Examination of pre-school children's participation levels in activities

The main purpose of this research is to examine the participation level of preschool children in activities. The research uses the triangulation model, one of the mixed methods in which quantitative and qualitative data collection tools are used. The sample of the study consists of a total of 318 children attending the kindergartens and independent kindergartens of the primary schools affiliated to the Ministry of Education in the 2021-2022 academic year within the borders of the central districts of Kahramanmaraş. The sample group of the study was determined by maximum variation sampling, one of the purposive sampling methods. "Personal Information Form", "Leuven Participation Scale for Young Children" and "Teacher Interview Questions" were used as data collection tools. Quantitative data analysis techniques in data analysis and content analysis as a qualitative data analysis method. The quantitative findings of the study show that the level of children's participation in activities differs according to various variables such as parents' education levels, and previous pre-school education status. In addition, when the average scores of the children were examined, the research found out that they had a high level of participation. In the qualitative part of the study, the research finds that educational status of the children's mothers affects the participation levels of children positively at the rate of 88,3%. The father's education level of the children positively affects the participation at the rate of 69,4%. Also, preschool teachers stated that the participation level of children who took pre-school education beforehand was high (by 68,8%).