Aladejana (2019) accept science as part of everyday life and state that it should be intertwined

with real life, by way of connecting daily life experiences into the curriculum so that it is not

seen as task associated with laboratories only. From history, science has been a subject of its

own. It is a field of study consisting majorly of physical science, earth science (Space science)

and biological science (life science), based on the American Early Science Content Standards

(Kloos, Baker, Luken, Brown, Pfeiffer & Carr, 2012).

The beauty of science is obvious when an action or response by a living or non-living thing can

be explained following the principles of science. It is a field that touches every aspect of life.

However, many hold the belief of children being incapable of understanding the scope of

science, compared to early literacy. They are therefore deprived or have fewer opportunities to

learn science (Early, Iruka, Ritchie, Barbarin, Winn, Crawford, Frome, Clifford, Burchinal,

Howes, Bryant, & Pianta, 2010; Greenfield, Jirout, Dominiquz, Ximena, Greenberg, Ariela, Majer,

Michellea, Fucilllo, 2009). Such deprivation over time might lead to variable consequences, one

of which is science phobia, especially at higher levels of learning. Apart from the acquisition of

knowledge of science, positive habits relevant for daily living such as creativity, grit and

endurance are potential qualities children unconsciously acquire for advanced learning

(Eshach, 2006).

The quality of science instruction given to preschool children may have a strong relationship

with educator’s qualification, experiences, availability of resources and so forth. These

aforementioned factors may be regarded as components of ‘science capital’ (DeWitt. J., Archer,

L., & Mau, A., 2016). It is a broad term to define all exposure an individual should experience to

become competent in science learning and execution. Teachers who do not have science