Academic literature on the topic 'Australian outdoor education activity'

AbstractThe purpose of this paper is to provide some preliminary data on the vocational interests of a sample of Australian high school pupils. Subjects (N=935) from five high schools were administered the Career Interest Test, which provides idiographic, forced-choice assessments of Outdoor, Practical, Scientific, Creative, Business, Office, and People Contact vocational interests across the three dimensions of vocations, academic preferences, and leisure activity choices. Interests are not related to age but there are significant sex differences as well as interaction effects, with males higher on Outdoor and Practical and females higher on Creative and People Contact categories. Data are provided on male and females preferences for each of the 63 paired choices (i.e., 126 items). The intercorrelation of the interests was assessed in terms of Holland's vocational typology. The validity of vocational/academic/activity measures of interests was reflected in comparisons with expressed occupational choices. It was argued that interests may be considered in terms of work-task preferences and that male-female differences in interests are consistent with Gotffredson's role of stereotypes in interest development. The implications for the assessment of vocational inlerests are discussed in terms of item content, format, scoring, and interpretation.

In recent years, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) has received wide attention. STEAM complements early childhood learning needs in honing 2nd century skills. This study aims to introduce a loose section in early childhood learning to pre-service teachers and then to explore their perceptions of how to use loose parts in supporting STEAM. The study design uses qualitative phenomenological methods. FGDs (Focus Group Discussions) are used as data collection instruments. The findings point to two main themes that emerged from the discussion: a loose section that supports freedom of creation and problem solving. Freedom clearly supports science, mathematics and arts education while problem solving significantly supports engineering and technology education. Keywords: Early Childhood Educators, Loose-part, STEAM References: Allen, A. (2016). Don’t Fear STEM: You Already Teach It! Exchange, (231), 56–59. Ansberry, B. K., & Morgan, E. (2019). Seven Myths of STEM. 56(6), 64–67. Bagiati, A., & Evangelou, D. (2015). Engineering curriculum in the preschool classroom: the teacher’s experience. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 23(1), 112–128. https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2014.991099 Becker, K., & Park, K. (2011). Effects of integrative approaches among science , technology , engineering , and mathematics ( STEM ) subjects on students ’ learning : A preliminary meta-analysis. 12(5), 23–38. Berk, L. E. (2009). Child Development (8th ed.). Boston: Pearson Education. Can, B., Yildiz-Demirtas, V., & Altun, E. (2017). The Effect of Project-based Science Education Programme on Scientific Process Skills and Conception of Kindergargen Students. 16(3), 395–413. Casey, T., Robertson, J., Abel, J., Cairns, M., Caldwell, L., Campbell, K., … Robertson, T. (2016). Loose Parts Play. Edinburgh. Cheung, R. H. P. (2017). Teacher-directed versus child-centred : the challenge of promoting creativity in Chinese preschool classrooms. Pedagogy, Culture & Society, 1366(January), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681366.2016.1217253 Clements, D. H., & Sarama, J. (2016). Math, Science, and Technology in the Early Grades. The Future of Children, 26(2), 75–94. Cloward Drown, K. (2014). Dramatic lay affordances of natural and manufactured outdoor settings for preschoolaged children. Dejarnette, N. K. (2018). Early Childhood Steam: Reflections From a Year of Steam Initiatives Implemented in a High-Needs Primary School. Education, 139(2), 96–112. DiGironimo, N. (2011). What is technology? Investigating student conceptions about the nature of technology. International Journal of Science Education, 33(10), 1337–1352. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2010.495400 Dugger, W. E., & Naik, N. (2001). Clarifying Misconceptions between Technology Education and Educational Technology. The Technology Teacher, 61(1), 31–35. Eeuwijk, P. Van, & Zuzana, A. (2017). How to Conduct a Focus Group Discussion ( FGD ) Methodological Manual. Flannigan, C., & Dietze, B. (2018). Children, Outdoor Play, and Loose Parts. Journal of Childhood Studies, 42(4), 53–60. https://doi.org/10.18357/jcs.v42i4.18103 Fleer, M. (1998). The Preparation of Australian Teachers in Technology Education : Developing The Preparation of Australian Teachers in Technology Education : Developing Professionals Not Technicians. