Social-Emotional Development Through Group Play at RA Ihya Al-Ulum

Nur Asya; Nona Hasmawati

Authors

Nur Asya Universitas Islam Makassar Author
Nona Hasmawati Author

Keywords:

Group Play, Social-Emotional Skills, Early Childhood, Experimental Research, Cooperative Learning

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the effect of group play on social-emotional skills of 4-5-year-old children at RA Ihya al-Ulum. The research employed a quantitative approach with a simple experimental method using a One-Group Pretest-Posttest Design. Fifteen children participated as research subjects selected through total sampling technique. Data were collected through systematic observation using a validated instrument consisting of four dimensions: social interaction, cooperation, emotional regulation, and empathy. The intervention consisted of six sessions of structured group play activities conducted over three weeks. Results showed that children's social-emotional skills increased significantly from a mean score of 51.13% (low category) in the pretest to 81.67% (high category) in the posttest, representing an average improvement of 30.53%. The paired t-test analysis revealed a calculated t-value of 6.43, which exceeded the critical t-value of 2.14 at a significance level of 0.05 (p < 0.05), with a large effect size (Cohen's d = 2.34). These findings indicate that group play significantly and effectively enhances children's ability to interact, cooperate, regulate emotions, and demonstrate empathy in their social environment. The study provides empirical evidence supporting Vygotsky's sociocultural theory regarding the role of social interaction in children's development.

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