Study of the Use of Puppetry as an Educational Tool in Early Childhood Development Centres in Niger State

Puppetry engages young children's imagination and facilitates learning through indirect dramatic representation, and its deployment in early childhood development centres in North Central Nigeria can enhance developmental outcomes in pre-school aged children. This study examined the use of puppetry as an educational tool in government Early Childhood Development Centres in Minna, Bida, and Suleja Local Government Areas, Niger State. A descriptive mixed-methods design was employed, with structured observations of 12 ECDC sessions where puppetry was used, questionnaires administered to 25 ECD teachers, and interviews with 6 curriculum supervisors. Results showed that children in centres using puppetry showed higher engagement scores on observational assessments and were more likely to recall lesson content at follow-up tests administered one week later. However, puppetry was used in only 28 percent of observed centres, primarily by teachers who had received special training. Most ECD teachers (72 percent) reported inadequate skills and resources to incorporate puppetry into daily programming. Purchased puppets were available in only 5 of 12 surveyed centres. Teacher-constructed puppets from local materials were used in 3 centres with highly positive learning outcomes. The study concludes that puppetry is an effective but under-utilised ECD teaching method in Niger State. Recommendations include incorporating puppetry into Niger State ECD teacher training curricula, providing low-cost puppet construction materials, and developing a Niger State puppetry resource guide for ECD practitioners.

Keywords: puppetry, early childhood development, educational tool, Niger State, ECD pedagogy