Toward a valid and reliable measure of play: the dimensions of play framework

While it is established that play is important for development, researchers do not have a measure that examines both play type and complexity. Existing measures are limited to examining play type without complexity, complexity of a specific play type, or ethnographic measures. Based on a combination of scales in the literature, I developed the Dimensions of Play Framework as a tool for observational quantitative measurement of play in children's museums. The purpose of this initial study was to investigate interrater reliability using a time-sampling method. Video tapes of 140 children interacting with either a simple or elaborate version of a clay exhibit were collected for analysis. Three rounds of coding by undergraduate assistants demonstrated moderate agreement yet failed to yield acceptable interrater reliability for hypothesis testing (Kappa > .70). Results indicate more should be done to structure the framework and determine the appropriate method of measurement to accompany it.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Author dc:creator

• Henriksen, Aubrey

Contributors dc:contributor

• Warren, Amye
• Ferrier, David E.; Griffin, Jayne
• College of Arts and Sciences

• Museums
• Non-formal education
• Play assessment (Child psychology)

Licence

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language

English, eng

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/685

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholar.utc.edu:theses-1850