An Investigation of Play: From the Voices of Fifth- and Sixth-Grade Talented and Gifted Students

Autor/inn/en	Beisser, Sally Rapp; Gillespie, Catherine Wilson; Thacker, Valerie Marsh
Titel	An Investigation of Play: From the Voices of Fifth- and Sixth-Grade Talented and Gifted Students
Quelle	In: Gifted Child Quarterly, 57 (2013) 1, S.25-38 (14 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0016-9862
DOI	10.1177/0016986212450070
Schlagwörter	Academically Gifted; Student Attitudes; Play; Rural Schools; Focus Groups; Online Surveys; Talent; Urban Schools; Suburban Schools; Socialization; Barriers; Attention Control; Learning Motivation; Retention (Psychology); Teamwork; Problem Solving; Cognitive Development; Social Development; Physical Development + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Schülerverhalten; Spiel; Rural area; Rural areas; School; Schools; Ländlicher Raum; Schule; Schulen; Begabung; Hochbegabung; Urban area; Urban areas; Stadtregion; Stadt; Suburban area; Outskirts; Suburb; Vorort; Vorstadt; Socialisation; Sozialisation; Aufmerksamkeitstest; Motivation for studies; Lernmotivation; Merkfähigkeit; Problemlösen; Kognitive Entwicklung; Soziale Entwicklung; Körperliche Entwicklung
Abstract	The purpose of this study was to explore the concept of play through the eyes of talented and gifted (TAG) fifth- and sixth-grade students. Three focus groups consisting of fifth- and sixth-grade TAG students were conducted in one urban, one suburban, and one rural school district in the Midwest. Students were asked to describe the value of play in the cognitive, physical, and social domains. Additional open-ended questions were asked about the importance of play and its relevance to their lives. From these results, an online survey was created. Data from an additional 162 fifth- and sixth-grade TAG respondents substantiated that play is a significant activity for learning and socializing in the general classroom, gifted programs, and outside their classrooms. Despite its importance, students experienced structural barriers for time to play. Putting the Research to Use: Results of this study hold implications for teachers to acknowledge the value of play as a tool for learning. Children see play as a renewal activity. They see play as motivating and as a way to increase attention, retention, and focus in learning. Children emphasized that play develops teamwork and problem-solving skills. Play enhances meaningful activities in the talented and gifted program as well as the general classroom. Results of this study suggest that parents should acknowledge their children's need for play in all three domains (cognitive, physical, and social) and allow time for self-directed play after school with limits on scheduled activities. (Contains 4 tables.) (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10