Phases of Research Example #5

Phases of Research: Example #5
Playing is the Business of Children

Idea-Generating Phase:

We all know that children spend a great deal of their time playing. Indeed, it has been said that the most important business of children is to play. It is thought that play has important and beneficial developmental effects. If true, the author wondered if it was possible to enhance the play of children.

Problem-Definition Phase:

Volumes of developmental research show that children explore their worlds, learn countless skills, and enhance cognitive development through their play. This playful world exploration and learning is achieved through the operation of their senses (taste, smell, sight, sound, touch). The sensory component seems critical in play, learning, and exploration. If we were able to enhance the sensory experience through training, perhaps the whole spontaneous, joyful exploration of the world (i.e., the child's playfulness) could be enhanced.

Procedures-Design Phase:

The plan was to give preschool children sensory stimulation training. Following training, the children were to be rated on several categories of playfulness, such as a sense of humor, expressed joy, total playfulness, etc.

Several preschool classes were to be randomly assigned to Sensory Training (the experimental group) or to No Sensory Training (the control group). The experimental and control groups were then compared on their playfulness rating scores. The major hypothesis was that the experimental group would have significantly higher playfulness scores. This is an experimental design.

Observation Phase:

The children in the experimental group received sensory stimulation training; the control group did not. Both groups were then observed and rated on playfulness in the nursery school setting.

Data Analysis Phase:

Statistical analyses were applied to the playfulness scores, comparing the experimental and control groups. The analysis found that the experimental group was significantly higher than the controls on the playfulness ratings.

Interpretation Phase:

The results of the study (that the experimental group, after sensory stimulation training, scored higher than the not-trained control group on the playfulness ratings) support the original hypothesis that sensory stimulation training can enhance playfulness in nursery school children. The effect of training has been demonstrated in a controlled experiment. Further research needs to determine if the effects are short-term or long-lasting.

Communication Phase:

This research was detailed in the journal article:

Boyer, W. A. (1997). Enhancing playfulness with sensorial stimulation. Journal of Research in Childhood Education. 12, 78-87.