Research Proposal Paper: Each student will develop a research proposal of 8-10 pages in length. The proposal includes the introduction (research problem, purpose statement, research questions, hypothe

EVALUATION OF CHILDREN’S PERCEPTIONS ON OUTDOOR EDUCATION

Evaluation of Children’s Perceptions on Outdoor Education

EDR 601: Barry University

May 3rd, 2019

Abstract

The purpose of this study will be to understand children’s perceptions of outdoor education at school. Due to the increase of technology around us, children nowadays are not getting enough time outdoors to explore, to discover, or to learn. This grounded theory study will examine a participant size of seven children, ages 5-12, from seven different schools across the state of Florida. Using interviews between the researcher and participants along with observations, data will be gathered and recorded using coding procedures as well as the MAXQDA coding method. As a result of the data analysis to be used, I will expect to find information that will lead to improved understanding of how children perceive outdoor education as well as how it may or may not be beneficial to their learning experience.

Keywords: outdoor education, children

Evaluation of Children’s Perceptions on Outdoor Education

Research Problem

Richard Louv (2008) defines the phenomenon of the nature-deficit disorder as people who are alienated from nature, which has cost them reduced use of the senses, difficulties in attention, and increased emotional illness (Louv, 2008, p. 36). Previous research has discussed the impact of technology on social relationships and how it takes a negative impact on the benefits of building these social relationships (Weare, 2004). As we have evolved into a more modern and technological world, it can become hard to find a balance between a busy society and naturally experiencing the world (Bento, & Dias, 2017). Technology, such as cellular devices, plays a fundamental role in maintaining relationships, however, it has become a risk as it also facilitates bullying amongst students (Bond, 2010). It is no surprise that children do not get enough time outdoors (Louv, 2008). Rather, studies show that children are staying indoors and spending more time watching TV, instead of benefiting from experiential learning outdoors (Singer, Singer, D’Agostino, & DeLong, 2009).

Purpose of Study

The purpose of this study will be to understand children’s perceptions of outdoor education at school. Using grounded theory research and methods, I will dig deeper into the mindset of the child to understand how they view outdoor education from all angles. This study will analyze children’s views; their likes, dislikes, comments, and opinions on the outdoors. In understanding and gaining the insight of a child, their perceptions will allow the audience to comprehend how they perceive the outside world and how they learn. The children’s views will likewise help with explaining the reason behind the problem as to why they prefer to stay indoors rather than going outside and exploring. It will also help in allowing teachers, parents, and guardians to strategize into how to ensure children get more time outside while having fun; making outdoors the incentive rather than the task.

Research Questions

The qualitative research question will revolve around the key question which is, what are children’s perceptions of outdoor education? Through this main research question, I will also investigate further questions to help elaborate upon it, for example, how do the children feel when outdoors? A second question will be, what kinds of activities do the children do outdoors, and lastly, what are the children likes and dislikes about the outdoors?

Literature Review

Outdoor Play Vs. Screen Time

Research shows that parents of infants/toddlers find it more important that their children attain physical activity to assist in learning development, social skills and family activities (Hesketh, Hinkley, & Campbell, 2012, p. 3). The importance of parents increased knowledge of parenting towards children’s physical activity and reduced screen time is said to be vital towards preventing childhood obesity and other adverse outcomes (Hesketh, Hinkley, & Campbell, 2012, p. 12). In previous research, Hinkley, Brown, Carson, and Teychenne (2018) argued that “participation in screen time, especially passive forms, may limit children’s opportunities to interact with others” (p. 8). It was also found that a child’s interaction with his/her parent was shown to decrease when the television is on in the background (Hinkley, Brown, Carson, & Teychenne, 2018, p.8).

