Role-Play-Based Science Learning: Its Impact on the Thinking Skills of Children Aged 5–6 Years
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31958/jies.v6i2.17382Keywords:
Early Childhood, Role Playing, Creative Thinking,, Critical ThinkingAbstract
Science learning during the preschool years plays an important role in fostering scientific thinking and developing children's higher-order thinking skills. Role-playing activities provide authentic learning experiences that are closely connected to children's everyday lives while promoting observation, exploration, and reflection. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of role-play-based science learning in improving critical and creative thinking skills among children aged 5–6 years and to analyze the influence of initial thinking abilities on learning outcomes. The study employed a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest control group design involving 20 kindergarten children who were equally assigned to experimental and control groups. Data were collected using the Early Childhood Thinking Skills Inventory and analyzed through Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA). The findings revealed significant differences between the experimental and control groups, indicating that role-play-based science learning effectively enhanced children's critical and creative thinking skills. Further analysis showed that pretest critical thinking significantly influenced posttest outcomes, whereas pretest creative thinking did not have a significant effect. These findings suggest that role-play-based science learning is an effective approach for developing higher-order thinking skills through active, reflective, and collaborative learning experiences that align with the developmental characteristics of young children while strengthening the foundation of scientific thinking from an early age.
References
Abdulla, F., Rahman, A., & Hossain, Md. M. (2023). Prevalence and risk predictors of childhood stunting in Bangladesh. PLOS ONE, 18(1), e0279901. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0279901
Agyemang, I. O., Zeng, L., Chen, J., Adjei-Mensah, I., & Acheampong, D. (2024). Multi-visual modality micro drone-based structural damage detection. Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence, 133, 108460. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engappai.2024.108460
Ahun, M. N., Aboud, F., Wamboldt, C., & Yousafzai, A. K. (2023). Implementation of UNICEF and WHO’s care for child development package: Lessons from a global review and key informant interviews. Frontiers in Public Health, 11, 1140843. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1140843
Alghamdi, A. A. (2023). Exploring Early Childhood Teachers’ Beliefs About STEAM Education in Saudi Arabia. Early Childhood Education Journal, 51(2), 247–256. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-021-01303-0
Ata-Akturk, A., & Sevimli-Celik, S. (2023). Creativity in early childhood teacher education: Beliefs and practices. International Journal of Early Years Education, 31(1), 95–114. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669760.2020.1754174
Bai, L., Liu, X., & Su, J. (2023). ChatGPT: The cognitive effects on learning and memory. Brain‐X, 1(3), e30. https://doi.org/10.1002/brx2.30
Barakat, S., McLean, S. A., Bryant, E., Le, A., Marks, P., National Eating Disorder Research Consortium, Aouad, P., Barakat, S., Boakes, R., Brennan, L., Bryant, E., Byrne, S., Caldwell, B., Calvert, S., Carroll, B., Castle, D., Caterson, I., Chelius, B., Chiem, L., … Maguire, S. (2023). Risk factors for eating disorders: Findings from a rapid review. Journal of Eating Disorders, 11(1), 8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-022-00717-4
Barrow, A., Afape, A. O., Cham, D., & Azubuike, P. C. (2023). Uptake and determinants of childhood vaccination status among children aged 0–12 months in three West African countries. BMC Public Health, 23(1), 1093. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-15863-w
Bouffet, E., Geoerger, B., Moertel, C., Whitlock, J. A., Aerts, I., Hargrave, D., Osterloh, L., Tan, E., Choi, J., Russo, M., & Fox, E. (2023). Efficacy and Safety of Trametinib Monotherapy or in Combination With Dabrafenib in Pediatric BRAF V600–Mutant Low-Grade Glioma. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 41(3), 664–674. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.22.01000
Cheng, Y.-P., Lai, C.-F., Chen, Y.-T., Wang, W.-S., Huang, Y.-M., & Wu, T.-T. (2023). Enhancing student’s computational thinking skills with student-generated questions strategy in a game-based learning platform. Computers & Education, 200, 104794. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2023.104794
