EER413: Summary and Critical Evaluation of Child Development Research

This report provides a summary and critical evaluation of two research studies focused on childhood development and care. The first study examines the importance of outdoor play environments, including sandboxes and playground equipment, for children's growth, health, and safety. It uses qualitative research methods, including interviews and observations, to identify the benefits of outdoor play and the necessary safety standards for playgrounds. The second study explores early childhood teachers' beliefs and practices regarding preschool outdoor play, using qualitative data collection methods such as teacher interviews and observations of outdoor activities. The report highlights the findings, limitations, and implications of both studies, emphasizing the importance of outdoor play for children's physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development, as well as the need for safe and supportive play environments and informed teacher practices. The work concludes by stressing the importance of educating teachers and guardians about the benefits of outdoor play and ensuring the safety and quality of play environments for children.

Running head: CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT AND CARE
CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT AND CARE
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Article 1:
Part A: summary
Sandboxes, loose parts, and playground equipment: a descriptive exploration of
outdoor play environments
Research Topic:
Sandboxes, loose parts, and playground equipment: a vivid exploration of outdoor play
environment was a study that that was carried out by a group of researchers to examine the
importance of the outdoor plays to the growth and development of children. The study was
aimed at identifying the advantages of outdoor games over the indoor games. It was also carried
out to examine the required safety standards of a playground to avoid accidents during the
physical activities (Van Cauwenberg, et al. 2018, p. 7). The space of the stadium was also
involved in the study. It was also aimed at coming up with the safety standards of the play
equipment such as loose parts, sandboxes, toys among others.
Research questions
The research was carried out to come up with the solutions to the following problems:
 Why teachers and guardians should first know child development stages and how
children should be handled at different stages.
 The benefits of physical activities and plays in child development and care.
 The safety standards and guidelines for safe play environment and equipment (SANDRA
MCCLINTIC AND KAREN PETTY, 2015, p. 27)

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Research paradigm:
Qualitative research was carried out to come up with a precise knowledge on the different stages
of development and how each step should be handled according to during the outdoor plays
activity, the health and intellectual benefits of the outdoor plays to children and the safety
standards of both the playgrounds and the play equipment. It was aimed at educating teachers
and guardians on how to handle children at different stages to improve their health status and
improve their academic performance (SANDRA MCCLINTIC AND KAREN PETTY, 2015, p.
14).
Methodology used:
Different techniques of research, conceptual and the qualitative research methods were carried
out to examine and collect sufficient data to aid in coming up with intensive report and evidence
on the subject matter (Heather Olsen & Brandy Smith, 2017, p. 4).
Collection methods
Different methods of research used included face-to-face psychologist and child specialist
interviews, reading class work, an observation which involved comparing children who have
been brought up in different environments. Indoor and outdoor environments, reading child
specialist journal writings and also collecting data from the hospital data provided by the
specialist (Fathi M. Ihmeideh & Ibrahim A. Al-Qaryouti, 2015, p 4).
Study location and participants:
A group of six students was involved in researching childhood development and care. One
psychologist and one child specialist were interviewed on the benefits of the outdoor exercises

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over the indoor plays. The students managed to visit different homesteads and interviewed the
parents on the environment they have brought up their children in, whether outdoor or indoor.
The students read different journals to get more knowledge of the safety standards of the
playgrounds and play equipment. The student participants included three ladies and three gents.
Major findings
The key findings that were identified included; different stages of development and how
children should be handled at various stages, the healthy, physical, social and mental benefits of
the outdoor plays to children and the standards of the playgrounds and equipment to avoid
accidents and communicable diseases among the children (Fathi M. Ihmeideh & Ibrahim A. Al-
Qaryouti, 2015, p. 9).
Identified limitations:
Due to lack of knowledge and the ignorance of the teachers, parents, and guardians, it was
determined that children are given a lot of freedom to participate in indoor plays such as
watching cartoons, movies, internet games among others. Due to the insecurity of some places,
children are limited from participating in outdoor matches. It was also found that the school's
playgrounds were not spacious and they didn't reach the required standards of safety (Heather
Olsen & Brandy Smith, 2017, p. 6).
Implication for practice
The research findings concluded that most teachers and guardians lack knowledge on social,
health, physical and mental benefits of the outdoor plays to children. Guardians and teachers
should be educated on the importance of the outdoor games to children. It was also stated that the

