Research Proposal: Supporting Children Learning Through Sensory Play

School of Community Studies
Bachelor of Teaching (ECE)
Research & Research Design
in Early Childhood Education
EDUC 6927
Proposal
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SELF-STUDY ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT PROPOSAL
1. TITLE (TENTATIVE)
Conducted at: Unitec Institute of Technology
School of Community Studies
Degree: Bachelor of Teaching (ECE)
Course Credit Value: 15
Course number and name: EDUC6927
Proposed Proposal
Submission Date
25/06/2019
2. STUDENT DETAILS
Name: Jotika Bandhna Kumar
Student ID No. 1460946
Email address: [e-mail]
Signature: Jotika Kumar
Date: 25/06/2019
3. SUPERVISION
Name of supervisor: Lata Rana
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Email address: [e-mail]
Signature:
Date:
RESEARCH PROPOSAL SIGN OFF
The above-named student may commence their Action Research (Self-study) project:
Supervisor signature:
Date:
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Topic: Supporting Children Learning Through Sensory Play
1. Topic selection & rationale:
The focus of my research is to improve my practice of incorporating elements of sensory
play in children’s learning. The main aim is to create a plan that would incorporate more
sensory elements in the learning process and enhance the learning ease for the students.
The importance of learning through senses cannot be denied in the early learning phases.
Since their birth till their early learning years, children mainly depend on their five senses to
learn new things. By enhancing the sensory experiences in their early learning years,
children will be able to retain most of what they are being taught. Most of our memory
consists of sensory experiences and those memories can be triggered using similar touch,
smell, colour or taste (Proulx et al. 2014).
According to Earnst (2014), educators of early childhood age group uses outdoor settings to
enhance the experience of learning, thus inadvertently giving the students a scope for
sensory learning. This practice poses some barriers like the weather outside, lack of space
in city areas, safety concerns that makes this practice limited.
Mills (2015), believes that through technology the learning experience can be enhanced in
the early childhood. It has been seen that visual memory is the strongest and extremely
effective memory. Thus, using technologies like smart TVs, projectors and other equipment
that will facilitate sensory learning will make the learning more effective. Visual learning
helps learners to retain the experience in their memory for a long time (Perrotta, 2013). The
concepts and ideas that they see are also easy to grab and understand from visual
representation.
As per Casenhiser, Shanker & Stieben (2013), sensory learning is especially effective for
Autistic children. Autistic children mainly suffer through communication disability and sensory
play is seen to have the ability to change basic concepts of children and impact their nerve
functions. Through sensory play, cognitive development of not only autistic children but also
children suffering from other mental disabilities can be approached.
In this context, the education of children in New Zealand lacks these applications. The
outdoor learning techniques and sensory stimulation can support the children to have better
understanding (Hollands, Sutton, Clair & Hall, 2015). This kind of learning technique needs
special attention and care from the instructors which helps create a sense of individualism
and respect among the teachers and students. Due to the special care that the students
receive, the Mana Maori values can be upheld (Mead, 2016). Thus, the method of early
education needs to be reassessed and sensory learning and technological aspects should
be included to enhance the learning experience.
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