Play evaluation in Italian psycho-educational research
Daniela Bulgarelli, Nicole Bianquin
In literature, the definitions and classifications of play are varied, and many tools and procedures for its evaluation are adopted. This review investigated 6 bibliographic databases and reported on the tools and the evaluation procedures about play which have been used in Italian psycho-pedagogical research since 1980.
Seventy studies were retrieved; 43 of them were considered relevant. Play evaluation was basically carried out with typically developing children aged 0-6 years, through tools translated from international research, and using observation as the main instrument for data collection. The retrieved studies did not focus on play participation, a research topic that is currently being investigated at an international level.
Keywords
Play classification, evaluation tools, assessment, observation, Italy
