Learning with nature and learning from others: nature as setting and resource for early childhood education

MacQuarrie, Sarah; Nugent, Clare; Warden, Claire

doi:10.1080/14729679.2013.841095

Cited by 72 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…OE offers a “complex learning environment where nature-based learning is being embraced by educators and can be seen in the experiences offered to children” (p. 11, Macquairre et al, 2015). How teachers perceive the natural environment and the benefits of OE are key factors for the implementation of daily outdoor activities with positive effects on child development.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Outdoor Education in Italian Kindergartens: How Teachers Perceive Child Developmental Trajectories

2018

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Outdoor Education (OE) refers to organized experiential education that takes place in the outdoor, characterized by action-centered and thematic learning processes. Literature shows how OE may have beneficial effects on different areas of child development, including cognitive abilities, social skills, and motor development. This relationship is not necessarily linear, but moderated by different variables. Until now, few studies have examined, using rigorous methods, the role of OE in children's development and studies of preschool aged children remain lacking. The current study aimed to explore teachers' perceptions of children's developmental trajectories over 2 school years, investigating whether teachers' perceptions differed between two kindergartens, one characterized by a consolidated OE approach and the other one characterized by a more traditional method of education. The sample was composed of 20 teachers, evaluating 93 children aged 3–5 (M = 46.95 months, SD = 6.73; 42 males): 13 teachers were from a traditional kindergarten (Traditional Group- TG) and evaluated 52 children; 7 teachers were from an OE kindergarten (Outdoor Group—OE) and observed 41 children. All the teachers completed the Kuno Beller Developmental Tables (Mantovani, 1995), in order to describe specific child developmental areas in 4 consecutive moments during 2 school years (T1-T2: January-May 2014; T3-T4: October 2014-May 2015). The 20 teachers also completed the “Outdoor Activities/Trips Diary,” an instrument created for this study to collect qualitative data on the characteristics of outdoor activities. Results showed that, in all the developmental areas, OE teachers perceived higher scores over time were found for the Outdoor Group compared to the Traditional one. Specifically, GLM ANOVAs Repeated Measures revealed a significant interaction of the 2 variables Time and Groups (p < 0.001): contrast analyses showed that OE children, compared to the TG children, were perceived by their teachers with higher levels in all developmental areas at T1 and T2, but not at T3 and T4. The findings suggest that the OE activites, compared to indoor ones and according to teachers' perceptions, offer greater opportunities to promote the child's development at different levels, especially when children are younger. Future studies are recommended analyzing possible moderating variables and long term effects of OE.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Outdoor Education in Italian Kindergartens: How Teachers Perceive Child Developmental Trajectories

2018

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“…A key initiative of the school district in the study was to engage students in more outdoor learning experiences based on the growing evidence that natural outdoor spaces benefit children's development and learning (Zamani, ), including their physical development (Fjørtoft, ), cognitive development (Refshauge et al, ) and social and emotional tendencies (Merewether, ). The school district's perspective was also informed by a number of studies that have investigated the role of diverse learning spaces on children's learning and development that move beyond the traditional classroom (Coe, ; MacQuarrie et al, ).…”

Section: Research Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

A forest‐based environment as a site of literacy and meaning making for kindergarten children

Streelasky

2018

Literacy

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This study analyses the valued school experiences of 15 fiveand six-year-old Canadian children, through their creation of multimodal texts. Throughout the school year, the students spent a large portion of each school day in the expansive forest on the school grounds, and their texts revealed their significant interest in this natural outdoor environment. Specifically, the data revealed that the outdoor space provided a context where the children could engage with each other and the environment in meaningful, creative and collaborative ways. This research has the potential to contribute to our understanding of the capacity of young children to share their thoughts on their school experiences by drawing on a range of modes and to contribute to our understanding of the power of alternative learning spaces, such as forest environments, on children's literacy learning and development.

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“…These benefits range from health, including physical, mental and social well-being (Chawla, Keena, Pevec, & Stanley, 2014;Faber Taylor & Kuo, 2006;Fjortoft, 2004), to a wide range of learning opportunities (MacQuarrie, Nugent, & Warden, 2015;Wells, 2000) and the chance to develop a caring connection with nature (Chawla, 1998;Ewert, Place, & Sibthorp, 2005). In parallel with this, there is increasing global concern that children nowadays are getting fewer opportunities to engage with nature, because of reduced access to nature spaces, because of competing screen time and because children's play to a greater extent today seems to be supervised by adults with the consequence that free play is often replaced by organized sports and leisure activities (Clements, 2004;Francis & Lorenzo, 2006;Karsten, 2005;Prince, Allin, Sandseter, & Ärlemalm-Hagsér, 2013;Skår & Krogh, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Why do children not play in nearby nature? Results from a Norwegian survey

Skår

Wold

Gundersen

et al. 2016

Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning

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Based on a nationwide Norwegian survey among 3160 parents of children aged 6-12 years, this article identifies and discusses barriers for children's engagement with nearby nature. A set of social factors related to time pressure are evaluated as more significant barriers than environmental factors such as accessibility, safety and landscape quality. Children's free play in nearby nature does not seem to be an alternative to a target-orientated and time-scheduled everyday life. Instead, parents give themselves, other adults and public institutions more responsibility to stimulate increased nature contact. Despite strong traditions in outdoor life and good accessibility to nearby nature, social and cultural trends seem to influence children's engagement with nature in the same way in 'Green Norway' as it does in many other European countries. Implications of the findings are discussed in terms of policy and promotion according to nature management and adults' roles.

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Learning with nature and learning from others: nature as setting and resource for early childhood education

Cited by 72 publications

References 29 publications

Outdoor Education in Italian Kindergartens: How Teachers Perceive Child Developmental Trajectories

Outdoor Education in Italian Kindergartens: How Teachers Perceive Child Developmental Trajectories

A forest‐based environment as a site of literacy and meaning making for kindergarten children

Why do children not play in nearby nature? Results from a Norwegian survey

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