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education & Development, 1(2), 25–31. Freitas, H., Oliveira, M., Jenkins, M., & Popjoy, O. (1998). The focus group, a qualitative research method: Reviewing the theory, and providing guidelines to its planning. In ISRC, Merrick School of Business, University of Baltimore (MD, EUA)(Vol. 1). Gomes, J., & Fleer, M. (2019). The Development of a Scientific Motive : How Preschool Science and Home Play Reciprocally Contribute to Science Learning. Research in Science Education, 49(2), 613–634. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-017-9631-5 Goris, T., & Dyrenfurth, M. (n.d.). Students ’ Misconceptions in Science , Technology , and Engineering . Gull, C., Bogunovich, J., Goldstein, S. L., & Rosengarten, T. (2019). Definitions of Loose Parts in Early Childhood Outdoor Classrooms: A Scoping Review. The International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education, 6(3), 37. Hui, A. N. N., He, M. W. J., & Ye, S. S. (2015). Arts education and creativity enhancement in young children in Hong Kong. Educational Psychology, 35(3), 315–327. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2013.875518 Jarvis, T., & Rennie, L. J. (1996). Perceptions about Technology Held by Primary Teachers in England. Research in Science & Technological Education, 14(1), 43–54. https://doi.org/10.1080/0263514960140104 Jeffers, O. (2004). How to Catch a Star. New York: Philomel Books. Kiewra, C., & Veselack, E. (2016). Playing with nature: Supporting preschoolers’ creativity in natural outdoor classrooms. International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education, 4(1), 70–95. Kuh, L., Ponte, I., & Chau, C. (2013). The impact of a natural playscape installation on young children’s play behaviors. Children, Youth and Environments, 23(2), 49–77. Lachapelle, C. P., Cunningham, C. M., & Oh, Y. (2019). What is technology? Development and evaluation of a simple instrument for measuring children’s conceptions of technology. International Journal of Science Education, 41(2), 188–209. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2018.1545101 Liamputtong. (2010). Focus Group Methodology : Introduction and History. In Focus Group MethodoloGy (pp. 1–14). Liao, C. (2016). From Interdisciplinary to Transdisciplinary: An Arts-Integrated Approach to STEAM Education. 69(6), 44–49. https://doi.org/10.1080/00043125.2016.1224873 Lindeman, K. W., & Anderson, E. M. (2015). Using Blocks to Develop 21st Century Skills. Young Children, 70(1), 36–43. Maxwell, L., Mitchell, M., and Evans, G. (2008). Effects of play equipment and loose parts on preschool children’s outdoor play behavior: An observational study and design intervention. Children, Youth and Environments, 18(2), 36–63. McClure, E., Guernsey, L., Clements, D., Bales, S., Nichols, J., Kendall-Taylor, N., & Levine, M. (2017). How to Integrate STEM Into Early Childhood Education. Science and Children, 055(02), 8–11. https://doi.org/10.2505/4/sc17_055_02_8 McClure, M., Tarr, P., Thompson, C. M., & Eckhoff, A. (2017). Defining quality in visual art education for young children: Building on the position statement of the early childhood art educators. Arts Education Policy Review, 118(3), 154–163. https://doi.org/10.1080/10632913.2016.1245167 Mishra, L. (2016). Focus Group Discussion in Qualitative Research. TechnoLearn: An International Journal of Educational Technology, 6(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.5958/2249-5223.2016.00001.2 Monhardt, L., & Monhardt, R. (2006). Creating a context for the learning of science process skills through picture books. Early Childhood Education Journal, 34(1), 67–71. