INTEGRATING SOCIO-EMOTIONAL AND MORAL COMPETENCE THROUGH PLAY-BASED PEDAGOGY: AN INTERVENTION STUDY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

Abstract

Early childhood is a crucial period for developing social competence, emotional regulation, and moral reasoning. Despite global support for holistic early childhood education, empirically tested play-based interventions remain limited in Pakistan. Grounded in a constructivist framework emphasizing active, socially mediated learning (Piaget; Vygotsky), this mixed-methods quasi-experimental study evaluated an eight-week, daily implemented play-based integrated module for children aged 3–8 years in Lahore. A pre-test–post-test design was used, with data analyzed through descriptive statistics, paired-samples t-tests, and one-way ANOVA. Inter-rater reliability indicated good consistency (Social ICC = .82; Emotional ICC = .79; Moral ICC = .76). Significant improvements were found in moral, emotional, and social development (p < .001), and gain score analysis confirmed domain-level differences, F(3,116) = 7.224, p < .001. Qualitative findings further revealed enhanced peer cooperation, emotional articulation, and moral reasoning. The results support integrating structured, culturally responsive play-based pedagogy within early childhood curricula in Pakistan.