Toy-based Pedagogy for Holistic Development of Children in Early Childhood Care and Education: Teachers’ Perceptions and Implementation Challenges

Abstract

Toy-Based Pedagogy (TBP) has gained increasing prominence in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) as a developmentally appropriate approach that promotes holistic learning through play and experiential engagement. The present study examines ECCE teachers’ perceptions regarding the importance of Toy-Based Pedagogy for children’s holistic development and analyses the challenges associated with its integration in ECCE settings. Using a descriptive survey design, data were collected from 60 ECCE teachers (30 urban and 30 rural) from Bargarh district of Odisha through two self-constructed questionnaires. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and an independent samples t-test. The findings reveal that teachers hold a strongly positive perception of the importance of TBP, particularly in enhancing cognitive and emotional development. However, the integration of TBP is constrained by systemic challenges, including resource limitations, insufficient training, curriculum and assessment pressures, and parental expectations favouring early academic instruction. The urban–rural comparison indicates no significant difference in perceived challenges, suggesting that barriers to TBP implementation are uniform across contexts. The study concludes that while ECCE teachers recognise the pedagogical value of Toy-Based Pedagogy, its effective implementation requires coordinated support through teacher capacity building, curriculum–assessment alignment, institutional facilitation, and parental sensitisation. The findings have important implications for strengthening play-based pedagogical practices in ECCE.