De Geus, A., Koppen, I. J. N., Flint, R. B., Benninga, M. A., & Tabbers, M. M. (2023). An Update of Pharmacological Management in Children with Functional Constipation. Pediatric Drugs, 25(3), 343–358. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40272-023-00563-0
Demontis, D., Walters, G. B., Athanasiadis, G., Walters, R., Therrien, K., Nielsen, T. T., Farajzadeh, L., Voloudakis, G., Bendl, J., Zeng, B., Zhang, W., Grove, J., Als, T. D., Duan, J., Satterstrom, F. K., Bybjerg-Grauholm, J., Bækved-Hansen, M., Gudmundsson, O. O., Magnusson, S. H., … Børglum, A. D. (2023). Genome-wide analyses of ADHD identify 27 risk loci, refine the genetic architecture and implicate several cognitive domains. Nature Genetics, 55(2), 198–208. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-022-01285-8
Deng, Y., Zhang, Z., Gui, Y., Li, W., Rong, T., Jiang, Y., Zhu, Q., Zhao, J., Zhang, Y., Wang, G., & Jiang, F. (2023). Sleep Disturbances and Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties Among Preschool-Aged Children. JAMA Network Open, 6(12), e2347623. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.47623
Drysdale, S. B., Cathie, K., Flamein, F., Knuf, M., Collins, A. M., Hill, H. C., Kaiser, F., Cohen, R., Pinquier, D., Felter, C. T., Vassilouthis, N. C., Jin, J., Bangert, M., Mari, K., Nteene, R., Wague, S., Roberts, M., Tissières, P., Royal, S., & Faust, S. N. (2023). Nirsevimab for Prevention of Hospitalizations Due to RSV in Infants. New England Journal of Medicine, 389(26), 2425–2435. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2309189
Fosso Wamba, S., Queiroz, M. M., Chiappetta Jabbour, C. J., & Shi, C. (Victor). (2023). Are both generative AI and ChatGPT game changers for 21st-Century operations and supply chain excellence? International Journal of Production Economics, 265, 109015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2023.109015
Fridberg, M., & Redfors, A. (2024). Teachers’ and children’s use of words during early childhood STEM teaching supported by robotics. International Journal of Early Years Education, 32(2), 405–419. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669760.2021.1892599
Goemans, A., Viding, E., & McCrory, E. (2023). Child Maltreatment, Peer Victimization, and Mental Health: Neurocognitive Perspectives on the Cycle of Victimization. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 24(2), 530–548. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380211036393
Goldstein, S., & Brooks, R. B. (Eds.). (2023). Handbook of Resilience in Children. Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-14728-9
Gong, X., Van Den Berg, P., & Arentze, T. (2024). A new measurement method of parental perception of child friendliness in neighborhoods to improve neighborhood quality and children’s health and well-being. Cities, 149, 104955. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2024.104955
Hanlon, P., Politis, M., Wightman, H., Kirkpatrick, S., Jones, C., Khan, M., Bezzina, C., Mackinnon, S., Rennison, H., Wei, L., Vetrano, D. L., Blane, D. N., Dent, E., & Hoogendijk, E. O. (2024). Frailty and socioeconomic position: A systematic review of observational studies. Ageing Research Reviews, 100, 102420. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2024.102420
Kampmann, B., Madhi, S. A., Munjal, I., Simões, E. A. F., Pahud, B. A., Llapur, C., Baker, J., Pérez Marc, G., Radley, D., Shittu, E., Glanternik, J., Snaggs, H., Baber, J., Zachariah, P., Barnabas, S. L., Fausett, M., Adam, T., Perreras, N., Van Houten, M. A., … Gurtman, A. (2023). Bivalent Prefusion F Vaccine in Pregnancy to Prevent RSV Illness in Infants. New England Journal of Medicine, 388(16), 1451–1464. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2216480
Landrigan, P. J., Raps, H., Cropper, M., Bald, C., Brunner, M., Canonizado, E. M., Charles, D., Chiles, T. C., Donohue, M. J., Enck, J., Fenichel, P., Fleming, L. E., Ferrier-Pages, C., Fordham, R., Gozt, A., Griffin, C., Hahn, M. E., Haryanto, B., Hixson, R., … Dunlop, S. (2023). The Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health. Annals of Global Health, 89(1), 23. https://doi.org/10.5334/aogh.4056
Lee, J., Joswick, C., & Pole, K. (2023). Classroom Play and Activities to Support Computational Thinking Development in Early Childhood. Early Childhood Education Journal, 51(3), 457–468. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-022-01319-0
Li, S.-S., Hoekstra, H., Kuijken, K., Asgari, M., Bilicki, M., Giblin, B., Heymans, C., Hildebrandt, H., Joachimi, B., Miller, L., Van Den Busch, J. L., Wright, A. H., Kannawadi, A., Reischke, R., & Shan, H. (2023). KiDS-1000: Cosmology with improved cosmic shear measurements. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 679, A133. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202347236
