Exploring the Use of Outdoor Play - Essay Example

?Research Proposal Topic Research Exploring the use of outdoor play to support children’s development in a nursery in Beckton 2. Purpose and Aims 2.1. Rationale It is widely believed that early childhood development is fundamental to later human growth and development. Thus nursery schools generally meant for children aged 2 to 5 (Bruce 1998, p. 21), having assumed the essential task of preparing the child to positively integrate with the world outside the family (Sandler 1998) must provide learning experiences focused on the child’s total development. One strategy seen as such is outdoor play. How useful, beneficial and challenging it is are the issues this study seeks to answer. 2.2. Significance This study can be significant in varied ways: It can be an impetus for the development of outdoor play as a vital strategy in providing meaningful early learning experiences to children; It can provide useful insights for policy making and curriculum development in nursery and pre-elementary education; and It can provide useful information for education stakeholders (school, family, community) in making use of outdoor play to promote the child’s total development. 2.3. Motivation Providing children with the best possible learning experiences that would make them enjoy schooling is what motivated the researcher to work on this topic. Knowing that children love to play, the researcher finds it interestingly relevant to explore the use of outdoor play to support children’s development, especially so that outdoor play had traditionally been the main strategy of nursery education (Lindon 2001, p. 125). As such underlying this study is the belief that a well-planned and well-supervised outdoor play would spell a big difference in children’s early development. 2.4. Potential Users Students of early childhood education Practising professionals in the field of education and psychology Parents and families with young children Healthcare providers to young children Policy makers and community leaders 2.5. Research Questions 2.5.1. How is outdoor play used to support the children’s development?  2.5.2. What are the possible benefits of outdoor play?  2.5.3. What are the possible challenges in provision for outdoor play?   3. Literature Review 3.1. Introduction Learning should bring out the best in every individual. It should be enjoying and desirable especially learning in early years – the child’s formative years. Thus nursery schools must provide young children with meaningful learning experiences that would exploit their very nature – love for play. Play is inherent to a child’s growing-up. It helps develop the child physically, socially, psychologically, mentally and emotionally. This long-held belief has been affirmed consistently for years, showing how outdoor play supports the children’s development and what beneficial effects and challenges it entails. 3.2. Outdoor Play: Looking Back The central role of outdoor play in developing life skills in children may be traced back to Plato and Aristotle, with Plato defining the nursery stage (3 to 6 years) as the child’s period for playing and hearing children’s story and fairy tales; whereas Aristotle cited the need for children to be active and energetic as best acquired through outdoor play. (Frost 2010, pp. 10, 12) This antiquated view is consistently confirmed by later scholars essentially implying outdoor play as the best humane way of seeking one’s self-identity, worth and friendship. Since 19th century when childhood has been established as a distinct period of human life, the value of outdoor play to the child’s total development has been furthered. Noteworthy are the works of “Jean Jacques Rosseau, Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, Friedrich Froebel, Patty Smith Hill, Rachel McMillan and Margaret McMillan” (Wellhousen 2002, p. x). Their recognition of the educational importance of outdoor play – pioneered by Froebel and continued by Margaret McMillan (Thomas & Harding 2011, p. 13) – have made outdoor play together with hands-on learning a focal point of nursery education in the UK proving its positive effect on the holistic development of the child (Lindon 2001, p. 125). In fact in 1948, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child has included play among the essential rights of the child (Eden 2008, p. 9). However, in the 20th century outdoor play has been increasingly devalued. This may be attributable to the (1) sudden emphasis on children’s intellectual development since the 1970s, (2) view that learning is safer indoors, and (3) low regard for physical play (Lindon 2001, p. 125) – These manifest educators and policy-makers’ lack of full comprehension on the comprehensive developmental effect of outdoor play on children. Until today, outdoor play is simply regarded as children’s recess from classroom academic learning; yet in England, the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum continue to assert the central importance of outdoor play to early education (Thomas & Harding 2011, p. 13). 