An analysis of preschool teachers? ideas and practies about free play activities on the activity center

Play which is the learning area and the natural activity of chıldhood. That is why, a qualified preschool education centers should benefit from playing in a planned and systematic way. To increase quality of play and to enhance the learning of children permanantly, teacher has principal responsibilities an children play. These responsibitities can be described as planning and organizing, guiding, participating and observing. The aim of the reserach is to investigate ıdeas and practies of preschool teacher on free-play activities. The study is in a model of searching, while goining data, semi structured interview and structured observation techniques which are qualitative research methods, are used. In analyzing data, content analyze and in digitaling data frequency distribution is used. In this study, examined group is composed of 40 bachelers degree preschool tearchers who work in public preschools education center. The preschools are placed in the central counties of Ankara. 20 questions (about planning, process of education, organizing and evaluating) are asked to the teachers in an interview form. After that, 2 of the teachers are chosen and observed in their freeplay activity sessions for 40 minutes in 3 different times, by also using observation forms. In the study, analysis of, data which is, obtained by using observation and interview techniques, shows some contradictive and also some supportim results. As a result of the finding, it is seen that teachers plan the free-play activity as a first activity in the morning and they spent about 1 hour for this. However free-play activity is thought as a activity that children play freely, and has no purpose. In learning centers, contribution of play on improvement of social skills are noticed meanwhile it?scontribution on cognitive processes are not considered enough. Learning centers are existed in classes just because of it is suggested in preschool education programme, and they are not used officient enough to support progressing and education of children. Organisation of these places are not focused on interest and need of children, and also goins and aim of programme is not considered. All learning centers are placed in classes except art center Children do not take interest on music, science and book centers, because of material insufficiency, teacher ınterference and material inaccessibility. In addıtion to them, it is determined that in activity centers teacher do not quide children enough, do not interact with them, and do not observe them. It is also determined that teachers who have theorical information about importence of free played in activity centers, can not transfer these information into application, hence, instead of children based education approach, they continue teacher based education. Depending on these findings, some suggestions are presented to preschool teachers, directors, academician and resarchers.Key Words: Preschool Education, Free Play, Activity Center