Evaluating the impact of play-based learning strategies on early childhood performance in urban Uganda

This study evaluated the impact of play-based learning strategies on the academic performance of early childhood learners in urban Uganda, with a focus on Makindye Division in Kampala. Despite widespread acknowledgment of play as a crucial component of early childhood development, its practical integration into teaching remains limited in Uganda’s urban contexts, where formal instruction and academic pressure often overshadow developmental pedagogy. Guided by Caregiver Identity Theory, which emphasizes the caregiver’s perceived role, commitment, and self-efficacy, the study investigated how caregivers implement play-based strategies and how this influence learner performance. A mixed-methods correlational design was employed, involving 70 caregivers selected through stratified random sampling. Quantitative data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient, revealing a statistically significant positive relationship between play-based learning and learner performance (r = 0.563, p = 0.000). Qualitative data, analyzed thematically, further supported these findings, with caregivers reporting improved learner engagement, communication, and task performance through storytelling, music games, and role play. However, barriers such as limited resources, large class sizes, and parental misconceptions were also noted. The study concludes that play-based strategies are both effective and underutilized, and recommends strengthening caregiver training, increasing resource access, promoting parental awareness, enforcing supportive policy measures, and conducting further longitudinal research to expand the evidence base for play-centered pedagogy in early childhood education.