3.3. Utilising Outdoor Play to Support the Children’s Development For years, outdoor play has been utilised to support children’s development generally emphasising (1) the need for an ‘enabling environment’, asserting that with more challenging environment more life skills and ideas children can learn (May 2011, p. 34); (2) the need for a low-level adult control, emphasising adults’ supportive role (May 2011, p. 32; Waller 2011, p. 40); (3) the need to follow children’s interest for a more meaningful and worthwhile learning experiences (Magraw 2011, p. 23); and (4) the need to organise outdoor play activities to give children ‘independence, self-organisation, participation and empowerment’ (p. 34). Outdoor play has been also used to promote the all-sided development of children. This Magraw (2011) explains: Outdoor play develops in the child moral responsibility towards nature, cognitive understanding of the nature’s make-up, emotional freedom in spontaneously responding to what they encounter outside, social involvement in inevitably interacting with diverse others, physical resilience to overcome physical challenges, and ultimately critical thinking (pp. 30-33). These perhaps are what Blythe’s “ABC of learning success” – attention, balance and coordination – that children learn from outdoor play (cited in May 2011, p. 28). 3.4. Possible Benefits of Outdoor Play Theorists have long affirmed the importance of outdoor play in developing children. For example, Scarfe regards play, the undisputed supreme system of learning; Froebel describes it, the utmost demonstration of children’s development; Ferguson and Kellner-Rogers argues it makes children smart and brilliant (cited in Eden 2008, pp. xiv-1). As such, Faegre, Anderson and Harris (1958) see child’s play, a serious business comparing it to an adult’s work (p. 214). Meaning, if through work an adult could learn to better his/her profession; through play children learn and refine their various life skills. Outdoor play benefits children in many ways. Lindon (2001) cites its long-term advantages: (1) building-up needed muscle strength; (2) promotes positive behaviour in children; (3) keeps children energetic, happy and alive (p. 129). Eden (2008) emphasised these advantages saying that (1) through outdoor play the child’s mind, body and spirit is developed; (2) through play the child has come to enjoy the gift of friendship; and (3) through play the child has come to discover his innate talents in singing, dancing, and creative works (p. 8). 3.5. Possible Challenges for Outdoor Play Allowing children to play outside enriches their learning, but with it are various challenges which oftentimes held back adults to let them go. The most common concern is the safety and security of children, emphasising physical risk and emotional risk. However, these risks are seen necessary for children “to recognise and manage risk as life-skills, so as to become able to act safely, for themselves and others” (White 2008, p. 10). Hence well-planned, organised and adult assisted outdoor play activities are needed. Though the challenge here for carers is the balance of control and letting go. 3.6. Conclusion The literature review has undoubtedly illustrated the historical central role of outdoor play in children’s learning and development. Though being put to the sidelight the comprehensive developmental effect of outdoor play cannot be denied. Thus the need to bring-back the central role of outdoor play in nursery education persists, despite the risks challenges associated with it. 4. Methodology 4.1. Research Paradigm This exploratory research study makes use of the qualitative interpretivist paradigm since the questions it seeks to answer are primarily descriptive in nature. What makes qualitative research very useful, yet at the same time could also be disadvantageous to exploratory studies is its capacity to bring out rich information (McNabb p. 107), as it assumes that ‘there is no single, observable reality’ (Merriam, 2009, p. 8), because things can be seen from different angles/lenses. Contrary to common views, qualitative research, just like quantitative research, is also scientific, though involving different more flexible methods – in-depth interviews, focus groups, participant observation (Mack & Woodsong 2005, p. 2) – and an interpretive, naturalistic approach (Denzin and Lincoln 2000, p. 3). Furthermore, qualitative research exploits varied empirical materials – ‘case study, personal experience, introspective, life story, interview, observational, historical, interactional, and visual texts’ – to describe the phenomenon under study. (Denzin & Lincoln, 1994, cited in Thomas 2003, p. 1; Newman & Benz, 1998, p. 13) 4.2. Research Strategy Research strategy and data collection method are not the same. The former generally refers to the overall methodology by which data have to be collected. The latter refers to the instruments to be used in order to gather the necessary data. (Walsh & Wigens 2003, p. 70) To explore the use of outdoor play for children’s development, a case study of one nursery in Beckton shall be