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structures of the school playgrounds don't motivate children to motivate in participating in
outdoor activities (Zevenbergen, et al. 2018, p. 40). The government should come up with a
standard playground structure that should be followed by all the schools. Also, teachers should
engage in outdoor plays to motivate the children.
Part B: Critical evaluation
This study was conducted by a group of six students whereby they involved a psychologist, a
child specialist parents and also clinical officers who gave them medical data of the children
brought up in different environments. These research techniques were carried out to come up
with a clear and precise report which has satisfied evidence on the benefits of the outdoor plays
to the children. The case study was used as an excellent platform for coming out with good ideas
on different stages of childhood development and how children should be handled at various
stages. Precise information on these stages was obtained by interviewing the child specialist and
also reading his journal (Solan, 2018, p. 6).
According to this research, different stages of development were identified following the psycho-
genetic model of construction whereby the steps included the oral stage, anal stage, phallic stage,
latency stage and genital care. Different methods for handling children at each stage were
proposed. The effects of each technique on social, physical, mental and emotions were openly
discussed. It was suggested reported that the methods used to handle each stage can affect the
personality and the self-esteem of a child. Proper handling and care can boost the character,
health, physical and social life of the future lifespan of the child (Egert, et al. 2018, p. 54).
The case study came up with precise information about the benefits of the outdoor plays over the
indoor game. The study found that the outdoor environment can accommodate various types of

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the game. Sandboxes, balls, toys, loose parts among other playground equipment were included
during the study. It was found that outdoor environment abundantly supported the development
of the children and their characters in expected lifespan. It was argued that academics should be
balanced with the outdoor activities (Heather Olsen & Brandy Smith, 2017, p. 13).
Research shows that children who are involved much more in physical activities stand high
chances to develop physically healthy, socially, intellectually and emotionally. Outdoor plays
have positive effects on children health like reducing childhood obesity and overweight,
reducing stress, boosting child immunity among others. Playing with toys and also with their,
age mates is known to aid in brain development of a child. Plays make children creative as they
have to think and come up with a game. Games are also known to improve vision in children.
Some of the plays that kids are engaged in involve observing, and through these, their image is
sharpened (SANDRA MCCLINTIC AND KAREN PETTY, 2015, p. 56).
According to the report, the study was carried out to investigate the outdoor environment to
examine whether S.A.F.E model of the playground is available and the quality and the quality of
the play environment. The variety of the playgrounds either enhances or eliminates the
playfulness, of children. The national program for playgrounds safety (NPPS), established a
framework of standard playgrounds for childhood to ensure safety and enhance the morale of
playing. Outdoor plays tend to improve the self-esteem of a child and also his/her personality.
Outdoor games also strengthen the ability of a child to communicate and express his/herself well.
It also instills self-confidence in children (Rotter, et al. 2018, p. 6).
To ensure safety during the plays, they proposed that the playgrounds should be designed
according to the age and the sex of children. They should be constructed using the appropriate

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materials and equipment to avoid falls, injuries among other accidents. Playing equipment should
have smooth edges to prevent cuts. They should be cleaned regularly to avoid harboring dirt and
germs. Playgrounds should be constructed away from the busy roads, and they should be fenced
to ensure security. Playgrounds should be from stones, broken bottles, holes among other things
that can cause injuries (Bergin, & Bergin, 2018, p, 34).
Executive summary
In summary parents, guardians and teachers should be made aware of the benefits of the outdoor
plays during the childhood development. They should be equipped with the knowledge on the
stages of the child development and how children should be handled during these stages.
Playgrounds and play equipment should always be in good conditions for the safety of the
children. Guardians and teachers should sometimes take part in the plays to motivate the
children. They should also ensure the security of the children during the outdoor games.
Sometimes teachers should teach new concepts in the outdoor environment through
demonstrations and involve the children's participation.
Article 2:
Part A: Summary:
Exploring early childhood teachers and beliefs and practices about the preschool outdoor
play: A qualitative study
Research topic:

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The Exploring old childhood teacher's beliefs and practices about the preschool outdoor game: a
qualitative study (McClintic & Petty, 2015, p. 18), was a study that was carried out to examine
the effects of the beliefs that teachers have on the pre-school outdoor playgrounds.
Research questions:
The research was aimed to achieve the following:
 Teachers' free practices and their beliefs.
 The advantages of the outdoor plays over the indoor games.
 The physical attributes of the outdoor environment.
Research paradigm:
 A qualitative study was carried out to gather data by using various technique
methodologies. Several sources of data were used by the researchers to reveal the facts
and the evidence concerning the subject matter (SANDRA MCCLINTIC AND KAREN
PETTY, 2015, p. 4).
Methodology used:
A mixed method and various data sources were used to come up with precise information and
gather the belief and the views of the teachers on the qualitative case study.
Collection methods:
The qualitative collection of the data involved interviewing the teacher face-to-face, reading
different teachers’ journals, being engaged in carrying out the outdoor activities with the pre-
school children (Heather Olsen & Brandy Smith, 2017, p 8).