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-006-0108-9 Monsalvatge, L., Long, K., & DiBello, L. (2013). Turning our world of learning inside out! Dimensions of Early Childhood, 41(3), 23–30. Moomaw, S. (2012). STEM begins in the early years. School Science & Mathematics, 112(2), 57–58. Moomaw, S. (2016). Move Back the Clock, Educators: STEM Begins at Birth. School Science & Mathematics, 116(5), 237–238. Moomaw, S., & Davis, J. A. (2010). STEM Comes to Preschool. Young Cihildren, 12–18(September), 12–18. Munawar, M., Roshayanti, F., & Sugiyanti. (2019). Implementation of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics)-Based Early Childhood Education Learning in Semarang City. Jurnal CERIA, 2(5), 276–285. National Research Council. (1996). National Science Education Standards. Washington, DC: National Academy of Sciences. Nicholson, S. (1972). The Theory of Loose Parts: An important principle for design methodology. Studies in Design Education Craft & Technology, 4(2), 5–12. O.Nyumba, T., Wilson, K., Derrick, C. J., & Mukherjee, N. (2018). The use of focus group discussion methodology: Insights from two decades of application in conservation. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 9(1), 20–32. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.12860 Padilla-Diaz, M. (2015). Phenomenology in Educational Qualitative Research : Philosophy as Science or Philosophical Science ? International Journal of Educational Excellence, 1(2), 101–110. Padilla, M. J. (1990). The Science Process Skills. Research Matters - to the Science Teacher, 1(March), 1–3. Park, D. Y., Park, M. H., & Bates, A. B. (2018). Exploring Young Children’s Understanding About the Concept of Volume Through Engineering Design in a STEM Activity: A Case Study. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 16(2), 275–294. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-016-9776-0 Rahardjo, M. M. (2019). Implementasi Pendekatan Saintifik Sebagai Pembentuk Keterampilan Proses Sains Anak Usia Dini. Scholaria: Jurnal Pendidikan Dan Kebudayaan, 9(2), 148–159. https://doi.org/10.24246/j.js.2019.v9.i2.p148-159 Robison, T. (2016). Male Elementary General Music Teachers : A Phenomenological Study. Journal of Music Teacher Education, 26(2), 77–89. https://doi.org/10.1177/1057083715622019 Rocha Fernandes, G. W., Rodrigues, A. M., & Ferreira, C. A. (2018). Conceptions of the Nature of Science and Technology: a Study with Children and Youths in a Non-Formal Science and Technology Education Setting. Research in Science Education, 48(5), 1071–1106. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-016-9599-6 Sawyer, R. K. (2006). Educating for innovation. 1(2006), 41–48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2005.08.001 Sharapan, H. (2012). ERIC - From STEM to STEAM: How Early Childhood Educators Can Apply Fred Rogers’ Approach, Young Children, 2012-Jan. Young Children, 67(1), 36–40. Siantayani, Y. (2018). STEAM: Science-Technology-Engineering-Art-Mathematics. Semarang: SINAU Teachers Development Center. Sikder, S., & Fleer, M. (2015). Small Science : Infants and Toddlers Experiencing Science in Everyday Family Life. Research in Science Education, 45(3), 445–464. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-014-9431-0 Smith-gilman, S. (2018). The Arts, Loose Parts and Conversations. Journal of the Canadian Association for Curriculum Studies, 16(1), 90–103. Sohn, B. K., Thomas, S. P., Greenberg, K. H., & Pollio, H. R. (2017). Hearing the Voices of Students and Teachers : A Phenomenological Approach to Educational Research. Qualitative Research in Education, 6(2), 121–148. https://doi.org/10.17583/qre.2017.2374 Strong-wilson, T., & Ellis, J. (2002). Children and Place : Reggio Emilia’s Environment as Third Teacher. Theory into Practice, 46(1), 40–47. Sutton, M. J. (2011). In the hand and mind: The intersection of loose parts and imagination in evocative settings for young children. Children, Youth and Environments, 21(2), 408–424. Tippett, C. D., & Milford, T. M. (2017). Findings from a Pre-kindergarten Classroom: Making the Case for STEM in Early Childhood Education. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 15, 67–86. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-017-9812-8 Tippett, C., & Milford, T. (2017). STEM Resources and Materials for Engaging Learning Experiences. International Journal of Science & Mathematics Education, 15(March), 67–86. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-017-9812-8 Veselack, E., Miller, D., & Cain-Chang, L. (2015). Raindrops on noses and toes in the dirt: infants and toddlers in the outdoor classroom. Dimensions Educational Research Foundation. Yuksel-Arslan, P., Yildirim, S., & Robin, B. R. (2016). A phenomenological study : teachers ’ experiences of using digital storytelling in early childhood education. Educational Studies, 42(5), 427–445. https://doi.org/10.1080/03055698.2016.1195717

