Stage Puppet in the Kindergarten Context from Educators’ Perspective

Abstract

The theoretical foundation of this paper is based on contemporary knowledge and research findings indicating that activities with a stage puppet integrate almost all elements crucial for a child’s development (speech, communication, understanding, perception, movement, coordination, socialization, emotions, fiction, imagination, etc.). Considering the potential, importance, and role of the stage puppet in the educational process for the overall development of preschool children, the aim of this empirical quantitative study was to precisely examine the significance and use of the stage puppet for encouraging communication and other aspects of preschool children’s development from the educators’ perspective (taking into account the educators’ age, years of service, and the higher education institution they graduated from). The research employed a descriptive method and the method of theoretical analysis and synthesis. Data collection relevant to the research was conducted in 2023 through a survey using a self-created research instrument – a Likert scale questionnaire with adequate reliability. The study results indicate that educators highly value the importance of using puppets in the educational process in kindergartens and that their perspective on the importance and effectiveness of using puppets in working with children is not related to their age and years of service but is related to the faculty they graduated from.