Examination of Teachers' Opinions on the Use of Puppets in Values Education in Early Childhood and Their Effects on Child Development

The aim of this study is to determine the views of pre-school teachers on the impact of using puppets in education on child development and on the use of puppets in values education. The study aims to make a valuable contribution to the body of knowledge in the field by examining in detail how puppets can be an effective tool in terms of values education during early childhood and their potential to contribute to children's development. The research was conducted using the ‘phenomenology’ design from qualitative research methods. Purposive sampling was used to form the study group, and the views of 18 preschool teachers were collected. Descriptive analysis was used to analyse the data obtained. The results of the study, based on the teachers' views, show that the use of puppets holistically supports children's cognitive, emotional, social, and psychomotor development. Furthermore, according to the preschool teachers who participated in the study, puppets are extremely functional in instilling fundamental values in children, such as responsibility, respect, honesty, love, patience, helpfulness, cooperation, and tolerance. The results obtained from the research show that the use of puppets in pre-school education is a powerful teaching tool that supports children's multidimensional development and, in values education, facilitates internalization by making abstract concepts concrete.