The time pupils spend at school provides a very small benefit to pupils’ movement activity. At a time when many school-age children lack physical activity, it is necessary to think about how to integrate more movement into the period that the child spends at school. The paper is based on the assumption that outdoor education can contribute to the development of movement activity of pupils, and the paper aims to determine to what extent. For model pupils, the calorie count and metabolic discharge, including sedentary analysis, were recorded through an ActiGraph accelerometer during 4-hour lessons of different types of education days. The result is that outdoor education can serve as an appropriate complement to learning that contributes to the development of pupils’ knowledge and skills while working in a real environment but also acts as a mean of increasing the possibilities for movement for pupils during their schooling.

Preschool education develops from focus on physical cultivation in traditional agricultural society to professional education in professional institutions such as kindergartens. In recent years, it emphasizes multiple development and interactive instruction. By field perception, it constructs multi-dimensional and multi-level instruction. Outdoor education is gradually valued and operated. Through personal experience and interactive learning, it explores the meanings of natural environment and culture, learns responsibility and cognition, enhances application and thinking capacity, cultivates the correct concept of environmental protection, social justice and life recognition in order to accomplish the goals of environmental education and diverse development and be different from rigid and limited knowledge and learning of traditional books in schools.This study focused on selection of activity types in kindergarten outdoor education. Based on literature review, this study designed semi-open-ended questionnaire to collect expert opinions, and used expert questionnaire of Modified Delphi Method for individual interview. According to expert opinions, the important factors were identified. Finally, AHP questionnaire was designed.This study discussed the concerns and preferences of kindergartens in Miaoli County regarding outdoor education in research process. The results revealed the expectation of residents in Miaoli County, educational experts and scholars and governmental personnel toward talent cultivation.Â

Physical activity is essential for children’s healthy development, yet COVID-19 physical distancing restrictions such as school closures and staying at home, playground closures, and the cancelling of organised community sport have dramatically altered children’s opportunities to be physically active. This study describes changes in levels of physical activity and screen time from February 2020 (i.e., before COVID-19 restrictions were introduced in Western Australia) to May 2020 (i.e., when COVID-19 restrictions were in place). Parents of children aged 5 to 9 years from Western Australia were eligible to participate and recruited through convenience sampling. An online survey instrument that included validated measures of their children’s physical activity (unstructured, organized, home-based, indoor/outdoor active play, dog play/walking), sociodemographic, and other potential confounders was administered to parents. Paired t-tests and mixed ANOVA models assessed changes in physical activity outcomes. The analytic sample comprised parents of 157 children who were 6.9 years of age (SD = 1.7) on average. Overall, weekly minutes of total physical activity (PA) did not change from before to during COVID-19. However, frequency and duration (total and home-based) of unstructured physical activity significantly increased. Outdoor play in the yard or street around the house, outdoor play in the park or playground or outdoor recreation area, and active indoor play at home all significantly increased. Frequency and total duration of organised physical activity significantly declined during COVID-19 distancing. During Western Australian COVID-19 restrictions, there was an increase in young children’s unstructured physical activity and outdoor play and a decrease in organised physical activity. It remains to be seen whether children’s increased physical activity has been sustained with the easing of physical distancing restrictions.

While the health benefits of physical activity are commonly recognised, increasing evidence indicates that significant percentages of children, particularly girls, are not sufficiently physically active. Children spend a large proportion of their waking day at school; however their opportunities to be physically active during the school day, beyond the traditional PE lesson and break times, are limited. Increasing children’s levels of physical activity during their time at school may be a key approach to increasing children’s overall levels of physical activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outdoor education programme ‘Forest School’ as a source of school based physical activity. A review of existing research showed that there had been no rigorous evaluation of physical activity during Forest School sessions. A two phase mixed method design was used. The first phase used a repeated measures controlled design to objectively measure the amount, intensity, duration and frequency of the participants’ (n26 age 9-10) physical activity during Forest School. The second phase used semi-structured paired interviews (n24 age 10-11) to understand the subjective experience of the Forest School physical activity. The study was conducted in the central belt of Scotland. The results showed that during Forest School sessions the participants engaged in a significantly greater total amount of physical activity, at a higher intensity, and with a greater frequency of longer bouts, in comparison to the typical school days. The children were also shown to reach the recommended hour of MVPA during the Forest School sessions. The children reported enjoying and appreciating the opportunity to be physically active in an environment they had little previous experience of using. Existing barriers to physical activity in other contexts, in particular bad weather and low motivation, did not appear to be relevant at Forest School. The inequality in levels of physical activity and motivation to be physically active, between males and females, was shown to typically be lower on the Forest School days. The findings suggest participation in Forest School resulted in greater quantities of inclusive and enjoyable physical activity at higher intensities than otherwise experienced at school.

