Over the last 25 years geographers, amongst other social scientists, have become increasingly interested in the lived experience of childhood (Cloke and Jones, 2005). One area of interest has been children’s environmental access, with a focus on independent access, mobility and play (Thomson and Philo, 2004). The dominant narrative of this work has been focused on the decreasing quantity and quality of children’s natural environment experiences (Valentine and McKendrick, 1997), positioned primarily as a result of changing approaches to risk perception and management, in both families and schools (Malone, 2007). This thesis explores children’s own perspectives, specifically looking at the lived experiences of learning disabled children, a group largely absent from geographical research (bar Goodfellow, 2012; and Holt, 2010). A mixed qualitative methods approach is used, borrowing from participatory geography techniques and using a range of media including video diaries. The thesis finds that learning disabled young people experience stigma in their interactions with outdoor spaces that are characterised by being highly structured and supervised. As a result learning disabled young people struggle to develop skills and interests in accessing outdoor spaces, and do not utilise outdoor green spaces as sites of peaceful solitude or landscapes of socialising. This research contributes to children’s geographies through the interpretation of new empirical data and the development of methodological approaches for including learning disabled young people in research.

Nine teenage participants and two adult guides were followed throughout a 10 day white water canoe trip to investigate the relationship between their impressions of connection with nature and the canoe trip experience, and their interactions with nature and the canoe trip experience. Themes providing a description of these relationships were identified and three major findings emerged. The first was that multiple themes mediating participants’ connectedness with nature did so both towards connection and disconnection. The second was that participants’ state of comfort was related to an impression of connection with nature while their state of discomfort was related to an impression of disconnection from nature. The third was that the relationship between participants’ connectedness and interactions with nature differed depending on the context (e.g., nature versus civilization). Possible directions for future research include investigating changes in participants’ conception of nature and the relationship between comfort and connection with nature.

Nine teenage participants and two adult guides were followed throughout a 10 day white water canoe trip to investigate the relationship between their impressions of connection with nature and the canoe trip experience, and their interactions with nature and the canoe trip experience. Themes providing a description of these relationships were identified and three major findings emerged. The first was that multiple themes mediating participants’ connectedness with nature did so both towards connection and disconnection. The second was that participants’ state of comfort was related to an impression of connection with nature while their state of discomfort was related to an impression of disconnection from nature. The third was that the relationship between participants’ connectedness and interactions with nature differed depending on the context (e.g., nature versus civilization). Possible directions for future research include investigating changes in participants’ conception of nature and the relationship between comfort and connection with nature.

Nine teenage participants and two adult guides were followed throughout a 10 day white water canoe trip to investigate the relationship between their impressions of connection with nature and the canoe trip experience, and their interactions with nature and the canoe trip experience. Themes providing a description of these relationships were identified and three major findings emerged. The first was that multiple themes mediating participants’ connectedness with nature did so both towards connection and disconnection. The second was that participants’ state of comfort was related to an impression of connection with nature while their state of discomfort was related to an impression of disconnection from nature. The third was that the relationship between participants’ connectedness and interactions with nature differed depending on the context (e.g., nature versus civilization). Possible directions for future research include investigating changes in participants’ conception of nature and the relationship between comfort and connection with nature.

The environment of knowledge exchange between computation and biology elicits a contemporary approach towards architecture. Computation, as an overarching mode of thinking, instructs the analysis, understanding and reinterpretation of the un-formal structure of natural organizations (such as systematic construct, information flow, and process through time) for architectural form generation. Consequently, the computing theory originates a mind-shift where processes, relations, and dependencies are a major concern for reconsidering and re-comprehending the environment. Besides, computation presents universal modes of thinking and tools for modeling, within which transdisciplinary studies and knowledge interchange between distinct disciplines are flourished. This thesis will discuss architectural form generation through interpreting computation as &ldquo / transcoding&rdquo / and an interface, while nature will be regarded as a &ldquo / model&rdquo / and a source for learning. A case study will be conducted by analyzing cactus plants and their common generative logic in the framework of computation. Consequently, the produced computational model of cactus plants will be scrutinized for probable outcomes, questioning what such a re-interpretation of natural systems may imply for architecture.

