Active Play as a Methodological Strategy to Strengthen Creativity and Autonomy in High School Children: A Systematic Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70577/ASCE/2504.2522/2025Keywords:
Active Play, Creativity, Autonomy, High School Education, Gamification.Abstract
Active play as a strategy in education has gained importance due to its ability to promote competencies such as autonomy and creativity in students. However, its implementation in high school has been limited due to several reasons, including institutional resistance and lack of appropriate resources. The objective was to determine the most frequent types of active play used in upper secondary education, to examine their effect on the creative growth of students and to assess how it helps in strengthening their autonomy. To this end, a systematic review of the literature was carried out through the application of the PRISMA method that includes the stages of identification, selection, eligibility and inclusion of 23 theoretical and empirical articles published between 2020 and 2025. The results showed that the most common forms of active play are guided, free and gamification, with a focus on collaborative participation. It was also noted that these activities promote problem-solving and divergent thinking, as well as the ability to self-regulate learning and make decisions. Despite these advantages, it was determined that the inclusion of active play in educational plans is limited, mainly due to the absence of an appropriate methodological structure. In this regard, the study provides a complete perspective on the effects of active play on the educational environment and underlines the importance of overcoming obstacles to maximize their influence on students' autonomy and creativity.
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