A Study on the Development of Young Children's Problem-Solving Abilities in Outdoor Construction Play and Teacher Support Strategies

Guided by Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development theory and employing qualitative case analysis, this study delves into young children's problem-solving behaviors during outdoor constructive play and the underlying cognitive-emotional interaction mechanisms. Findings reveal that children exhibit a “trial-adjustment-continuation” problem-solving pattern, with strategy selection jointly influenced by cognitive level and emotional regulation capacity. Teachers effectively facilitated systematic transfer of experiences and the formation of associative thinking through a three-dimensional support strategy: “cognitive groundwork—delayed analysis—emotional reinforcement.” Based on practical reflection, this study proposes three pedagogical principles: “timely nurturing, mutual learning empowerment, and trusting autonomy.” These principles aim to construct an educational pathway integrating teacher resilience support with children's autonomous exploration, providing theoretical and practical references for cultivating young children's problem-solving abilities.