Outdoor Play Vs. Health

Bjorgen (2015) found that places that provide conditions to create challenges, such as sledding, can create high levels of well-being and increase involvement in physically active play (Bjorgen, 2015, p. 313). The importance of facilitating physical play that creates challenges also includes increased attention from others as well as the inclusion of body language and physical energy (Bjorgen, 2015, p. 313). Bjorgen (2015) writes, “Children need to be challenged to share experiences, and they need reciprocal attention from significant others” (p. 319). Practitioners help encourage involvement and play a vital role in creating a foundation for children’s well-being and physically active play (Bjorgen, 2015, p. 321). Richard Louv (2013) discusses how children are not exploring outdoors as they should and how nature helps to keep us healthy in both mind and body. Recent research points out that most western societies are concerned with children’s possibility to go outdoors and feels it is imperative that children can play outside to face adventures and challenges (Bento, & Dias, 2017, p. 159).

Outdoor Play Vs. ASD

Prior research confirms that children on the spectrum of autism, ASD, showed benefits in sensorimotor, emotional, and social behaviors when outdoors (Li, Larsen, Yang, Wang, Zhai, & Sullivan, 2018, p. 73). Parents indicated that nature visits promoted relaxation, positive emotions, and decreased negativity (Li, Larsen, Yang, Wang, Zhai, & Sullivan, 2018, p. 73). Parents of the study also said that areas with more wilderness had more benefits which helped engage more children; they appreciated the calming environment (Li, Larsen, Yang, Wang, Zhai, & Sullivan, 2018, p. 73). As these positive benefits are found for children with ASD, it is also to be said that they provide similar benefits for children who are neuro-typical (Li, Larsen, Yang, Wang, Zhai, & Sullivan, 2018, p. 77).

Children Vs. The Outdoors

It is strongly believed by mothers that children benefit from experiential learning, and they have observed that childhood is disappearing (Singer, Singer, D’Agostino, & DeLong, 2009, p. 304). Mothers feel as if children nowadays grow up too quickly and don’t enjoy life as a child (Singer, Singer, D’Agostino, & DeLong, 2009, p. 304). Research shows that these mothers believe that it is important that their children go outdoors to play and more than half the mothers in Singer’s (2009) study explained that being exposed to germs is good for a child’s health (Singer, Singer, D’Agostino, & DeLong, 2009, p. 302). Ashmann (2018) conducted research on a nature school program in Wisconsin. He found that children thrive from outdoor learning as the program revolves their program around improving life-building, critical thinking and personal growth (Ashmann, 2018, p. 37). Further research indicates the importance of children interacting in their environment because it aids in their physical and mental growth (Oloumi, Mahdavinejad, & Namvarrad, 2012). Equally, Agostini, Minelli, and Mandolesi (2018) noted that teachers reported children had an overall higher score in all developmental areas in schools with outdoor education compared to schools using a traditional method (Agostini, Minelli, & Mandolesi, 2018).

Methods

Research Design

The research approach that I will be using is a qualitative grounded theory research method which aims towards social research methods in a systematic approach to examining the process of the social world in which children live in (Creswell & Guetterman, 2019). More specifically, I will be using the constructivist design, articulated by Charmaz (2017) as a philosophical opinion into the self-consciousness. I believe that implementing the constructivist design will be best for my research study because it involves exploring the views, feelings, and beliefs of others (Creswell, Guetterman, 2019). In choosing this specific research design, I will be able to effectively investigate children’s feelings on outdoor education through a small sample size and detailed interview. Doing so will also help me gain the data I need to better understand what children think of outdoor education and in turn, help improve outdoor education for teachers and parents everywhere.

Sampling and Participants

In this grounded theory research study, there will be a sample size of seven children between the ages of 5-12 years old. The reason for a sample size of children ages 5-12 is to enhance and add to the findings in my research. Doing so, I can get the perception of a child around 6 years of age who may not be able to express themselves fully but can detail their feelings in so many words. Conversely, involving children around 11 years of age in my study will add more details as to how they feel and what the like about outdoor education. Each child will be chosen from a different school site. There will be seven schools included in this research study; three Montessori schools and four schools with outdoor education programs. The purpose for including seven schools is to ensure there is a variation in outdoor education environments, rather than basing research on one specific environment. Both the schools and the children will be chosen through purposeful sampling within the state of Florida.

