By Mamata Pandya
This paper describes the process and findings of a study to explore early childhood educators’ beliefs and practices regarding use of natural outdoor settings as learning environments. Participants consisted of 46 early childhood educators in center-based early childhood education programs in northern Minnesota. Natural outdoor settings were defined as outdoor environments that range from relatively natural to wild, in contrast with maintained or developed spaces, such as mowed grassy areas, landscaped park settings, or playgrounds.
The following research questions were addressed:
- What are early childhood educators’ beliefs regarding natural outdoor settings as learning environments? What are their beliefs regarding their relationship to nature?
- Are educators' beliefs related to frequency of use of natural outdoor settings as learning environments, and if so, which best predicts their frequency of use of natural outdoor settings as learning environments?
- What do educators perceive as barriers to the use of natural outdoor settings as learning environments?
The educators in this study recognized the value of experiences in natural outdoor settings for developing environmental appreciation in young children, and in fostering children’s physical, cognitive, and social development. These beliefs, however, were not associated with use of natural outdoor settings. This gap was linked with the perceptions of difficulty—or barriers—in using these settings. The most frequent barrier was lack of walking access to a natural outdoor setting and/or the need for transportation to a natural outdoor setting. Other barriers were: lack of time, winter weather, safety concerns, and lack of extra supervision. Several of the barriers relate to lacking the "know-how" to provide experience in natural outdoor settings.
This study suggests that efforts to promote nature play in early childhood education settings should focus on reducing perceptions of difficulty. While this could be accomplished through formal professional development, reducing these barriers could also be facilitated through informal sharing and networking.
Julie Ernst. 2013. Early childhood educators’ use of natural outdoor settings as learning environments: An exploratory study of beliefs, practices, and barriers. Environmental Education Research, DOI: 10.1080/13504622.2013.833596. Published online: 16 Sep 2013.