Implementation of Free Play Activities in Kindergartens: The Role and Challenges of Teachers

This study aims to identify teachers' roles and challenges in implementing free play activities in kindergartens. This study is a quantitative survey with a questionnaire as the research tool. The questionnaire was disseminated via Google Forms and involved 108 respondents, including kindergarten teachers in Selangor. Data were analyzed descriptively using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. The findings indicate that teachers mostly take on the role of an observer while implementing free play activities, with a mean score of 4.13 (sd =0.948). In terms of challenges, the results show that teachers do not face significant challenges, with an overall mean score at a moderate level of 2.93 (sd=0.688). This study illustrates that kindergarten teachers in Selangor possess good competencies in managing free play activities as one of the learning areas allocated in the National Preschool Standard Curriculum (KSPK). Therefore, teachers need to leverage free play activities as an important medium to provide space for fulfilling children's natural tendencies while also helping to support their development.