Volume 14, 2025
Teachers' Perceptions of Outdoor Play on the Socio-Cognitive Development of Preschoolers in Lagos State
Magdalene Roli, OMOLE & Ruth Chinyere, NWAOYIBO
Abstract
Outdoor play is important for every child. It is a crucial part of a child's existence and environment.This study
explored preschool teachers' perspectives of outdoor play's effects on socio-cognitive development. Four
research questions was used to guide the study and two hypotheses was formulatedfor the study. Descriptive
survey research design was adopted for the study. Simple random sampling, 50 teachers from selected private
and public nursery schools in Mainland LGA. Aself-designed questionnaire title; "Teachers Perceptions of
Outdoor Play Questionnaire" (TP_OPQ) was used for the study. Cronbach Alpha reliability value of 0.88
indicates that the 25-item questionnaire is very reliable. The data gathered was analysed using frequency
counts, mean scores, and a one-sample t-test with the help of the Statistical Package for the Social Scientists
(SPSS 23.0). The results of this study indicate that engaging in outdoor play has signicant impacts on the social
(communication and self-efcacy skills) and cognitive (thinking and recalling abilities) development of
preschoolers in Mainland LGA. Consequently, the study recommended that teachers and caregivers in nursery
school should involve the children in outdoor play; while also ensuring they take appropriate safety measures
and provide sufcient supervision. Furthermore, it is imperative that both public and private school
administrators ensure the provision of sufcient and up-to-date outdoor play facilities in order to promote
outdoor play among preschoolers attending nursery schools.
Keywords
Preschoolers, Nursery Schools, Teachers' Perceptions, Outdoor play, Social Skills Development, Cognitive Development
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