The Play-based Behaviours of Emirati Preschool Children: Cultural Perspective into Early Childhood Education

Current policy and curriculum guides for early education centres in the United Arab Emirates advocate for play-based practices similar to those in the West. However, best practice reforms must reflect a sociocultural perspective and suit the context of application. The main objectives of this research were to provide insight into Emirati maternal values on play, to analyse behavioural factors, and to suggest policies that better support them. Results revealed that 52% of Emirati children rarely or never engage in undirected play and that while Emirati mothers were aware of the significance of play, they were less aware of "child-led" play practices, how to facilitate undirected play at home and the significance of their role in scaffolding play. Furthermore, the undervaluing of free play by Emirati mothers, upsets traditional play paradigms with 80% of mothers believing that a blend between knowledge learning and play learning would be better fit for their children. We argue that curriculum decisions ought to take into account the cultural context and parental psychology of Emirati mothers and children when constructing preschool curricula.