K. Aluko

The research was carried out to investigate the impact of play-based learning approaches and motor skill development in kindergarten -aged children within Benin Metropolis, Edo State, Nigeria. Motor development during early childhood represents a critical foundation for physical competence, cognitive growth, and social-emotional wellbeing. Despite growing recognition of play as a fundamental learning mechanism, traditional teacher-centered instructional methods continue o dominate many early childhood education settings in Nigeria, potentially limiting opportunities for holistic motor skill acquisition. Five research questions were raised for this study. The population of the study consists of all preschools in Benin Metropolis, where the parents, guardians, caregivers and teachers are expected to form the desired responses. Sample sizes of 125 were drawn for the study. The instrument used for the study is a Likert scale made up of 4-points items; Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree and Strongly Disagree, respectively. The reliability of the instrument was set at 0.86. The data collected was analyzed using simple percentage. Findings suggest that children engaged in regular play-based learning activities demonstrate enhanced motor proficiency, greater physical confidence, and improved spatial awareness compared to peers in traditional learning environments. The research also explores contextual factors specific to Benin Metropolis, including available play resources, teacher training in play- based methodologies, classroom infrastructure, and cultural attitude toward play in educational settings. This study contributes to the growing body of evidence supporting developmentally appropriate practices in Nigerian early childhood education and provides practical recommendations for educators, policymakers, and curriculum developers seeking to optimize motor development outcomes through play-integrated learning frameworks.

This study examined the impact of teacher–child interaction on the social and emotional development of preschool children in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State. Early childhood represents a critical period for the development of social competence and emotional regulation, and the quality of interaction between teachers and children plays a significant role in shaping these developmental outcomes. Four research questions were raised to guide this study. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population comprised early childhood teachers and parents in selected preschools comprising 8 public schools and 52privateschools in Oredo Local Government Area. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire designed on a four-point Likert scale. Descriptive statistics, including mean and standard deviation, were used to analyze the data, while hypotheses were tested using a criterion meanof2.50. The findings revealed that teacher–child ratio significantly influences the quality of teacher–child interaction, as overcrowded classrooms limit effective classroom management and individualized attention. The study also found that positive teacher–child interaction significantly enhances preschool children’s ability to form positive social relationships, reduce aggressive behaviors, and express emotions appropriately. Furthermore, teachers’ level of professional training was found to significantly influence their job performance, while opportunities for on the-job training were generally inadequate despite being recognized as essential for improving teacher effectiveness. The study concludes that improving teacher–child interaction through better staffing, enhanced teacher training, and increased access to professional development opportunities is essential for promoting positive social and emotional development among preschool children. The study recommends the enforcement of recommended teacher–child ratio standards, regular professional development programmes, and increased government support for early childhood teacher training

This study was to explore the influence of socioeconomic background on the academic performance of school children in Oredo Local Government Area, Edo State. The research was centered around five key research questions: Does the financial status of parents impact their children's academic performance? What roles do parental education and occupation play in shaping school children's academic achievements? How does the availability of educational resources andc facilities in schools affect the academic performance of students from various socioeconomic backgrounds? Are there disparities in the academic performance of
students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds attending public versus private schools? A descriptive survey research design was employed, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Data was collected using questionnaires, and the analysis involved computing frequencies and simple percentages. The study focused on school children within Oredo Local Government Area, Edo State, with a sample size of 80 respondents selected from eight primary schools in the region. Each of the eight chosen primary schools contributed 10 respondents. The research instrument consisted of a questionnaire containing sixteen items. To ensure the reliability of this instrument, a preliminary test was conducted by administering the research questionnaire to a group of individuals with similar characteristics as the research sample, utilizing the split-half method

Early childhood educators are specialized and dedicated professional who can identify potential developmental delays and nurture children's talent boosting their confidence and providing essential tools for growth. Therefore this study examined the role of early childhood educator in identifying and supporting children with special needs within Oredo local government area in Benin city, Edo state. The objective of the study was to find out the influence of early childhood educators training on children with special needs, to determine the extent early childhood educators require special training to perform child support role on children with special needs, to determine the extent government support the training of early childhood educators, to determine parents and educators involvement in supporting children with special needs. Four research questions were raised for this study. The study used checklist and questionnaire which were structured from the four research questions as a mode of data collection to collect information from one hundred respondent selected from 20 private schools. The results from this study revealed that the early childhood educators training has influence on children with special needs, Finding suggest that early childhood educators require special training to perform child support role on children with special needs to a moderate extent, It also showed that government support the training of early childhood educators to a low extent. It was therefore recommended among others that regular workshops, seminars and fresher courses should be provided to equip educators with the necessary skills to support children with special needs

This research work was designed to find out the effects of class size on teaching and
learning in pre-schools in Oredo Local government area of Edo state. Four research
questions were raised to carry out this study and to effectively carry out this research, a
total of 100 respondents were sampled from the 66 registered pre-primary schools in the
Local government area. The instrument used to carry out this research is checklist and
questionnaire. This study revealed that the classrooms allocated for pre-primary
education in schools were in deficit to cater for the population of pupils being enrolled, there were not enough instructional materials and teaching aids due to overcrowding and
limited resources. Based on these findings, it was concluded that evidently, class size is a
major variable that has impacts on the overall teaching and learning process in pre- schools. Recommendations were made to ensure the effectiveness of teaching and
learning in pre-schools and this includes: investing in infrastructure e.g classrooms, child
sized furniture etc, employment of only qualified teachers and personnel, availability of
teaching aids in adequacy to the population of pupils, intervention of the government and
educational bodies to carry out supervision and assessment of the conditions of
preschools that are operating in the area.