Journey to Early Development: Insights from Mothers, Teachers, and Administrators on Playgroups for Children Aged 0-36 Months

İngilizce (OpenAlex)

The study investigates playgroups for children aged 0 to 36 months from the perspectives of mothers, educators, and administrators, using the snowball sampling method, involving 32 mothers, 10 teachers, and 12 administrators. Findings, derived through content analysis as a qualitative research method, indicate that mothers enroll their children in playgroups primarily for socialization and kindergarten preparation, often prioritizing the physical space, and they generally have positive opinions about these groups. Teachers, on the other hand, enjoy working in playgroups because they get to interact with younger children, and the environment provides them with more positive experiences. Playgroups are established by administrators in alignment with the views of mothers and teachers, with the intention of preparing children for kindergarten. Interestingly, while mothers tend to prioritize the physical setting over the educational content when choosing playgroups, the majority of administrators highlight the educational program as one of the strengths of these groups.