Values education through child games in physical education and play course

This study was conducted to examine the implementation of values education through child games in Physical Education and Play course and to investigate the effect of child games on values education. Basic qualitative research design which is one of the qualitative research designs was used in the study. The study group of the research consists of 10 students determined by the easily accessible case sampling method, one of the purposive sampling methods, among the fourth grade students in the Kocaköy district of Diyarbakır. Students have played 11 games included in the 4th chapter of I Am Playing Compilation Book. Observations were made beginning from the first game. Games were video recorded to obtain in depth data and to make a detailed investigation of behaviors displayed by the students. Researcher kept a researcher diary for every game during the play day starting from the first game. Data about the games were obtained based on the 27 values included in Values Education Guideline of Ministry of National Education. Descriptive analysis was used in data analysis. Findings obtained from the observations and researcher diary in the study show which values were acquired via the games played in Physical Education and Play course. They also demonstrate the implementation of values education through child games and the role of child games in gaining values. Respect, cooperation, fairness, leadership, solidarity, self-esteem, kindness, friendship, honesty, peace and responsibility were the values taught through child games. Besides, students showed respect value only to their teachers who guided the games but not to their peers. Thus, values education through child games was not completely successful in the case of respect value. Games play various roles such as emerging the values in an improvisational way, providing students with the opportunity to have concrete experiences, providing students with the opportunity to have positive attitudes towards human relationships when having a good time, providing students with the opportunity to have fun and to learn values at the same time, and contributing to the development of various skills.