The Impact of Involving Children in Planning the Physical Environment - Research Proposal Example

The impact of involving children in planning the physical environment Affiliation Student name A. Literature Review The experiences as an educationist in an early childhood institution have exposed me to a variety of issues relating to all growing young children. I have noticed that a number of kids require involvement in planning of physical learning environment. This is a concern as learning environment is crucial for young growing kids. I would like to implement a physical learning environmental where learners are brought on board in planning in my classroom in order to examine whether or not children’s attitudes and practices change over time. According to the study by Bredekamp & Copple (1997), institutions of learning offer play practices for all kindergarten and junior kids. Studies shows that play present kids from young tender age all the way to primary with practices that encourage social, language growth, and cognitive (Stegelin, 2005). In addition, comprehensive classroom scenery allows a kid with better chances of instigating play with their growing peers than customary, self controlled education class situation. In all-encompassing early childhood classes, all children have a necessity to see and duplicate activities of their peers (Couse & Clawson, 2000). Invigorating playing atmosphere smoothen the progress for advanced level of attention all the way through childhood (Stegelin, 2005). Relaxed connections and interactions with other peers in play circumstances promote social competency behaviours that are essential for knowledge and improvement (Stegelin, 2005). Vygotsky asserted that play present young kids with an opening to run through skills in his zone of proximity growth (Elkind, 2004). In the course of communications with his counterpart, kids are capable to modelling added superior dexterity than they might be capable to carry out as an individual. Play present kids with the chance to relate and make use of the skilfulness and intelligence they have obtained (Miller, 1998). Even though a young kid might not be capable of effectively pouring beverage into a mug, that kid can exercise the skilfulness by means of a toy mug and water jug. Putting into practice the expertise permit kids to have competence and to fully comprehend the expertise better (Klein, Worth, & Linas, 2004). Investigation has given away that play might aid social capability of normal growing kids and kids with particular requirement (Couse & Clawson, 2000). The proficiency acquired via play might guide a kid to have view of self-effectiveness, adding to that kid’s sense of personality (Klein et al., 2004). Play present kids with a background for discovering their environment. Children get an environment in which they can learn a lot on social world and capable of practicing social expertise (Klein et al., 2004). On top of these, they are capable of forming views of other, and even themselves (Chafel, 2003). The development of language, play, and social skills go hand in hand with one another. Through interaction with each other, kids are capable of practicing and refining language dexterity. Investigation has depicted that a number of play related tasks in a childhood environment encourages literacy enhancement (Stegelin, 2005). The behaviours seen in the playing comprises of reading, writing, handling-paper, and story-telling (Morrow & Rand, 1991). In the course of playing, children are in a situation to rehearse, expound, and augment acquired literacy capabilities (Morrow & Rand, 1991). Odom (2000) recommend that all kids must be incorporated in the planning of classroom. Early childhood educationist ought to take into consideration significance of play and social interactions in classroom planning. Additionally, they must encourage children with special needs and those without to interact together and get into advanced play. Study has revealed that kids with particular needs in general surroundings connect less in social contact than their growing age mates (Odom, 2000). Nevertheless, kids with particular needs have to use time in closeness to age mates in order to acquire social advantages of inclusion (DiCarlo, Benedict, & Aghayan, 2006). In a research carried out by Couse and Clawson (2000), social interaction by kids with particular needs was observed taking part in play of low level as opposed to growing peers. This is in contrary to kids with no particular needs. These kids take part in high and complex level plays (Couse & Clawson, 2000). The differences call for educationist to encourage and guide children with special requirements to take part in high level interactions (Bricker & Woods Cripe, 1992). In Bredekamp &Copple (1997) research, guidelines are provided for the arrangements of programmes for early childhood. In the setting and planning of the environment, they suggest that instructors must create an atmosphere where kids are able explore materials while putting into consideration the particular needs of some kids, safety and health must be put into account, alternating schedule, and a time for play every day (Bredekamp & Copple, 1997). This arrangement is believed to change the attitude of young kids (Landry, 2005). Moreover, there is a necessity to put in consideration the attraction points in the classroom and the kind of materials offered. In the assessment of quality classroom environment educators ought to employ ECERS-R and look for means to enhance the atmosphere (Harms et. al., 1998). Despite the fact that Gonzalez-Mena (2005) suggested that educators reflect on the learning surrounding in terms of balance, create the balance in the concentration points provided, and arrange it in a manner that divide silent centres from loud centres (Gonzalez-Mena, 2005, Harms et. al., 1998); there is no proper planning and arrangement of the classroom. Another aspect to be considered is choice-making. This is a valuable involvement stratagem for young kids since it aid child’s requirement to declare self-determination (Pavia & Da Ros, 1997). Kid’s sense of worth is promoted in classroom surroundings that present kids with options and the chance to take part in deeds in which they can believe victorious and in charge (Brewer, 2004). When the options are presented to the kid, his conceptualize that he is in command if his deeds. According to research by Dunlap et al (1994), this freedom presented to the kid offers improvement on performance of tasks, social hindrances, and intensity of disruptive behaviour (Dunlap et al., 1994). A number of researches carried out concentrate only on kids with growth delay. The selection decision making