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Preschoolers’ Usage of Unstructured Materials as Play Materials Divergently

Received: 18 December 2014     Accepted: 6 January 2015     Published: 26 January 2015
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Abstract

The present study is designed to examine preschool children's (4-5 and 6 years old) attitudes toward unstructured materials and to take their divergent ideas about these materials. Paper napkin, a plastic bottle, bottle lid, toilet paper roll, a piece of white string, a plastic spoon and a 10x10x10 cm³ sized box were used as unstructured materials. 126 children (58 female, 68 male) were selected from four state preschools. For originality scores first an originality index was prepared. Children who gave similar answers scored as 1, children who gave answers that were rarely given by other children, scored 2 and children who gave answers that were not given by others, scored 3. Children's usage of materials and answers were analyzed as originality and fluency by two blind coders. It was found from the study that, most of the children preferred to use materials in usual and ordinary ways, only few children were found to use them creatively as play materials. The results showed that most of the children cannot be able to use the unstructured materials as play materials creatively. Gender difference was found significant in the usage of plastic spoon, box and bottle. Girls tended to use napkin and bottle lid creatively and symbolically as domestic play toy, on the other hand boys had a tendency to use the box and plastic spoon creatively and symbolically. The age factor was also found significant, older children tended to use the materials more creatively than the younger ones.

Published in Education Journal (Volume 4, Issue 1)
DOI 10.11648/j.edu.20150401.13
Page(s) 9-14
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2015. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Preschool, Creativity, Divergent Thinking, Unstructured Materials

References
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[20] Rule, A. C., Zhbanova, K., Hileman, A., Evans, J., & Schneider, J.S. (2011). Exploring Torrance’s Creative Strengths by Making an Object from a Set of Given Materials. Cutting beyond the edge: New realities in gifted education: Iowa Talented and Gifted Association Annual Conference, October 17-18, Airport Holiday Inn, Des Moines, Iowa.
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  • APA Style

    Elif Celebi Oncu. (2015). Preschoolers’ Usage of Unstructured Materials as Play Materials Divergently. Education Journal, 4(1), 9-14. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20150401.13

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    Elif Celebi Oncu. Preschoolers’ Usage of Unstructured Materials as Play Materials Divergently. Educ. J. 2015, 4(1), 9-14. doi: 10.11648/j.edu.20150401.13

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    AMA Style

    Elif Celebi Oncu. Preschoolers’ Usage of Unstructured Materials as Play Materials Divergently. Educ J. 2015;4(1):9-14. doi: 10.11648/j.edu.20150401.13

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  • @article{10.11648/j.edu.20150401.13,
      author = {Elif Celebi Oncu},
      title = {Preschoolers’ Usage of Unstructured Materials as Play Materials Divergently},
      journal = {Education Journal},
      volume = {4},
      number = {1},
      pages = {9-14},
      doi = {10.11648/j.edu.20150401.13},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20150401.13},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.edu.20150401.13},
      abstract = {The present study is designed to examine preschool children's (4-5 and 6 years old) attitudes toward unstructured materials and to take their divergent ideas about these materials. Paper napkin, a plastic bottle, bottle lid, toilet paper roll, a piece of white string, a plastic spoon and a 10x10x10 cm³ sized box were used as unstructured materials. 126 children (58 female, 68 male) were selected from four state preschools. For originality scores first an originality index was prepared. Children who gave similar answers scored as 1, children who gave answers that were rarely given by other children, scored 2 and children who gave answers that were not given by others, scored 3. Children's usage of materials and answers were analyzed as originality and fluency by two blind coders. It was found from the study that, most of the children preferred to use materials in usual and ordinary ways, only few children were found to use them creatively as play materials. The results showed that most of the children cannot be able to use the unstructured materials as play materials creatively. Gender difference was found significant in the usage of plastic spoon, box and bottle. Girls tended to use napkin and bottle lid creatively and symbolically as domestic play toy, on the other hand boys had a tendency to use the box and plastic spoon creatively and symbolically. The age factor was also found significant, older children tended to use the materials more creatively than the younger ones.},
     year = {2015}
    }
    

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    T1  - Preschoolers’ Usage of Unstructured Materials as Play Materials Divergently
    AU  - Elif Celebi Oncu
    Y1  - 2015/01/26
    PY  - 2015
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20150401.13
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    T2  - Education Journal
    JF  - Education Journal
    JO  - Education Journal
    SP  - 9
    EP  - 14
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2327-2619
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20150401.13
    AB  - The present study is designed to examine preschool children's (4-5 and 6 years old) attitudes toward unstructured materials and to take their divergent ideas about these materials. Paper napkin, a plastic bottle, bottle lid, toilet paper roll, a piece of white string, a plastic spoon and a 10x10x10 cm³ sized box were used as unstructured materials. 126 children (58 female, 68 male) were selected from four state preschools. For originality scores first an originality index was prepared. Children who gave similar answers scored as 1, children who gave answers that were rarely given by other children, scored 2 and children who gave answers that were not given by others, scored 3. Children's usage of materials and answers were analyzed as originality and fluency by two blind coders. It was found from the study that, most of the children preferred to use materials in usual and ordinary ways, only few children were found to use them creatively as play materials. The results showed that most of the children cannot be able to use the unstructured materials as play materials creatively. Gender difference was found significant in the usage of plastic spoon, box and bottle. Girls tended to use napkin and bottle lid creatively and symbolically as domestic play toy, on the other hand boys had a tendency to use the box and plastic spoon creatively and symbolically. The age factor was also found significant, older children tended to use the materials more creatively than the younger ones.
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Author Information
  • Kocaeli University, Faculty of Education, Primary Education Department, Division of Preschool Education, Umuttepe, Kocaeli, Turkey

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