The purpose of this study was to explore, through the use of a case study, the impact of an eight-week residential learning program upon self-concept, learning and understanding of community amongst adolescent participants. The study utilized multiple methods of data collection including interviews, focus groups, observation, the Learning Process Questionnaire and the Self-Description Questionnaire II in order to address the research question.
Master of Education (Research)

This project offers a nature program that can be implemented into youth camp programs. Outdoor Residential Camp programs offered by youth organizations provide an outdoor camp experience for many children in the communty. Many offer participants resident summer camp programs which is a perfect venue for the outdoor experience. Children exposed to outdoor experiences develop a greater sense of responsibility to the natural environment around them. The schools are not doing enough to educate youth about the natural environment. This project was written specifically for the Azalea Trails Girl Scout Camp located in the San Jacinto Mountains of Southern California however, it could be adapted to be used at any residental camp setting.

Kinesiology
Ph.D.
The prevalence of obesity among young children has markedly increased over the past two decades, with more than one-third of American preschoolers now overweight or obese and at risk for lifelong health problems. Physical activity is a recommended obesity prevention strategy, yet preschoolers typically fail to meet recommended daily physical activity guidelines, spending just 15 minutes engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity, compared to six sedentary hours daily. Unstructured play in settings with varied features, such as childcare center playgrounds, potentially plays a significant role in increasing the amount of time preschoolers spend in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). The purposes of this study were first, to compare the intensity and type of preschoolers' physical activity across four distinctly different outdoor play settings; second, to identify particular features in each play setting associated with MVPA and sedentary behavior; and, third, to identify, test, and evaluate environmental modifications to increase preschoolers' MVPA in outdoor play settings. Seventeen 3-5 year-old children participated in repeated unstructured play sessions featuring 16 min of play in each of 4 novel settings: a traditional climber, a wooded natural area, a garden, and an adventure, or "loose parts" playground. Interventions to increase physical activity were introduced to the adventure playground during the first two phases, and to all four settings during the third phase. Physical activity intensity was measured using ActiGraph GT3x+ activity monitors and contextual information concerning motor skills was obtained by trained observers using the System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC), adapted to the age and environment of the study. Results show that both play setting design theme and the composition of specific play features within the setting impact the type of motor skills children perform and the amount of MVPA young children accumulate during unstructured play. Findings additionally demonstrate that simple, low-cost modifications to play settings can increase MVPA for targeted subgroups and individual children; outcomes were setting-specific. Study results may be useful to public health and medical workers, parents, educators, playground designers, community planners, and policy makers who focus on increasing preschool children's daily MVPA and decreasing childhood obesity.
Temple University--Theses

Bibliography: leaves 84-86. Shows how environmental education could be incorporated within the current South Australian secondary school structures and critically evaluates current programs. Investigates a different frame work (International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program), as a means for overcoming some of the limitations for environmental education presented by the current DETE framework; and, student perceptions of what makes a successful environmental education program.

This is a study where the purpose was to investigate whether preschool teachers have a positive or negative attitude to outdoor education. Their view of outdoors education is also treated. The methods used were questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The survey was sent to all preschool teachers in three municipalities and on a social network. The interviews were conducted at a preschool, which had a form of outdoor profile. The survey shows that preschool teachers mostly have a positive attitude towards outdoor education but that there are also negative connections to it. They use both the material found in nature and takes the finished materials outside. My conclusion is that many see outdoor education as something positive, but it is still not many who consider themselves to use it in the preschool.
Detta är en undersökning där syftet varit att undersöka huruvida pedagoger har en positiv eller negativ syn på utomhuspedagogik. Deras syn på utomhuspedagogik behandlas även. Metoderna som använts är enkät och semistrukturerade intervjuer. Enkäten skickades ut till samtliga pedagoger i tre kommuner samt på ett socialt nätverk. Intervjuerna genomfördes på en förskola som hade en form av utomhusprofil. Undersökningen visar att pedagoger mestadels har en positiv inställning till utomhuspedagogik men att det även finns negativ koppling till det. De använder både material som finns i naturen och tar med sig färdigt material inifrån. Min slutsats som jag kan dra av denna undersökning är att många ser utomhuspedagogik som någonting positivt, men att det ändå inte är många som anser sig använda det i verksamheten.