Instruments

Throughout my research study, I will be collecting a few different varieties of data, using methods of interviews and observations. All the qualitative data will be collected at the research sites which would be the schools where each participant attends. Data gathering instruments that will be used to gather the qualitative data will be an interview protocol containing instructions for the process of the research, an observation checklist to see how participants interact outdoors, and coded information from the interviews. To store this information, I will create a code book with initial categories and identified themes. I will also have a scanned copy of all notes stored on a computer and USB. In order to protect the security of the data, I will have hard copies stored in a secure place at my home as well as incorporating security data technology to ensure the anonymity of the participants and prevent others from accessing the information. Taking into consideration the anonymity of the participants, I will first obtain permission from the gatekeepers at the research site, which will be the schools in the state of Florida. Secondly, I will need to obtain permission from the children’s parents as they will be under 18 years of age. Lastly, I will obtain permission from the children who will be a part of my study. I will ensure to protect the anonymity of my participants by using coded wording to describe each child; subject 1 and so forth.

Data Collection Procedures

To begin the data collection procedure, I will go to the research site and make myself comfortable amongst the students to in turn help them feel comfortable by asking questions, making positive comments, and being actively engaged in their activities. Next, I will introduce myself to the participant and ask him/her kindly for permission to ask him/her some questions about his/her school. Upon getting his/her approval, I will begin the recorded one-on-one interview with the participant, taking into consideration that the questions will be conveyed in a language so that the child can easily understand each question and be able to answer them. I will also respect the participants wants and needs, whether he/she may feel tired, bothered, or just needing a break from the interview to thus intervene at a later time. After the interview, I will collect observations of the participant interacting in his/her school outdoor environment; obtaining information such as, how he/she plays, his/her social interaction with others, etc. This process will be repeated with the other six participants in my study. The detailed procedure above indicates a constant comparative data analysis, which I will engage in a process of gathering data, sorting it into categories after each child’s interview, collecting additional information from observations, and thus comparing new information from other children at different schools.

Below are some questions that will be asked during the interview:

Do you like to go outside?
What do you like to do most when you’re outside?
What do you do when you go outside?
Do you have classes outside?
What do you do in your class when it is outside?
How do you feel when you are outside? Do you feel happy? Do you feel sad?

Below are some samples that will be on the observation checklist:

Pays attention in outdoor education class
Works well with other children
Acts restless
Needs to be redirected frequently to activity at hand
Doesn’t take independent initiative, needs help to keep on task
Participates in group and individual work
Is engaged in activities

Data Analysis

One method that will be used to analyze qualitative data is the MAXQDA coding method. This will help assist with the coding process by analyzing each interview, and observation notes. It will also help to organize, collect and visualize the methods used to gather the data to then be able to compare and contrast each participants’ perception of outdoor education. Thematic analysis will also be implemented within this research study through the process of coding in several phases such as familiarization with data, searching for themes among codes, generating initial codes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes, and final report. I plan to code and store my data by collecting objective and subjective feedback from observations and then coding the information and putting them into themes. I will also code information from recorded interviews. Lastly, I would like to mention that because this will be grounded theory research, I will implement a constant comparative data analysis, analyzing and comparing new information with previously attained information in the study.

Conclusion

Discussion

Richard Louv (2013) writes, “children need nature for the healthy development of their senses, and therefore, for learning and creativity” (p. 50). It is our role, as teachers, parents, and guardians to help the current generation of children and the future generation to include nature, and the outdoors into their everyday life. I strongly believe that the outdoors can benefit a child’s learning experience greatly, and we need more time outdoors to help the child explore and discover for himself.

In my research study, I expect to find that the participants will see outdoor education as a benefit to their learning experience. The participants will find more focus during lessons/activities while being exposed to a calm natural environment. I also expect to find that the participants will improve on gross motor skills. Lastly, I anticipate that the participants will find an appreciation for nature and want to go outdoors more often for learning exploration opportunities. I will interpret my theorized results in a positive and meaningful way to help my audience understand that outdoors is a key factor in educational experiences.

