FOSTERING RESILIENCE THROUGH PLAY-BASED PEDAGOGIES IN EARLY AND PRIMARY EDUCATION IN KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA: A NARRATIVE SYNTHESIS

Abstract

This study investigates how play-based pedagogies can be leveraged to foster resilience in early and primary education within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, where children face persistent socio-economic hardship, political instability and recurrent natural disasters. A systematic search of ERIC, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Pakistani journals, university repositories and grey literature (2000–2023) yielded 56 eligible sources addressing play-based interventions targeting resilience or its determinants in KP or comparable conflict-affected, low-resource settings. Thematic analysis integrated findings across theoretical and empirical work, revealing that play strengthens problem-solving, self-efficacy, emotional regulation and social connectedness through mechanisms best explained by Ginsburg’s Seven Cs, the Three-Dimensional Model of resilience and Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory. Programmes such as “Right To Play”,  “Red Ball Child Play” and “Child-Friendly Spaces” in Muzaffarabad report significant gains in emotional well-being and social competence, yet widespread implementation is constrained by limited policy integration, inadequate teacher training and scarce resources. Play-based pedagogies offer a culturally relevant, cost-effective and child-centred strategy for cultivating resilience; achieving impact at scale requires explicit curricular inclusion, sustained investment in teacher professional development and active community engagement.

Keywords: Resilience, Play-Based Learning, Early Childhood Education, Narrative Synthesis