I denna kvalitativa intervjustudie undersöks idrottslärares friluftsundervisning, på skolor i nordvästra Götalandsregionen. Studiens centrala frågeställningar är att undersöka vilka; attityder och erfarenheter, ramar, samt didaktiska tillvägagångsätt, som råder i friluftsundervisningen, och syftet är att undersöka friluftsundervisningens samband med dessa. I studien framkommer det bland annat att: Lärarna har liknande attityder och erfarenheter till friluftsliv, samt att deras syn verkar ha präglats av erfarenheter i senare åldrar. Lärarna är förhållandevis nöjda med de konstitutionella-, organisatoriska- och fysiska ramar som finns, men uppfattar samtidigt att dessa ramar är faktorer som påverkar friluftsundervisningen i hög grad. Lärarna försöker prioritera ämnesområdet friluftsliv i högre grad än tidigare, men de har lite olika didaktiska tillvägagångssätt. För att ta reda på detta används kvalitativa och semistrukturerade intervjuer som metod, där fem olika lärare på fem olika skolor, i nordvästra Götaland, har intervjuats. Studien förankras i tre teoretiska utgångspunkter; habitusteori, ramfaktorsteori och didaktik. / In this qualitative interview study PE-teachers perceptions of outdoor teaching in schools in the North-West region of Götaland, in Sweden, were examined. The following key issues were examined; attitudes and experiences, frameworks, as well as didactic approach, which prevails in outdoor education, and the aim was to investigate outdoor education related to these factors. The study reveals, among other things, that: The teachers have similar attitudes and experiences for outdoor recreation. Their vision seems to have been marked by experiences in later ages. The teachers are relatively satisfied with the constitutional, organizational and physical frameworks of today, but that those frames are factors that affect outdoor teaching. The teachers try to prioritize the field of outdoor activities to a greater extent than in the past, but they have slightly different didactical approaches. In order to investigate these issues, qualitative and semi-structured interviews were used as a method for data collection. Five different teachers at five different schools, in North-West of Götaland, has been interviewed. The study was anchored in three theoretical frameworks; habitus theory, frame factor theory and didactics.

This practicum investigates the application of ecological literacy theory to the practice of landscape architecture. Ecological literacy can be defined as the ability to comprehend the complex relationships of one’s surrounding environment and live life with greater environmental sensitivity. The Lake Winnipeg watershed is home to over 5 million people, and draws its water from four Canadian provinces and four American states. With the anthropogenic manipulation of the landscape, native watershed functions like water retention and filtration have been compromised. Each year, increasing amounts of phosphorus enter the lake from agricultural and urban fertilisers and effluents. This nutrient loading creates algal blooms toxic to humans and other species that rely on the lake for survival. The proposed programmatic framework and design interventions are intended to address these impacts by fostering watershed sustainability and ecological literacy, while engaging citizens in the processes associated with increasing local ecological integrity.

This is a licentiate dissertation consisting of a summarizing section and two free-standing but coherent articles, one of which has previously been published in ascientific journal while the other is accepted for publication. The unifying link is the theme of attempting to establish the kernel of outdoor education, as it isunderstood by teachers active in the field. The study depicts with the help of semi-structured interviews the respondents’ conceptions of teaching and outdooreducation. The first article is a survey (accomplished in A - School and B - School) of teachers’ perceptions of learning and teaching outdoors in preschool – (to) thefirst year of the compulsory school. The second article is a study of teachers’ perceptions of the possible special nature of outdoor education after having experiencedan educational intervention in the subject (preschool to first year). Both articles treat the special nature of outdoor education coupled with learning and outdoorteaching in light of the overall research question, what perceptions do teachers have of learning and teaching outdoors? The summarizing section which discusses thetwo articles is divided into five different parts. Chapter I comprises a social and environmental analysis and indicates the need for research in the field of outdoor education. Chapter II deals with the aim, issuesand theoretical perspectives of learning which are tied to knowledge through action, ecological readability and bodily learning. A number of restricted examples areselected among theoreticians and representatives of these three perspectives within the reform pedagogy movement, American pragmatism, the environmental studymovement and theories of the phenomenology of the body, the learning body in movement. The methodological basis for the analysis of the two articles is phenomenographic and is described in Chapter III. In Chapter IV the possible special nature ofoutdoor education is analysed, noting what stands out as especially prominent in the respondents’ answers and in what way, proceeding from questions such as what isoutdoor education for you, what is the difference between learning outdoors and indoors, and why teach outdoors? Four categories of response can be distinguished: aplace for learning, a way of learning, an object of learning and bodily learning. At the end of Chapter IV the results of both articles are summarised. Finally, Chapter Vcomprises a discussion proceeding from a metacategorisation of all descriptive categories from both articles. The discussion has led to the identification of threethematised perspectives, namely the place perspective, the environment perspective and the body perspective. These perspectives, place, environment and body, arelinked back to the technical frame of reference in Chapter II. The result of the two part studies, the survey study in article 1 and the educational intervention in article 2, indicates a multiplicity of varied perceptions of thespecial nature of outdoor education and can thus be said to characterise this as richly diversified. As regards teachers’ notions of the principal reasons for learning andteaching outdoors, the following four aspects are foregrounded: the place for learning the object of learning the way of learning bodily learning Two main categories were identified in article 2 which are treated in education in the subject after a five-day course (10 half study days), teachers who perceive aspecial nature in outdoor education and teachers who do not. Both main categories crystallised out after the educational intervention was implemented in Byskolan andStadsskolan (the Village School and the Town School), the latter being the reference school. One year after the completion of the educational intervention mostteachers in the Village School associated the special nature of outdoor education with a more authentic, body and sensory experience related, movement intensive and health promoting learning than traditional learning in the classroom. Proceeding from a metacategorisation the three above-mentioned thematised perspectives are described in Chapter V. These reflect the identified responsecategories in articles 1 and 2. The analysis of the empirical material of the investigation reveals that the special nature of outdoor education from the respondents´ perspective is related to place,to the environment and to the body. / <p>Serienumret är felaktigt i avhandlingen och skall vara 251.</p>

Thesis (MEd) -- Macquarie University, Australian Centre for Educational Studies, School of Education, 2008. / Bibliography: leaves 86-89.

