Fostering Early Childhood Independence through Constructive Play: A Qualitative Study on Behavioral, Emotional, and Attentional Control

Abstract

Independence is a fundamental developmental competency in early childhood because it enables children to regulate their behavior, emotions, and attention while engaging in learning activities and everyday tasks. Nevertheless, many kindergarten children continue to rely heavily on teachers when making decisions, solving problems, and completing assigned activities. Constructive play has been recognized as a play-based learning approach that encourages children to explore, make decisions, and solve problems independently. This study aimed to analyze children's independence as demonstrated during constructive play activities at Mekar Sari Jambe State Kindergarten by focusing on three dimensions of self-regulation: behavioral control, emotional control, and attentional control. A descriptive qualitative approach was employed. Data were collected through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews with teachers and parents, and documentation. The data were analyzed using the interactive model of data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing, while source and technique triangulation were applied to ensure trustworthiness. The findings revealed that constructive play provided meaningful opportunities for children to independently plan activities, make decisions, regulate their emotions when encountering difficulties, and sustain attention until completing assigned tasks. Children demonstrated improved behavioral control by following classroom rules and taking responsibility for their work, emotional control by persisting despite failure, and attentional control by maintaining concentration throughout the learning process. These findings suggest that constructive play functions not only as a medium for cognitive development but also as an effective pedagogical strategy for fostering children's independence through the development of self-regulation. The study contributes empirical evidence supporting the integration of constructive play into early childhood classrooms to promote independent learning and school readiness.