strategies can also be effectual with kids with normal growth and development (Dunlap et al., 1994). Research reveal that kids attain better results in learning atmospheres where educators have high opportunity for each child (Halvorsen, Lee & Andrade, 2009). This is particularly factual for kids well thought-out as disadvantaged (Hinnant, O’Brien & Ghazarian, 2009). If parents and professional have high prospect for kids, kids’ flexibility, accomplishment, inspiration and self-confidence can be enhanced (Gizir & Aydin, 2009). When there is low prospect the effect unequivocally affects kid’s self- assurance, think on their ways, feeling of group and their intellectual result (Rubie-Davies, 2006). Ireson (2008) suggested that high prospect can be attained by have believe that every kid is able to learn, communicate to kids around them and taking dependability and the best use of learning atmosphere. Studies show that holding high prospects for kids encourage the thought that every kid’s growth has general characteristics that are exceptional to every kid and their background (Arthur, et al, 2008). Every child have different learning progress where other children need extra support aimed to enrich their potential. The prospects bestowed on a kid will not involve similar prospects for each kid. There is dissimilarity in learning experiences from one kid to another (Ireson, 2008). Young kids have varied way of life, capabilities, learning approaches, persona and uniqueness and that every kid can encounter achievement in their education and wellbeing (Jalongo, 2007). This is possible when a kid have an element of self-concept. According to Archambault, et al (2010), self-concept is a component of self-esteem referring to the kid’s examination individual capability. Young kid’s self-concepts are predisposed by their own discernment, comment they collect from others, contrast with peers and outcome from evaluation (Archambault, et al, 2010). This is heavily influenced by the perception of educators and emphasis put on particular skills. When young kids have a conception that they can attain outcome, they press on in doing a difficult task, utilizing more time, and alter the approach to attain better outcome (Patrick et al, 2008). In this respect self-efficiency is recurring; the more kids trust in their capability to influence results the more exertion, time and vigour they will spend. When kids put in extra time and effort their result enhances therefore augmenting their conviction in their capacity to achieve transformation. When a kid is not attaining better results, educationalist with a elevated intensity of efficiency are more probable to scrutinize their system and create modifications to improve results for that kid (Guo et al, 2010). According to Halvorsen, et al (2009), high prospects for every kid often direct to time utilized offering extra and personalised assistance so that every kid can achieve accomplishment. This leads to better outcomes for children. For instance an educator who perceives that a kid is performing and consider that the kid is able to learn will modify learning practice to go well with the kid’s learning requirements (Halvorsen, et al 2009). Jordan & Stanovich (2001) established that educationalist with an elevated sensation of action use extra time interrelating with all the learners. Moreover, educationalists who take accountability for kid’s education also distinguishes that early infancy atmosphere take a big responsibility in how kids come into contact with education. The space for learning impacts on learning requirements (Jordan & Stanovich, 2001). However, there is no clear learner involvement is physical environment for learning. On top of this, despite the fact that Gonzalez-Mena (2005) suggested that educators reflect on the learning surrounding in terms of balance, create the balance in the concentration points provided, and arrange it in a manner that divide silent centres from loud centres (Gonzalez-Mena, 2005, Harms et. al., 1998); there is no proper planning and arrangement of the classroom materials. This leaves a research gap which this study proposes to fill. B. Action research proposal The proposed topic for the study will be the impact of involving children in planning the physical environment. Purpose of the study The study will investigate the influence of involving children in planning the physical environment in early childhood centres. Objectives a) Investigate the influence of physical environment on involvement of young kids in classroom activities. b) Find out to what extent does involvement of young children in the physical environment contributes towards their skill development. c) Establish the hindrances of school environment affecting young kids in learning activities. Research Questions i. How does physical environment influence the involvement of kindergarten children in classroom tasks? ii. What contributions do physical environment make towards child’s development skills? iii. What physical environment hindrances affect children during their learning activities? Significance The study will be aid a better understanding to the physical environment, assist in developing programs that suit the needs of young learners with physical environment put into consideration, and add to the existing knowledge. Limitations The study will examine the influence of involving children in planning the physical environment and not the superiority of physical environment in the classroom. Method The setting of the research will be carried out in a complete, four day weekly program running a half a day. The program serves twenty two kids, eleven males and eleven females. The age of the kids in this setting are four years and three years. Twelve kids are four years and ten kids are three years. The classroom educator will comprise a teacher leading the team of two assistants. The program will be arranged in categories of interest clusters as: table plaything, writing, blocks, computer, science, dramatic play, reading, music, and art. The classroom will employ a topic-based style and resources will go around depending on the kid interest (Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 1987). Participants The participants will be kids enrolled in the kindergarten program. The interest cluster preferences of the kids in the program will be observed. Baseline data will be employed to establish which kid will be targeted for involvement. A kid will be incorporated in the involvement if baseline data will indicate that he will be seen as using time not engaged and will be seen as using less than ten percent of his duration in five or more interest clusters. The kids will be categorized into