Enhancing the Wellbeing of Infants and Toddlers in Greece Throught Their Interaction with Toys and the ECEC Environment
摘要
In recent years, the promotion of children’s wellbeing has become a focal point for international organizations and education policymakers. However, the absence of a universally accepted definition of wellbeing, compounded by theories primarily centered around adults rather than children, poses challenges in comprehensively exploring topics. In this research, embracing the Two Sources theory, the only known reference to children’s wellbeing, we investigate educators’ perspectives on the toys/objects and places enhancing the wellbeing of infants and toddlers in the Greek early childhood education and care (ECEC) setting. This survey involved an online questionnaire completed by 124 educators working with infants and toddlers, featuring 39 closed-ended and Likert-type questions alongside 6 open-ended inquiries. Survey outcomes revealed educator consensus that construction blocks, kitchenware miniature sets, books, drawing materials, and learning centers notably promote children’s wellbeing. Additionally, the study underscored the pressing necessity for professional development in this domain. These findings contribute to the literature on fostering the wellbeing of infants and toddlers, presenting new prospects for evaluating toys and places within ECEC settings concerning children’s wellbeing. Moreover, they offer insights into policy and practice relevant to the professional development of ECEC educators.