employed. A case study, Gerring (2007) explains is the exhaustive investigation of a single case meant to at least initially understand the phenomenon on a broader population. However, since it is only a case study, it should be understood that its result, though enlightening, is not generalisable. (p. 20) 4.3. Collection Methods Data are collected mainly utilising focus group interviews, archival records and direct observation. Focus group interview is composed of homogenous participants from 6-12 which are purposively selected to elicit the information needed. The advantage of focus group interview lies on its ability to bring out thorough and detailed information even in a short time-span. Crucial to this is the skill of the moderator. (Johnson & Christensen 2010, pp. 204-205) For this study three focus groups (teachers, parents, and children) shall be employed. Among the seven multiple purposes of focus group interviews relevant to this study are (1) eliciting background information, (2) detecting potential problems that may arise from the service, (3) creating impressions, and (4) knowing the views of the participants on the issue under study. These may be useful for further quantitative research study (Stewart, Shamdasani & Rook 2009, cited in Johnson & Christensen 2010, pp. 204-205) Another important data for the research study are the school’s curriculum, children’s performance records, lesson plans, and classroom activities, thus the use of archival records. Contrary to what it connotes, archival records refer more to documents (hard copy, soft copy, photographs, recordings, etc.) rather than but not excluding artifacts and books. Archival records are stored materials (created or received) attesting to an organisation or individual’s functions, tasks, programs and performances. (Pearce-Moses 2005) These records shall be taken from school officials – school principal, school registrar, guidance counsellor, medical staff, and teachers. And for the researcher to have a first-hand assessment on the use of outdoor play in children’s learning and development, direct observation shall also be employed. This shall be supported with the use of video camera to validate initial impressions during the direct observation. Videotapes may also be presented to focus groups for comments and observations to further enrich understanding. Direct observation is important to this study and can be useful in many ways: (1) it provides an avenue to cross-check gathered information from focus group interview thereby gaining more accurate and reliable information; (2) it may lessen questions to be asked of people and may help develop questions more direct, making interview more fruitful; (3) it can be done without exerting so much effort; and (4) it provides the researcher a wider understanding of the school under study. 4.4. Validity and reliability How accurately measured is the phenomena under study defines validity. In qualitative research Hammersley (1992) suggests that validity is more descriptive of the confidence on the result of the study rather than certainty (cited in Cohen, et al. 2007, p. 135). There are five kinds of validity; relevant to this study are descriptive validity, interpretive validity, and theoretical validity, which essentially requires honesty and objectivity on the part of the researcher. Descriptive validity refers to the full, “factual accuracy of the account.” Interpretive validity is the assurance that responses of participants are understood correctly. Meaning, the researcher is not putting words into the mouth of the subject. Theoretical validity refers to the clear and understandable explanation of the study to which participants are encouraged to get involved. (Cohen, et al. 2007, p. 135). In interviews, bias, which can arise from individual’s (interviewer and interviewee) characteristics and from the designed questions, commonly causes invalidity (Lansing et al. 1961, cited in Cohen, et al. 2007, p. 150). Reliability in qualitative research Bokdan and Biklen (1992) suggest to refer to the match between the actual event with what the researcher has recorded. Has data been recorded accurately and comprehensively? Thus ‘reliability includes fidelity to real life, context-and situation-specificity, authenticity, comprehensiveness, detail, honesty, depth of response and meaningfulness to the respondents’ (cited in Cohen, et al. 2007, p. 149). Researchers (Silverman 1993; Oppenheim 1992) suggest that to control reliability, interviews should be highly structured following similar formats and observing fidelity to sequencing and choice of words and questions. Thus in-depth training for interviewers is or prime importance. (cited in Cohen, et al. 2007, p. 150) 5. Ethical Considerations 5.1. Informed Consent and Voluntary Participation Informed consent is both a tool and a mechanism, ensuring that the person’s rights to be fully informed of and to voluntarily participate in the research endeavour are always observed and protected (Mack & Woodsong 2005, p. 9). Voluntary participation is the desire of the individual to freely participate in the research study after understanding its benefits and risks. As commonly practised, informed consent shall be taken from target participants in this research study through a written form. This will not only protect the researcher from any possible harm but also to implicitly tell the target participants that the research is a serious business; thus inculcating responsibility in their participation. 