International Journal of Research in Social Sciences
Year : 2016, Volume : 6, Issue : 9
First page : ( 17) Last page : ( 29)
Online ISSN : 2249-2496.

Learning Environments in Daycare Centres: A Haven for Learning or Misbehaviour?

Makasi Esther

Online published on 25 October, 2016.

Abstract

This paper is based on findings from a study conducted to examine learning environments in daycare centres, whether they are a haven for learning of misbehaviour. This study is based on interviews of caregivers and observations of activities during teaching and learning situations. The sample consisted of two hundred and seventy pupils and six caregivers. Respondents were purposively selected from public and privately owned preschools in the urban area of Masvingo district in Zimbabwe. Learning environments have the capacity to enhance children's learning or impede it through misbehavior. The findings point to the fact that some caregivers are not aware that learning environments can be a haven of learning or misbehaviour. The caregivers from the private preschools who are paraprofessionals lack the skills and knowledge to deal with the three to five year olds at their centres. The rooms in some instances were too small for the number of children to move freely. Children hence fidgeted, made noise, hit each other over play items and refused to share items for play. The caregivers from the public preschools, that is those attached to existing primary schools, were manned by qualified personnel who had the knowledge and skills to handle children at preschool level. However, though the environments were conducive for learning, children were not allowed to make free choices in their learning. Children were exposed to formal learning as a result the activities were too academic. The researcher recommended that there is need for staff development workshops in this area with the personnel at the local teachers’ colleges and universities. Caregiving is a dynamic skill and caregivers can only keep pace with the pedagogical demands and expectations through workshops at their particular preschool or in conjunction with other centres. The quality assurance section of the Ministry of Education should have time to check on the structure of the learning environment at the various daycare centres whether private or public so as to monitor the quality of care and learning given to preschool children. Misbehaviours abound if environments are not structured for optimum learning.

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Keywords

misbehaviour, learning, environment, learning centres, materials, equipment, public preschool, private preschool.

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