Description

During an eight-to-ten-week period, all commercially produced, prefabricated toys that generally have prescribed opportunities for play are removed from the kindergarten, and learning sequences prepared by teachers are not used. Instead, children are given a range of other objects such as boxes, cloths or sheets, chairs, tables, ropes, boards or materials found in nature; they also decide what they wish to play with, and when. The underlying theory is that such settings can strongly support the children in developing their life skills, with the ultimate aim of helping them to deal responsibly with addictive substances and behaviours later in life. Moreover, the promotion of life skills has an positive effect on the children’s social interactions, their motivation to learn and their physical and mental health.

The evaluation of the project was conducted in 2020–2021 by the Zurich University of Teacher Education (Centre for Inclusion and Health in Schools) in collaboration with the Thurgau University of Teacher Education and the University of Konstanz (joint professorship Development and Education in Early Childhood) on behalf of the Canton of Zurich offices for addiction prevention. The study comprised two methodological approaches with different lines of inquiry. First, an online survey was conducted both at the outset of the project and shortly before project completion to ask teachers and parents of the children involved about various life skills of the children. Second, the project team carried out an observational study of selected kindergarten classes to examine teacher-pupil interactions.

Project outcomes

On the basis of the data from the online surveys, the research team inquired into whether there was an observable increase in the children’s life skills over the course of the project. Life skills such as social competence, ability to concentrate, frustration tolerance, social integration and empathy were examined. A fairly uniform picture emerged: aside from social integration, where the parents discerned no changes, significant positive developments were noted in all five life skills, although the effect sizes tend to be small. From the teachers’ point of view, the greatest advances were made in the areas of social competence and ability to concentrate. On closer observation of individual children, however, no measurable differences could be discerned in a majority of the children over the course of the project.

The CLASS-Toddler method was used in the observational study to explore whether teacher-pupil interactions changed during the project and, if so, what effects such changes have on the children’s life skills. The study revealed that teacher behaviours did indeed change, most notably that teacher-led activities decreased significantly, which was due to the project’s concept and set-up. With regard to emotional and behavioural support, it became apparent that changes in a teacher’s behaviour are highly relevant to the impact of a toy-free kindergarten. Indeed, in kindergarten classes with teachers who demonstrated a high degree of emotional and behavioural support, or who intensified this kind of support, the development of life skills was significantly more positive. By contrast, in kindergarten classes with teachers who decreased the emotional and behavioural support given, no changes in life skills were observed.

Publications

Contact

Prof. Dr. Roger Keller:

Head of Centre

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Prof. Dr. Roger Keller

Head of Centre

+41 43 305 58 91

roger.keller@phzh.ch