This diploma thesis deals with the arthropod strain as a suitable taxon model in learning about the nature at the first grade of a primary school. The methodological analysis of using the animal strain explains the reasons why the arthropods are used in teaching natural science lessons and provides specific characteristics and manifestations of living organisms, which are possible to be demonstrated on it. The second part of the literature review presents the status of learning about the nature according to the Framework educational program and representation of arthropods in czech textbooks of the natural sciences. The thesis is a collection of newly created exercises for a first degree pupils of primary education, using the selected representatives of arthropods. These tasks use the methods of the direct study of nature and the elements of contemporary popular research-oriented teaching.

The theme of the diploma thesis is allergens in the teaching of natural science, biology and chemistry. The subject and its aim is to find out the presence of allergens in selected classes of natural sciences (natural sciences, biology, chemistry) as well as the level of awareness of problems of allergies and allergens from teachers and pupils of elementary schools and grammar schools and to compare whether teachers of selected subjects take into account Creating climate climate for allergic pupils. The thesis consists of theoretical and practical part. The first part summarizes all theoretical knowledge, including the theme of allergies and allergens. It deals with the concept of allergy from the historical point of view, it characterizes the general importance of allergies and its connection with the immune system, it presents individual risk factors influencing the origin and development of allergic disease. A large part of the theoretical part describes allergic diseases including their manifestations, diagnosis and follow-up treatment, and also the individual types of allergens that are classified according to their effects on the organism. Last but not least, the chapter deals with the presence of allergens in the school environment. Also in this part the pedagogical documents - RVP and ŠVP...

Titel: Oändliga möjligheter i naturen - En intervjustudie om förskollärares uppfattning om lek och lärandet i naturen Syftet med studien är att bidra med kunskap om förskollärarens syn på utomhuspedagogiken i naturen för att främja barns lek och lärande i förskolan. För att ge svar på syftet intervjuades fyra förskollärare om deras uppfattning av utomhuspedagogiken i naturen.Resultatet visar att utomhuspedagogiken är viktig för barns lek och lärande och att det finns oändligt med möjligheter i naturen och att läroplanens mål går lätt att göra utomhus. Det är bara förskollärarna själva som sätter gränserna. Förskollärarna tycker dock att det är viktigt att planera upp en aktivitet, så att det inte bara blir fri lek. De upplever också att de inte fått mycket undervisning om ämnet, vilket kan göra att de inte vet hur de ska ha utomhuspedagogik med barnen. Leken är grunden i förskolans verksamhet. Alla barn leker och genom leken så lär barnen sig och genom leken får barnen också ett lustfyllt lärande. Barnen lär sig lättare om de har roligt under leken. För att främja barnens lek och lärande utgår förskollärarna ifrån barnens intresse, för att komma åt det lustfyllda lärandet och ett lärande kan bli möjligt. / Title: Endless possibilities in nature - An interview study of preschool teachers' perceptions of play and learning in nature The purpose of the study is to contribute with knowledge about the preschool teacher's view of outdoor pedagogy in nature to promote children's play and learning in preschool. To provide an answer to the purpose, four preschool teachers were interviewed about their perception of outdoor pedagogy in nature. The results show that outdoor pedagogy is important for children's play and learning and that there are endless opportunities in nature and that the curriculum's goals are easy to do outdoors. Only the preschool teachers themselves set the boundaries. However, preschool teachers think that it is important to plan an activity, so that it does not just be free play. They also experience that they have not received much teaching on the subject, which may mean that they do not know how to have outdoor pedagogy with the children. Play is the basis of preschool activities. All children play and through play the children learn and through play the children also get a fun-filled learning. Children learn more easily if they have fun during play. To promote the children's play and learning, the preschool teachers start from the children's interest, to access the fun-filled learning and a learning can be possible.