Exploring Early Childhood Teachers' Willingness to Integrate Tabletop Games in Their Teaching: A Correlational Research Study in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China

Abstract

Early childhood education is vital for children's development, encompassing cognition, emotion, social skills, and language. Traditional methods mainly rely on classroom instruction, but tabletop games have gained increasing recognition for their potential in early education. These games encourage interaction, critical thinking, and cooperative communication, fostering rich learning experiences and holistic development. Drawing from the Theory of Planned Behavior, this study examines preschool teachers' current practice of integrating tabletop games into teaching and the factors influencing their intention to use such games. Key findings include significant differences in behavioral attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intentions to integrate tabletop games based on variables like age, teaching experience, position, and subject matter. Teachers' attitudes, norms, and behavioral control significantly correlate with and positively predict their intentions to incorporate tabletop games. The study suggests that teachers' intentions to integrate games are higher when they perceive a greater availability of suitable games. Schools can, therefore, enhance teachers' willingness by providing appropriate games through procurement strategies.