Limitations

A couple of limitations of the study I have designed would be not including children from out of state or out of the country and not having a larger range of sample size for children’s ages. A final limitation would be the age of the participants because the younger they are, the less they may be able to express themselves in sufficient detail. I do believe that the study design is appropriate for answering the research question because it will help gain insight from children on how they see outdoor education and can help give teachers and outdoor educators feedback on what is working and what may not be working. It will also help educators with how to work lessons around the interests of children to better their learning.

Implications

The practical implications of this study would be that the audience will have an idea of what the children are benefiting from outdoor education, how they perceive outdoor education, and what could be changed with outdoor education. The implication of this study for future research would be that researchers could find out what kind of outdoor environment may best suit children’s needs to adhere to outdoor education.

Future Research

If this study were to be conducted again, I would suggest implementing a mixed method study. This will allow the researcher to include quantitative data using behavioral statistics to use when observing participants in outdoor education. If I were to conduct the same study again, I would do a couple of different interviews per participant to get a better feel of their views as some children may change their mind often. I would also ensure to expand the age range of my participants, this way I will be able to gain more of a mature understanding or answer for the research questions. If I were to conduct a follow-up study, the research question would be: What are teachers’ perceptions of outdoor education for children? I would use a qualitative study using grounded theory research. The participants would be teachers in Montessori schools as well as schools that include outdoor education programs. The sample size would be between 8-10 teachers from schools around Florida. This research would include knowledge and perception from the teacher’s point of view on how outdoor education may benefit a child’s learning.

References

Singer, D. G., Singer, J. L., D’Agostino, H., & DeLong, R. (2009). Children’s pastimes and play in sixteen nations. Academic Journal of Play, 283-312.

Hesketh, K.D., Hinkley, T., & Campbell, K.J. (2012). Children’s physical activity and screen time: qualitative comparison of views of parents of infants and preschool children. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 9(152), 1-14.

Bjorgen, K. (2015). Children’s well-being and involvement in physically active outdoors play in a Norwegian kindergarten: playful sharing of physical experiences. The Child Care in Practice Group, 21:4, 305-323.

Li, D., Larsen, L., Yang, Y., Wang, L., Zhai, Y., & Sullivan, W.C. (2018). Exposure to nature for children with autism spectrum disorder: benefits, caveats, and barriers. Health & Place, 55, 71-79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2018.11.005

Ashmann, S. (2018). Developing a nature-based four-year-old kindergarten program: OAK Learning Center at Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary in Green Bay, WI (USA). The International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education, 6(1), 35-43.

Oloumi, S., Mahdavinejad, M., & Namvarrad, A. (2012). Evaluation of outdoor environment from the viewpoint of children. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 35, 431-439.

Hinkley, T., Brown, H., Carson, V., & Teychenne, M. (2018). Cross sectional associations of screen time and outdoor play with social skills in preschool children. PLOS One, 13(4), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0193700

Beyer, K.M.M., Heller, E, F., Bizub, J, M., Kistner A, J., Szabo, A., Shawgo, E, E., & Zetts, C, J. (2015). More than a pretty place: assessing the impact of environmental education on children’s knowledge and attitudes about outdoor play in nature. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 12, 2054-2070.

Bento, G., & Dias, G. (2017). The importance of outdoor play for young children’s healthy development. Porto Biomedical Journal, 2(5), 157-160.

Agostini, F., Minelli, M., & Mandolesi, R. (2018). Outdoor education in Italian kindergarten: how teachers perceive child developmental trajectories. Frontiers in Psychology, 9(1911), 1-12. https://12.3389/fpsyg.2018.01911

Louv, R. (2013). Last child in the woods: Saving our children from nature-deficit disorder. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.

Bond, E. (2010). Managing mobile relationships: Children’s perceptions of the impact of the mobile phone on relationships in their everyday lives. Childhood, 17(4), 514-529.

Weare, K. (2004). What impact is information technology having on our young people’s health and well-being? Health Education, 104(3), 129-131.

Creswell, J. W, & Geutterman, T. C. (2019). Educational research: planning, conducting, and evaluation quantitative and qualitative research. Sixth edition. Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, inc.

Charmaz, K. (2017). The power of constructivist grounded theory for critical inquiry. Qualitative Inquiry, 23(1), 35-45.