Exploring the national scope of outdoor nature-based early learning programs in Canada: Findings from a large-scale survey study

Authors

  • D. Harwood Brock University
  • E. Boileau Lakehead University
  • Z. Dabaja University of Windsor
  • K. Julien Brock University

Abstract

Across Canada, early learning nature-based programs are gaining popularity with many new programs being implemented each year. Currently, little is known about the number, type, pedagogies, and curricula content of Canadian outdoor and nature-based early learning programs. Thus, this mixed methods study was conducted to explore this growing movement. In total, two hundred educators, representing 165 various programs across Canada completed an online survey. Fifty-one percent of the participants reported having a diploma in Early Childhood Education or similar qualification. In addition, it was estimated that between 40 000 to 60 000 Canadian children, mostly aged between 3 to 9 years, had taken part in these programs during 2018-2019. Moreover, findings suggested that weather conditions can impact the time spent outdoors and that emergent, child-centered curricula rooted in play were guiding the pedagogy of a large percentage of the represented programs.

References

Bentsen, P., & Jensen, F. S. (2012). The nature of “Udeskoleâ€: Outdoor learning theory and practice in Danish schools. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 12(3), 199–219.

Bentsen, P., Mygind, E., & Randrup, T. B. (2009). Towards an understanding of “Udeskole:†Education outside the classroom in a Danish context. Education 3-13, 37(1), 29–44.

Bentsen, P., Søndergaard Jensen, F., Mygind, E., & Barfoed Randrup, T. (2010). The extent and dissemination of udeskole in Danish schools. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 9, 235–243.

Betrand, J., & Gestwicki, C. (2016). Essentials of early childhood education (5th edition). Toronto, ON: Nelson Canada.

Blenkinsop, S. (2014). In search of the eco-teacher: Public school edition. Canadian Journal of Environmental Education, 19, 145-159.

Boileau, E. Y. S., & Dabaja, Z. F. (2020). Forest School practice in Canada: a survey study. Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42322-020-00057-4

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101.

Breunig, M., Murtell, J., Russell, C., & Howard, R. (2014). The impact of integrated environmental studies programs: Are students motivated to act pro-environmentally? Environmental Education Research, 20(3), 372.

Child & Nature Alliance of Canada (CNAC). (2019). CNAC strategic plan 2019-2024. https://childnature.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/CNAC-2019-Strategic-Plan-14-Web.pdf

Child & Nature Alliance of Canada (2020, May 12). Forest and nature school Canada. https://childnature.ca/forest-school-canada/

Coe, H. A. (2016). From excuses to encouragements: Confronting and overcoming the barriers to early childhood outdoor learning in Canadian schools. Canadian Children, 41(1), 5–15.

Creswell, J. W. (2013). Steps in conducting a scholarly mixed methods study. DBER Speaker series, University of Nebraska. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1047&context=dberspeakers

Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Dietze, B. & Cutler, A. (2020). College faculty’s outdoor play pedagogy: The ripple effect. Canadian Journal of Environmental Education, 24, 31-49.

Dietze, B., & Kashin, D. (2019). Perceptions that early learning teachers have about outdoor play and nature. LEARNing Landscapes, 12(1), 91–105.

Elliott, S. (2017). An Australian perspective: Seeking sustainability in early childhood outdoor play spaces. In T. Waller (Ed.), The sage handbook of outdoor play and learning (pp. 295–316). Sage.

Finch, K., & Bailie, P. (2015). Nature preschools: Putting nature at the heart of early childhood education. Bank Street Occasional Paper Series, 2015(33), 95–104.

Gordon, A. M., & Browne, K. W. (2016). Beginning essentials in early childhood education (3rd edition). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

Gruenewald, D. A. (2008). The best of both worlds: A critical pedagogy of place. Environmental Education Research, 14(3), 308–324.

Lysklett, O., & Berger, H. (2017). What are the characteristics of nature preschools in Norway, and how do they organize their daily activities? Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 17(2), 95–107. https://doi.org/10.1080/14729679.2016.1218782

MacQuarrie, S., Nugent, C., & Warden, C. (2015). Learning with nature and learning from others: Nature as setting and resource for early childhood education. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 15(1), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/14729679.2013.841095

Mannion, G., & Lynch, J. (2016). The primacy of place in education in outdoor settings. In B. Humberstone, H. Prince, & K. A. Henderson (Eds.), International handbook of outdoor studies (pp. 85–94). London, UK: Routledge.

Mawson, W. B. (2014). Experiencing the ‘wild woods’: The impact of pedagogy on children’s experience of a natural environment. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 22(4), 513–524. https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2014.947833

Maynard, T., & Waters, J. (2007). Learning in the outdoor environment: A missed opportunity? Early Years: An International Journal of Research and Development, 27(3), 255–265.

McLaughlin, C. (2016). Behind the scenes. Interaction, 30(1), 2.

Munroe, E., & MacLellan-Mansell, A. (2013). Outdoor play experiences for young First Nation children in Nova Scotia: Examining the barriers and considering some solutions. Canadian Children, 38(2), 25–33. North American Association for Environmental Education. (2020). Nature-based preschools in the US: 2020 Snapshot. NAAEE. http://naturalstart.org/sites/default/files/staff/nature_preschools_2020_snapshot_final_0.pdf

North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE). (2017). Nature preschools and forest kindergartens: 2017 national survey. NAAEE

Power, M. (2016). It’s okay to let kids play: Forest and nature school, risky play, and early learning. Interaction, 30(1), 26–28.

Ritchie, J. (2012). Early childhood education as a site of Ecocentric counter-colonial endeavour in Aotearoa New Zealand. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 13(2), 86–98. https://doi.org/10.2304/ciec.2012.13.2.86

Sobel, D. (1996). Beyond ecophobia: Reclaiming the heart in nature education. Orion Society.

Sobel, D. (2008). Childhood and nature: Design principles for educators. Stenhouse.

Somerville, M. (2010). A place pedagogy for “global contemporaneity.†Educational Philosophy and Theory, 42(3), 326–344.

Somerville, M. (2013). Water in a dry land: Place-learning through art and story. New York, NY: Routledge.

Stacey, S. (2009). Emergent curriculum in early childhood settings. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press.

Torquati, J., & Ernst, J. A. (2013). Beyond the walls: Conceptualizing natural environments as “third educatorsâ€. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 34(2), 191–208.

Downloads

Published

2020-12-03

Issue

Section

Articles