| Title |
Lambert, Hilary_MED_2019 |
| Alternative Title |
All Play and No Work? Unstructured Outdoor Play and Learning in an Early Childhood Outdoor Classroom |
| Creator |
Lambert, Hilary |
| Collection Name |
Master of Education |
| Description |
As children play, they imagine, experiment, problem-solve, and share ideas and perspectives: in essence, they learn cognitive concepts and self-regulatory skills simultaneously. The inclusion of outdoor classrooms in early learning environments allows children a space in which to engage in developmentally appropriate play and engage in learning opportunities, as well as restore attentional reserves so further learning can take place. The study site is an independent PreK-12th grade school in suburban, mid-sized, mountain west city. The school recently constructed a state-of-the-art outdoor classroom and learning space adjacent to their prekindergarten classrooms. The participants in the study were four PreK4 teachers, one kindergarten teacher, one recess teacher and the school psychologist. This mixed-method study employed both personal interviews and surveys to answer four questions: (a) what types of play and learning teachers with a new outdoor classroom observed in their space, (b) what building blocks of academic skills and executive function skills teachers observed their students acquiring when in the outdoor classroom, (c) what types of social and emotional skills students use while playing and learning outdoors, and (d) what needs teachers have to optimize the benefits of an outdoor classroom. Teachers observe students building metacognitive attention skills, developing creativity, and learning how to communicate and problem-solve through their unstructured outdoor play. Partnering with parents to ensure they understand the cognitive benefits of play in the outdoor classroom and engaging teachers in professional development time and opportunities to innovate their materials and lesson planning to the outdoor classroom environment are next steps the school can take to maximize the benefits of the space. |
| Subject |
Play; Imagination; Problem solving; Creative ability; Outdoor learning laboratories; Education, Early childhood; Education--Evaluation; Education--Research--Methodology |
| Keywords |
Cognitive concepts; Self-regulatory skills; Developmentally appropriate practices; Learning opportunities; Personal interviews; surveys; Metacognitive attention skills |
| Digital Publisher |
Stewart Library, Weber State University |
| Date |
2019 |
| Language |
eng |
| Rights |
The author has granted Weber State University Archives a limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to reproduce their theses, in whole or in part, in electronic or paper form and to make it available to the general public at no charge. The author retains all other rights. |
| Source |
University Archives Electronic Records; Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction. Stewart Library, Weber State University |
| Format |
application/pdf |
| ARK |
ark:/87278/s6jyyfgt |
| Setname |
wsu_smt |
| ID |
96761 |
| Reference URL |
https://digital.weber.edu/ark:/87278/s6jyyfgt |
