Teacher's perception towards play-based pedagogy to promote cognitive and social skills amongst preschoolers with learning disabilities

Playing is a natural activity for children as they tend to be very inventive and resourceful when playing independently or with peers. Literature has shown that learning through play approach is crucial to be applied in the process of teaching and learning at a pre-school level, especially those with learning disabilities. Past studies found that many pre-school teachers have not yet emphasized the approach to promote play-based in class. This is due to the lack of exposure and guidance towards play pedagogy, and inadequate training for teachers. By promoting cognitive and social skills, teachers are able to enhance play-pedagogy in teaching and learning process. This research aims to determine the relationship of teachers' perception of play-pedagogy that contributes to cognitive and social skills amongst pre-school children with learning disabilities. A quantitative study was approached on pre-school teachers in Johor under the Ministry of Education (KPM). The study found that there was a moderate positive correlation between play and cognitive skills and there was a weak positive correlation between play and social among preschoolers with learning disabilities. The findings proved that play activities are essential for children's development. Nevertheless, improvisation is needed for a better understanding in this context of the study.