The United Kingdom has a long history of using outdoor activities as a vehicle for recreation, rehabilitation and education for people with disabilities. However, there has been little empirical research into the value placed on the experiences by those who organise the activities or by the participants. The Calvert Trust was one of the first organisations to specialise in outdoor activities for this population and through their three Centres is currently the largest provider of outdoor education for people with disabilities within the UK. Through four separate but linked research phases covering data collected between 2002 and 2013, the present study investigates the value of Calvert Trust programmes for both organisers and participants. The first phase involved the analysis of an existing data-set of post-course evaluation questionnaires (n=502) completed by visiting leaders of groups of participants (n=2,843) with a variety of disabilities who had attended one of the three Calvert Trust Centres. The activities and factors contributing to the perceived benefits of participation were identified, and visiting leader evaluations were compared with the internal reports on the same courses and participant groups completed by Centre instructors (n=702). There were differences in aims for the visits dependent on the sector of the respondent (education, recreation or rehabilitation) but an increase in confidence and independence were those most frequently reported outcomes across sectors. There was general agreement between visiting leaders and instructors as to the role of challenge, achievement and teamwork in delivering these benefits. The limitations of having respondents from only one Centre were addressed in the second phase of the research. This investigated post-course evaluation questionnaires from all three Centres returned both by visiting leaders (n=397) and participants (n=2,507). Comparisons were made across the Centres and differences were found to exist in the aims and domestic aspects of the provision reported on by the visiting leaders but not in aspects of the activity delivery. The participants, however, showed small but significant differences across the Centres in their reporting of development of communication skills, social skills, self-esteem and independence. A third research phase employed iterative email interviews with representatives from visiting organisations (n=17) and the Calvert Trust (n=17) to relate participant experiences to the aims of both the purchasers and providers. Both sets of informants saw participant recognition of personal ability as a key aim of the visit. Other frequently reported aims were to provide new social opportunities, develop interpersonal skills and increase confidence, but these had different relative weightings across informants. In the fourth phase of the research the direct voices of the participants on the value of their outdoor experiences was accessed through interviews with participants (n=23) and with a ‘significant other’ (n=18). Differences in the reporting of personal experiences were noted between those with physical and intellectual disabilities. A number of those with physical disabilities, and/or their ‘significant others’, considered that the outdoor education experience had made an important difference to the participant’s life that might have a long-lasting impact. Those with intellectual disabilities reported a positive experience that may have given them the confidence to take part in similar events, undertake more exercise or widen their social circle. A post-visit increase in independence was reported by a number of the ‘significant others’ for this latter group. The findings overall suggest that participation in the outdoor education courses at the Calvert Trust was generally a very positive experience, with outcomes valued by purchasers, by participants and by those with close knowledge of them. The principal reported benefits relate to themes of confidence, independence and realisation of personal ability. These are discussed in relation to the specific outdoor education programmes experienced and the impact that these may have on the everyday lives of participants with disabilities.

This study is designed to know contribution of local community based outdoor activities for education for sustainability. 7 teachers from Sweden and 7 teachers from Korea got involved in this study and they chose and conducted one activity from the 17 activities that I offered. After they had done the activity with their upper 13 years old students, they completed questionnaire about the conditions of class, the reason of their choice, advantages/disadvantages of the activities and the actual obstacle they had in schools to have outdoor class through open-ended questions. They also were asked to answer level of integrating subjects in social studies by Likert scale, offered opinions about relevancy to sustainability with principles and analyzed the activity with 4 ways of knowing. These three questions are asked to know the contribution of the activities for education for sustainability. This research offers comparison of teachers‘ opinion and educational condition from two countires when having the activities and how the activities are conducive to education for sustainability. In addition, it provides 17 activities which can be useful to social studies teachers who are interested in local community based outdoor activity.

