Investigation of Preschool Education and Child Development Undergraduate Students' Thoughts on Play

This study was conducted to reveal the thoughts of 2nd-year students studying in preschool teaching and child development undergraduate programs about plays. A case study, one of the qualitative research designs, was used in the study. 72 students, 41 from preschool teaching and 31 from child development undergraduate programs, participated in the study. The thoughts of undergraduate students about plays were collected with the help of a semi-structured interview form prepared by the researcher. Students were asked questions about what plays are, why children play, what they provide to children, the role of plays in education, factors affecting plays and negative aspects of plays.  The study was designed as a qualitative case study. Data were collected through a semi-structured interview form with open-ended questions and analyzed using content analysis. According to the results of the study, undergraduate students defined plays as fun and a teaching tool. In addition, they emphasized that children play to express themselves. They stated that plays support children's developmental areas. They stated that permanent learning can be achieved by using plays in education, but educators should make appropriate preparations in planning and implementation. They emphasized that the main affecting factors plays are the environment and the content and type of plays. Undergraduate students stated that children playing digital games too much can cause addiction and that this situation can be a negative aspect of plays. The results were discussed within the framework of the literature and suggestions were made.