Method
The study was conducted after ethics approval from the University of Sydney and the regional education office to which the school reported. Written informed consent was collected from participating teachers and parents of children who took part.
Participants
Participants were 20 children ages 5 to 7 years who attended a mainstream suburban primary school in western Sydney, Australia. The school was affiliated with the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney. Data on socioeconomic status of the children were not gathered, but the postal code of the school places it in a middle-class area (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2001). Children were recommended for participation by teachers, who were asked to identify children with a range of strengths and needs. Six of the children were boys.
In addition, 9 female teachers who were on the play-ground roster at the same school were interviewed regarding their perceptions of the effects of loose-part materials on children’s play. Potential participants were identified and approached by the school principal. The principal was asked to approach teachers whom she believed would be broadly representative of the opinions held by the 30 staff members at the school. Teachers varied in age and years of experience, ranging from 2 young teachers in their late 20s who had