Mathews, B., Pacella, R., Scott, J. G., Finkelhor, D., Meinck, F., Higgins, D. J., Erskine, H. E., Thomas, H. J., Lawrence, D. M., Haslam, D. M., Malacova, E., & Dunne, M. P. (2023). The prevalence of child maltreatment in Australia: Findings from a national survey. Medical Journal of Australia, 218(S6). https://doi.org/10.5694/mja2.51873
Morales-Muñoz, I., Mallikarjun, P. K., Chandan, J. S., Thayakaran, R., Upthegrove, R., & Marwaha, S. (2023). Impact of anxiety and depression across childhood and adolescence on adverse outcomes in young adulthood: A UK birth cohort study. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 222(5), 212–220. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.2023.23
Nathanielsz, J., Toh, Z. Q., Do, L. A. H., Mulholland, K., & Licciardi, P. V. (2023). SARS-CoV-2 infection in children and implications for vaccination. Pediatric Research, 93(5), 1177–1187. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-022-02254-x
Nogueira-de-Almeida, C. A., Weffort, V. R. S., Ued, F. D. V., Ferraz, I. S., Contini, A. A., Martinez, E. Z., & Ciampo, L. A. D. (2024). What causes obesity in children and adolescents? Jornal de Pediatria, 100, S48–S56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jped.2023.09.011
Priyanto, D., & Hairani, . (2025). A Hijaiyah Letters Sign Language Recognition Approach utilizing Deep Learning. Engineering, Technology & Applied Science Research, 15(3), 22452–22458. https://doi.org/10.48084/etasr.10285
Rodriguez-Ayllon, M., Neumann, A., Hofman, A., Voortman, T., Lubans, D. R., Yang-Huang, J., Jansen, P. W., Raat, H., Vernooij, M. W., & Muetzel, R. L. (2023). Neurobiological, Psychosocial, and Behavioral Mechanisms Mediating Associations Between Physical Activity and Psychiatric Symptoms in Youth in the Netherlands. JAMA Psychiatry, 80(5), 451. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.0294
Shin, S., Shin, D., & Kang, N. (2023). Topology optimization via machine learning and deep learning: A review. Journal of Computational Design and Engineering, 10(4), 1736–1766. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcde/qwad072
Siegel, R. L., Kratzer, T. B., Giaquinto, A. N., Sung, H., & Jemal, A. (2025a). Cancer statistics, 2025. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 75(1), 10–45. https://doi.org/10.3322/caac.21871
Siegel, R. L., Kratzer, T. B., Giaquinto, A. N., Sung, H., & Jemal, A. (2025b). Cancer statistics, 2025. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 75(1), 10–45. https://doi.org/10.3322/caac.21871
Sun, Y., Blewitt, C., Minson, V., Bajayo, R., Cameron, L., & Skouteris, H. (2024). Trauma-informed Interventions in Early Childhood Education and Care Settings: A Scoping Review. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 25(1), 648–662. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380231162967
Verdun, N., & Marks, P. (2024). Secondary Cancers after Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy. New England Journal of Medicine, 390(7), 584–586. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMp2400209
Wadwa, R. P., Reed, Z. W., Buckingham, B. A., DeBoer, M. D., Ekhlaspour, L., Forlenza, G. P., Schoelwer, M., Lum, J., Kollman, C., Beck, R. W., & Breton, M. D. (2023). Trial of Hybrid Closed-Loop Control in Young Children with Type 1 Diabetes. New England Journal of Medicine, 388(11), 991–1001. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2210834
Wang, K., Xin, Z., Chen, Z., Li, H., Wang, D., & Yuan, Y. (2023). Progress of Conjugated Linoleic Acid on Milk Fat Metabolism in Ruminants and Humans. Animals, 13(21), 3429. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13213429
Weber, A. M., & Greiff, S. (2023). ICT Skills in the Deployment of 21st Century Skills: A (Cognitive) Developmental Perspective through Early Childhood. Applied Sciences, 13(7), 4615. https://doi.org/10.3390/app13074615
Yi, H., Liu, T., & Lan, G. (2024). The key artificial intelligence technologies in early childhood education: A review. Artificial Intelligence Review, 57(1), 12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10462-023-10637-7
Yudina, A., & Kuzyakov, Y. (2023). Dual nature of soil structure: The unity of aggregates and pores. Geoderma, 434, 116478. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2023.116478
Zhang, J., Liu, J., Yang, H., Quan, J., Wang, L., He, Q., & Li, F. (2023). Satisfaction Evaluation for Underpass Green Spaces in Mountainous Cities under the Perspective of Environmental Perception. Buildings, 13(6), 1489. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13061489
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Jeni Apriani, Miftah Huljannah, OliviA Eriska, Jhoni Warmansyah
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with?áJournal of Islamic Education Students?áagree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a?áCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License?á(CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See?áThe Effect of Open Access).
