The child as co-researcher in the early years: what do children like in the outdoors?

Boath, L. and Barrable, A. (2020) The child as co-researcher in the early years: what do children like in the outdoors? SERA Researching Education Bulletin(9), pp. 34-38.

Abstract

The research described in this paper grew from a collaboration with a Scottish nursery. Staff within the new, purpose-built school sought advice on developing the outdoor space for the nursery which has a roll of 130 children aged 2 – 5 years, from the diverse local community. Nursery practitioners felt that the outdoor space offered great opportunity for the curriculum and learning to be ‘seamlessly’ in- and outdoors. Not all children attend full-time. Some, including children in the Strong Start Scheme who join aged 2, attend full days throughout the week. The aim of the study was to use a children’s rights-based approach to nurturing children’s voice as a methodology for shaping the outdoor space, and exploring the impact of involvement in shaping and using the outdoor space on children’s wellbeing. This paper describes one aspect of the project, which was limited by the school closures during the coronavirus pandemic: what children said they want from their outdoor space, using thematic analysis

• Item Type: Articles
• Keywords: early childhood; outdoor learning; children’s voice; children’s rights; autonomy support; wellbeing
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Boath, Dr Lauren
• Authors: Boath, L., and Barrable, A.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Education > Pedagogy, Praxis & Faith; College of Social Sciences > School of Education
• Journal Name: SERA Researching Education Bulletin
• Publisher: SERA
• ISSN (Online): 2752-4000
• Published Online: 01 December 2020

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