The Effect of a Thai Traditional Play Knowledge Program on Caregivers’ Self-Efficacy in Promoting Early Childhood Development
Keywords:
self-efficacy, Thai traditional play, caregivers, early childhood, developmental promotionAbstract
Developmental delays among preschool children in the digital era may be associated with caregivers’ limited knowledge and confidence in promoting child development. Developing a knowledge program that integrates Thai traditional play within an appropriate cultural context may therefore be an effective approach to enhancing caregivers’ self-efficacy. This study aimed to compare caregivers’ self-efficacy in promoting preschool child development before and after receiving a Thai traditional play knowledge program and to examine their satisfaction with the program. The study was guided by Bandura’s self-efficacy theory and employed a quasi-experimental, one-group pretest-posttest design. The participants were 30 caregivers of preschool children. The research instruments included a Thai traditional play knowledge program, a caregiver self-efficacy assessment scale, and a satisfaction questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a paired-samples t-test. The results showed that the mean self-efficacy score of caregivers in promoting preschool child development was significantly higher after receiving the knowledge program than before receiving it (t = 5.27, df = 29, p < .05). Overall, caregivers reported the highest level of satisfaction with the knowledge program (M = 4.69, SD = 0.47). These findings indicate that a Thai traditional play-based knowledge program can effectively enhance caregivers’ self-efficacy in promoting preschool child development. The program provides culturally relevant and flexible activities that can facilitate shared learning between children and caregivers. Furthermore, integrating Thai traditional play into developmental promotion may contribute to preserving local cultural wisdom and transmitting traditional play practices to future generations.
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