5.2. Confidentiality and Anonymity Since the phenomenon under study is not a high risk or sensitive issue, confidentiality and anonymity is not a big deal in this study. However, respect for the rights of every individual for privacy would still require asking the participants regarding this matter. Furthermore, participants have to feel comfortable in giving feedbacks, that they may prefer anonymity. For example, school curriculum might have to be criticised; for this, teachers may not want to openly comment because this would reflect more on the school administrator. One more thing anonymity can be hardly assured in qualitative research given the closeness and familiarity of the researcher with the participant. To compensate this objective limitation of the research paradigm, a high degree of confidentiality has to be achieved. (Henn, Weinstein & Foard 2006, p. 85) To ensure confidentiality a written non-disclosure agreement shall be signed between the researcher and the participants. 5.3. Benefits and Risks Conducting research study has its own benefits, likewise risks. The most obvious benefit is the rich information that could be gathered from the research. Also it enriches the researcher’s knowledge in conducting research studies. Not to say the great possibility that successful research works bring credit to researchers in their chosen field of expertise. However, the risks can be attributed to the researcher-participant relationships (Boeijie 2010, p. 51), which in this research study can be characterised by bias, exploitation, and manipulation. 6. Reference List Boeije, H 2010, Analysis in qualitative research, SAGE Publications, London. Bruce, T 1998, The principles behind the early childhood curriculum, In Ivan Ward (Ed.), The Psychology of Nursery Education (pp. 19-26), Karnac Books, London. Cohen, L, Manion, L, Morrison, K & Morrison, KRB, 2007, Research methods in education, 6th edn, Routledge, New York. Denzin, NK & Lincoln, YS (eds.) 2000, Handbook of Qualitative Research, Sage Publications, London. Eden, ST 2008, Play works: Helping children learn through play, AuthorHouse, Bloomington, IN. Faegre, ME, Anderson, JE & Harris 1958, Child care and training, 8th edn, University of Minnesota, US. Frost, J 2010, A history of children's play and play environments: Toward a contemporary child-saving environment, Routledge, New York. Gerring, J 2007, Case study research: Principles and practices, Cambridge University Press, New York. Henn, M, Weinstein, M & Foard, N 2006. A short introduction to social research, SAGE Publications, London. Johnson, B & Christensen, L 2010, Educational research: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed approaches, 4th edn, SAGE Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA. Lindon, J 2001, Understanding children’s play, Nelson Thornes Ltd., UK. Mack, N & Woodsong, C 2005, Qualitative research methods: A data collector's field guide, Family Health International, US. Magraw, L 2011, ‘Following children’s interests: Child-led experiences that are meaningful and worthwhile’, in J White (ed), Outdoor provision in the early years, SAGE Publications, London. May, P 2011, Child development in practice: Responsive teaching and learning from birth to five, Routledge, Oxon, OX. McNabb, DE 2010, Research methods for political science: Quantitative and qualitative approaches, 2nd edn, M.E. Sharpe, New York. Merriam, SB 2009, Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation, John Wiley & Sons, San Francisco, CA. Newman, I & Benz, CR 1998, Qualitative-quantitative research methodology: Exploring the interactive continuum, Southern Illinois University Press, Illinois. Pearce-Moses, R 2005, A glossary of archival and records terminology, Society of American Archivists, US. Retrieved 21 April 2011 from http://www.archivists.org/glossary/term_details.asp?DefinitionKey=292 Sandler, AM 1998, ‘Nursery school – why and when?’ in I Ward (ed), The psychology of nursery education, Karnac Books, London. Thomas, F & Harding, S 2011, ‘The role of play: Play outdoors as the medium and mechanism for well-being, learning and development’, in J White (ed), Outdoor provision in the early years, SAGE Publications, London. Waller, T 2011, ‘Adults are essential: The role of adults outdoors’, in J White (ed), Outdoor provision in the early years, SAGE Publications, London. Walsh, M & Wigens, L 2003, Introduction to research, Nelson Thornes Ltd., UK. Wellhousen, K 2002, Outdoor play, every day: innovative play concepts for early childhood, Thomson Learning, Canada. White, J 2008, Playing and learning outdoors: Making provision for high-quality experiences in the outdoor environment, Routledge, Oxon, OX. Read More