AbstractDiscussion on toddlers’ outdoor play practices in various cultural spaces is rare in literature. In Australia, toddlers’ physical development and well-being is promoted but less attention is given to cultural nuances of outdoor play. We ask the question: How does outdoor play impact on toddlers’ imagination and cultural formation? Conducted in three Australian long day care (LDC) sites, an ethically approved project “Studying babies and toddlers: Cultural worlds and transitory relationships” examines the process of three Australian toddlers’ outdoor enculturation. The concepts of imagination and play from Vygotsky’s cultural-historical theory are drawn upon in relation to Hedegaard’s institutional practices model, to link contextual relations between society, community and family. Cultural formation processes in toddlers’ outdoor play, we argue, are more completely understood when daily life across home and local community is acknowledged. Data findings illustrate complexity of movement and experimentations in cultural conditions, where different spaces hold possibilities for imaginative transformations in toddler’s play. Implications suggest toddlers’ imaginative and culturally responsive outdoor play aligns with availability of interested adult/peers, shared family and community values, and varied local spaces. In this way, affective and dynamic outdoor interactions imbue cultural formation of toddler’s play and imagination with local personal meaning.

AbstractCompared with Norwegian kindergartens that emphasize how outdoor activity benefits young children’s integrated development, Chinese kindergartens reluctantly encourage children to go outside for long time. A county named Anji in South China’s Zhejiang province has started to change this approach to outdoor play. Kindergartens there provide outdoor equipment to support children’s outdoor activities for longer periods of time. This approach is called Anji Play and has been recommended by Chinese Ministry of Education for all of the country. It has also attracted ECE experts overseas. In this chapter, we describe and analyse children’s outdoor play in an Anji setting and in a Norwegian kindergarten from the perspective of the utilisation and design of kindergarten outdoor space. The study takes an ethnographic approach. We collected photo observations, anecdotal recording and interviews from one kindergarten in Bergen, Norway and one in Anji, China. The observation results focusing on outdoor play in the two kindergartens were discussed with kindergarten teachers, principals, professors and college students from China and Norway. Our aim was to interpret the core concepts, goals and concerns of Norwegian and Anji play from multiple perspectives to understand children’s cultural formation in the two cultural contexts. We found the cultural values and traditions influence how outdoor play is performed and there are clear links between culture and children’s cultural formation.

AbstractThis chapter takes the specific context of outdoor play in the Foundation Phase in Wales to explore how children’s activity and participation is mediated through the socio-material affordances of muddy puddles at forest school. The research was underpinned by the cultural-historical tradition of making visible the sociocultural practices and individual participation which shape the child’s experience within an educational setting. The discussion in this chapter is centred upon the following questions: During forest school sessions for pupils aged 4- and 5-years old, what conflicts may be surfaced as classroom teaching staff aim to meet Welsh Government expectations for both outdoor play and self-regulatory skills development? How do these conflicts shape the child’s experience of participating in outdoor play? The analysis draws upon data gathered during 8 months of fieldwork; audio-visually-recorded observations and video-stimulated interviews with classroom teachers and forest school leaders are used to consider an episode of conflict during play in a muddy puddle. We explore, from child and adult perspectives, the institutional values of the Foundation Phase, demands for reception year practice and subsequent expectations about children’s participation, highlighting the mediating messages being given about ‘how to be’ and what competencies are valued in the activity setting of mud play.

Active and interactive learning approaches in course design are widely supported as increasing student engagement and learning outcomes in blended or technology-enhanced environments. As such, designing for student engagement in self-paced distance and online learning environments is a growing area of research. However, learning is increasingly developed and delivered via the institutional LMS where the design and sequencing of content is linear and has an inherent directional flow. Learner choice in navigation and activity in online learning environments may also impact learner engagement but there is less research on these factors. In this research project, we evaluate the redesign and prototype of one week of a first-year business subject that offers learner choice in navigating the online environment and choice of activity. Insights into the innovative educational design and implementation of non-linear and interactive learning are presented within an Australian higher education business context, where flexibility and choice emerge as key design affordances.