Outdoors as an arena for science learning and physical education in kindergarten

The study investigates how kindergartens use outdoor time as a resource for learning activities in science and physical education. The researchers are interested in kindergarten employees’ perceptions of how they work with these topics, with a focus on outdoor play and learning. The research questions are: 1) How often and with what type of activities do kindergarten teachers work with science and physical education? 2) Are there differences in how kindergarten teachers work with these activities indoors, in the kindergarten’s outdoor areas and on trips in nature outside the kindergarten? 3) What do kindergarten teachers find challenging when working with these topics?

The informants said that they often worked with both science and physical education, but that this happened more often as a result of spontaneous situations rather than planned activities. They emphasised that different science topics and movement experiences depended on the environment they were in, and highlighted nature as a place that offered many opportunities for spontaneous activities. The researchers believe it is worrying that one in four kindergarten employees said that they only worked sporadically with these topics. In addition, they seemed to have less knowledge about, and were less prepared for, working on science activities than physical education.

The data material consists of responses to a questionnaire and focus group interviews with twelve kindergarten employees in nine kindergartens in a small, rural municipality in Norway. The informants mainly worked with children in the three to six age group. One of the kindergartens was a nature kindergarten.

Skarstein, T. H. & Ugelstad, I. B. (2020). «Outdoors as an arena for science learning and physical education in kindergarten”. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 28:6(923-938).