The Role of Early Childhood Mathematics Teachers during Play in the Mathematics Classroom in Bongo District of Ghana

Abstract

The study sought to find out the role of early grade mathematics teachers during play in the mathematics classroom. The study adopted the quantitative approach of research with a descriptive survey as a design. A simple random sampling and census sampling were used to select 410 respondents for the study. The data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation. The findings of the study revealed that teachers played such roles as and facilitators to guide and provide the materials necessary for the play, thereby creating a conducive environment for effective play in the early childhood mathematics classroom. It was recommended that play-based learning should be fully integrated into the early childhood Mathematics curriculum, and intensive workshops or in-service training should be organized for the teachers to know and appreciate their roles during play in the classroom. Also, workshops are seminars organized for teachers should concentrate on how to assist teachers to prepare play materials using local materials to bridge the deficit gap of play materials.