eleven cohorts of two children each (Alberto & Troutman, 2006). Behaviour characterization In the course of free-selection-centre, the kids will able to select amongst the interest clusters set. A kid will be selected as in a specific interest cluster if he will meet the following decisive factors. One is that he will physically be in the borders of the interest clusters, and secondly he will be engaged in consequential, and suitable connections with resources or will be gazing at other kids occupied with resources in that interest cluster. One exemption will be that if the kid will be dressed in dramatic play clothing and interrelating in a responsibility play circumstances or guiding the conduct of other kids associated to resources anywhere in the classroom, the kid will captured as part in dramatic play (Bailey & Burch, 2002). A kid will be captured as not occupied if the kid will not be taking part in any task, will not be gazing at anyone taking part in a task, will be brawling, or will be shown the right way by an educator. If the kid will be observed walking all over the classroom not occupied in any task, the researcher will employ a stopwatch to stay five seconds prior to capturing the kid as not occupied. If the kid will be taking part in the time period presented, then the researcher will capture that is taking part in the task (Alberto & Troutman, 2006). Experimental Design The study will employ a single-theme approach to capture the interest clusters in which every kid will play. This approach observes the execution of a person prior to and throughout an involvement. According to Alberto & Troutman (2006), this approach permits persons to be compared to themselves in place of other categories (Alberto & Troutman, 2006). The control in experimental is established by putting into practice the involvement across situations, persons or behaviours at dissimilar instances in time and getting similar result (Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 1987). The designs depend on clinical connotation instead statistical connotation. The study outcome will have clinical connotation if the involvement of the design end up in improved implementation, an apparent and quantifiable enhancement in implementation for contributors (Alberto & Troutman, 2006). A manifold baseline design (Kazdin, 1982) will be employed to determine the influence of a selection board involvement across persons. When employing a manifold baseline design, there is no necessity to remove involvement to show experimental management. The selection board involvement in this research will be initiated to every cohort in succession to decide if every kid’s selection will change with the initiation of the selection board involvement and to show the functional management of the self-reliant variable (Kazdin, 1982). The procedure will first involve an observation structure. Three graduate assistances will by my observers. They will be given written directions and exercise sessions. They will review the meaning of play in every set cluster together with the main researcher prior to carrying out the examination sessions. The kids will be examined for thirty minutes in the course of the free selection instance. A short time sample will be employed to capture the cluster selection of particular kids. Bailey & Burch (2002) established that a short time sample permits researchers to see the deeds of contestants at set period for an establish duration.This is employed in the study to permit the researcher to carry on with the logically taking place classroom schedule (Bailey & Burch, 2002). The incapability of researcher to capture each task engaged by contestants can be well thought-out a limitation of a short time sample. To manage this limitation, a number of observations will b taken to offer an approximation of frequency that every kid will utilize an interest cluster (Bailey & Burch, 2002). All through every thirty minute observation session, capturing of data will be done at an interval of five minutes. The researcher will observe the kids until a steady pattern of conduct is seen (Kazdin, 1982). In the baseline procedure, kids will be observed for thirty minute examination duration in the free selection centre period. Educator will not be given any directions concerning their conduct or resources in class. The reasons for using baseline data is to allow the researcher establish the interest cluster selection of every kid. The researcher will examine the kids until a steady arrangement of conduct will be observed (Kazdin, 1982). The researcher will make graphical illustration of the selection completed by every kid in the course of baseline. The graphed data will be inspected visually to settle on which kid will take part in the involvement (Kazdin, 1982). Kids will be pointed to take part in the involvement task if they will be seen not occupied. They will be seen as having more recognized low preference interest cluster. An interest cluster is said to be low preference cluster if a kid will spend no more than ten percent in the cluster. The selection board involvement will comprise of a felt panel with board-maker image interaction symbols (Mayer-Johnson, 2003). The board-maker will be situated on the selection board. The symbols in this board will match with symbols that will be positioned at the kid’s eye-point in interest cluster of the class Symbols for interest clusters will be chosen for every kid depending on the centres that will be recognized as that kid’s low preference interest cluster in the baseline state. The preference low interest centre images employed on every kid will rotated. This will give different selection to the kids. The selection board involvement will be put into realization as illustrated. At an interval of five minutes, the researcher will observe every kid taking part in the involvement. If however the kid is not engaging in one of the low preference, the researcher will provide a kid with an option board showing two of the low preference for the kid. The researcher will show to the kid every image while giving a name of the cluster and asking the kid the situation he like playing (Bailey & Burch, 2002). Inter-observer dependability is an assessment showing how data obtained from different observers match (Kazdin, 1982; Cooper et. al., 1987). If observers capture similar behaviour, then the data collected will be representing the true conduct of the contestants (Kazdin, 1982). Kazdin (1982) and Cooper et al (1987) recommend that throughout the research phases, reliability be checked every twenty percent of the observation with interobserver agreement of eighty percent or higher (Kazdin, 1982; Cooper et. al., 1987). Read More