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Study location and participants:
A group of six students was involved in carrying out the case study. Among the six students were
three ladies and three gents. They included two pre-school teachers and the children in carrying
out the research. The two pre-school teachers involved had seven years of experience in their
field. The children involved in the case study had a range of between two to six years of age
(Fathi, et al. 2015, p. 17).
Major findings:
The results of the qualitative study show the importance of the outdoor play over the indoor
games, the importance of the supervision of the children by their teachers during their game and
the beliefs of the teachers towards the outdoor sports. The qualitative research also identified the
limitations of the outdoor plays.
Identified limitations:
The research study was faced with many challenges which involved: language barrier between
the researchers and the children, limited space for the outdoor activities, limited time for the
teachers to prepare for the outdoor activities. These limitations were brought about by the
ignorance of the teachers and the management and also lack of enough funds to extend and equip
the playgrounds for the children.
Implications for practice:
 The research findings suggested that the management and stakeholders should fund for
the extension and equipping of the playgrounds to be able to accommodate all the plays.
Awareness should be created by the teachers on the benefits of the outdoor games and

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their impacts towards the growth and the development of the children. Schools should
schedule time for the outdoor plays, and also some of the topics should be taught using
free demonstration for the children to understand well (SANDRA MCCLINTIC AND
KAREN PETTY, 2015, p. 76).
Part B: Critical Evaluation
The qualitative research various sources to come up with reliable facts and evidence concerning
the beliefs of teachers on the outdoor activities. Researchers based their study on the teachers'
beliefs and their view regarding the outdoor plays. They used mixed methods and different
sources of data to come up with precise information. They interviewed the teachers, and they
also involved themselves in plays with the children whereby they compared the ability of the
children to understand a new concept in class and outdoor. They went ahead and read some
teachers' journals to collect adequate information and the facts (Freud, 2018, p. 57).
They concluded that a child tends to understand best the concept that is taught using
demonstrations that the one taught through explanation. They encouraged the teachers to explain
new concepts using presentations done outdoor to enhance the understanding capacity of the
children. It is believed that children don't forget easily the idea taught through visual
demonstration and participation than the one explained through listening and writing. Due to the
minimum space for the outdoor plays, it is advisable for the schools to expand their playgrounds
to create more space for various outdoor activities (Sandseter, & Lysklett, 2018, p 34).
The researchers recommended that the outdoor plays should be highly valued compared to the
indoor games. This is because the indoor games and activities affect the children socially,
physically, mentally and also affects the health and the intelligence of the children. They

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highlighted some of the disadvantages of the indoor activities which affect the children
profoundly. According to their research; children tend to enjoy much, and they don't forget
quickly. It is also believed that in outdoor activities children require less supervision compared to
the indoor events. In outdoor learning children can work out a large scale with collaboration
without getting tired. The full range outdoor activities make it easy and enjoyable for the
children to cooperate and understand much compared to indoor learning. They stated that its hard
for a child to forget whatever he/she learned through experience during his/her young age
(Heikka et al.2018, p. 20).
They also concluded that indoor games disadvantaged the children most and they gave the
following facts: Indoor games are likely to bring many health complications as compared to the
outdoor games which promote health. Children who spend most of their time indoors watching
cartoons and movies are most likely to suffer from diseases. Their immune system tends to be
weak hence cannot fight against diseases. The lack of vitamin D which is usually obtained from
the sun, therefore, they tend to have weak bones, falling teeth and sometimes rickets. Vitamin D
from the sun is essential for the formation of healthy bones (SANDRA MCCLINTIC AND
KAREN PETTY, 2015, p 78). They are most likely to develop heart disease problems because
they are confined to one play, and they are inactive.
Indoor games can make a child obese or overweight. This is because the child is inactive
meaning that calories are not broken down to produce energy hence they accumulate in the body.
Increase in the number of calories in the body may clog the blood vessels and may increase the
chances of being affected by the blood pressure. Also, it may affect the cognitive development of
a child. The child depends much on watching, and he/she is not involved in thinking to come up

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with a new idea. This lowers the creativity of the child even in class work. It doesn't promote the
intelligence of a child (Howard et al. 2005, p. 76).
Indoor games limit the child from growing socially. The child is most a times confined to the
house, and he/she lacks the company of the age mates. The child will require the skills of
working in unity with others and the ability to socialize well with others. The child won't be
developing excellent communication skills, problem-solving, creative thinking, and also being
assertive. The child will also lack self-confidence and the ability to express his/herself. The child
will be affected by stress since indoor plays don't relieve stress. A child who is confined indoors
lacks exposure of what happens in their culture. In outdoor games, children formulate and come
up with plays related to their cultural activities (McElroy et al. 2018, p. 5).
Children who play the outdoor games tend to gain more skills which teach them and equip them
with skills for future. They always formulate plays and games which will help them explore the
world around them. Some of the games teach them the responsibility of each member of the
family. This equips them with skills on how family issues are handled. They also gain
knowledge on how to handle conflicts in their future life. In outdoor plays, children learn self-
advocacy skills; they can share, negotiate over a particular issue and resolve them. The outdoor
games make them aware of the challenges in life, and they acquire skills on how to handle those
challenges (Mathee et al. 2018, p. 90).
Executive summary
In summary, parents, educators, and guardians should provide a safe playground for the children.
They should also teach the children new plays to sharpen their minds like games that involve
counting. They should also participate in sports with the children to give them morale to continue