Breaktime Project

A follow up national survey of breaktimes in primary and secondary schools (ref. EDV/00399/G)

We will be adding further reports on other aspects of the data in due course - these are likely to focus on pupils' social life outside school and travel to and from school.

Playground games: their social context in elementary/junior school (Grant number: 199800204)

These are links to publications from our previous project funded by the Spencer Foundation.

'Time for a break' - Article in the Psychologist - general article on the developmental and educational importance of Breaktime in school

Blatchford, P., Baines, E. & Pellegrini, A. (2003). The social context of school playground games: Sex and ethnic differences, and changes over time after entry to junior school. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 21(4), 481-505.

Abstract: This short-term longitudinal study examined activities at recess and peer relations. We were interested in changes over the school year, and the sex and ethnic mix of groups. Data came from systematic observations of 129 pupils (61 boys and 68 girls) aged 7-8 years. Results showed that peer interaction dominated recess. Ball games increased over the year, and chasing games decreased. Aggression was most common during vigorous play and conversation, but not ball games. Cleavage in boys' and girls' play and activity was common but not inevitable. Mixed-sex play was not supported by particular game types. Boys' game networks were larger than those of girls but there were no sex differences in active networks. There was little ethnic group segregation on playgrounds, and games became more integrated with time. The results indicate that playground activities can have a positive role in social relations between different ethnic groups.

Pellegrini, A., Blatchford, P., Kato, K. & Baines, E. (2004) A Short-term Longitudinal Study of Children's Playground Games in Primary School: Implications for Adjustment to School and Social Adjustment in the USA and the UK. Social Development, 13(1), 107-123.

Abstract: In this study we described development of boys' and girls' games on the school playground at recess as they progressed across the first year of primary school in London (UK) and Minneapolis (USA) in order to document age-related trends in games during this period and to examine the predictive role of games in children's adjustment to school and more general social adjustment. Consistent with expectations, games accounted for a significant portion of children's, but especially boys', behavior during recess. American children played games more frequently, especially simple games, relative to English children. Consistent with expectation, the complexity of games increased, especially for boys, across the school year for children in both countries. We also examined the extent to which facility with games forecasted adjustment to school and social adjustment. Games predicted both, but only in the USA sample. Results are discussed in terms of games being an important developmental task for children of this age. Implications for future research and educational policy are discussed.

Pellegrini, A., Kato, K., Blatchford, P. & Baines, E. (2002) A Short-term Longitudinal Study of Children's Playground Games Across the First Year of School: Implications for Social Competence and Adjustment to School. American Educational Research Journal, 39(4), 991-1016.