<p>Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka vilka möjligheter samt hinder pedagoger verksamma inom tre olikt profilerade förskolor ser med utomhuspedagogik och utomhusmatematik i förskolans verksamhet samt att lyfta fram likheter och skillnader i pedagogernas synsätt relaterat till förskoleprofilen.</p><p>En kvalitativ forskningsansats har använts med intervju som metod. Sex pedagoger har intervjuats - två pedagoger på en Reggio Emilia - inspirerad förskola, två på en I ur och skur förskola samt två på två olika oprofilerade förskolor.</p><p>Resultatet av studien bygger på vår tolkning av pedagogernas utsagor och visar att pedagogerna, oavsett profilering, ser övervägande fler möjligheter än hinder med utomhuspedagogiken och utomhusmatematiken. De möjligheter som framkommit i resultatet beskrivs med hjälp följande rubriker; konkret och sinnligt lärande, hälsa, socialt samspel, motorisk utveckling, eget ansvar, fysiska miljön, naturmaterial och pedagogens inställning. De hinder som resultatet pekar på är relaterade till faktorer som tid, personalbrist, material, väder och pedagogens inställning. Samtliga pedagoger ser möjligheter med den sinnliga inlärningen och den grovmotoriska träningen utomhus. De poängterar vikten av medvetenhet hos pedagogen för att kunna fånga de lärandetillfällen som utomhuspedagogiken och utomhusmatematiken erbjuder. Skillnaderna mellan pedagogernas syn på utomhuspedagogik och utomhusmatematik förefaller vara relativt obetydliga. Ett mönster som gick att uppfatta tyder på att pedagogerna på I ur och skur - förskolan urskiljde sig något från de övriga pedagogerna som deltog i studien och att profileringarna tycks ha en viss betydelse i synsättet på utomhuspedagogiken och utomhusmatematiken i förskolans verksamhet.</p> / <p> </p><p>The aim of this study was to find out what possibilities and what obstacles preschool pedagogues’ in three different preschool profiles see with outdoor education and outdoor mathematics, and to find out if their views differ in these three preschool profiles.</p><p>The study was done with a qualitative direction with qualitative interviews as an approach. Six preschool pedagogues’ were interviewed, two from a Reggio Emilia –preschool, two from an outdoor profiled preschool (I ur och skur) and two from twodifferent preschools without any profile.</p><p>The result of the study is an interpretation of the preschool pedagogues’ statements.The result shows that, regardless the profile, the preschool pedagogues’ see mostly possibilities with outdoor education and outdoor mathematics. The possibilities’ revealed are presented under the following headings: a concrete learning with all senses involved, health, social interaction, motor development, natural materials and the preschool teachers’ attitude. The obstacles that were found through this study are related to facts as: time, lack of personnel, material, weather and the preschool pedagogues’ attitude. All the pedagogues’ see possibilities of learning with all senses and the gross motor training outdoors. They stress the importance of the consciousness of the pedagogue in recognising and using the opportunities of learning given by outdoor education and outdoor mathematics. The view of the pedagogues’ on outdoor education and outdoor mathematics seem relatively insignificant. There are certain indications that the views of the pedagogues’ at the preschool with an outdoor profile, differ from the others included in the study. The preschool profile seems to have a certain effect on the views and use of outdoor education and outdoor mathematics in preschools.</p>

The thesis deals with outdoor teaching of mathematics at primary school level. It develops the current interest in outdoor teaching using current innovative learning methods. Its focus is to serve as an inspirational resource for teaching mathematics in the area where a pupil grows up and, on the contrary, to learn about his surroundings through teaching mathematics. It relies partly on teaching via schema-oriented education, but seeks to demonstrate the benefits of outdoor teaching regardless of the style of teaching. It describes and analyzes the specific features, benefits and challenges associated with outdoor learning. The work uses Czech and foreign sources to familiarize the reader with the basic phenomena that arise in connection with the learning process. Their role is pointed out on specific outdoor activities. Detailed analyzes of these activities work in the broader sense as examples of how to lead pupils to enjoy understanding mathematical laws in a non-school environment.

Outdoor education as a cultural construct comprises outdoor activities, personal and social development, and environmental education. However, the learning process within the Chinese educational system is mainly based on traditional models of teaching. As a relatively new and progressive teaching method, outdoor education tries to find and consolidate its place within the existing educational system. Thus, the aim of the current research is to investigate Chinese primary school teachers' perceptions and experience in outdoor education. Specifically, ten Chinese primary school teachers reported their views and experiences about outdoor education. The current research uses qualitative approach methodology, which specifically is thematic analysis of data extracted from semi-structured interviews with those ten Chinese primary school teachers. From the thematic analysis of the data four themes emerged to report the participants' opinions. The participants revealed their basic knowledge and perceptions about outdoor education and presented examples including some characteristics of outdoor education. However, they emphasized outdoor activities more than other characteristics and tend to consider outdoor education as environmental education, without other essential aims, theories and practices that defined this multidimensional approach. Besides, although Chinese education is still based on traditional teaching and learning approach, the participants showed the willingness to enrich their classes in various ways. The outdoor activities in their classes were mainly combined observation and participation. The participants also revealed that the places they chose were mainly schoolyard and other places out of the classroom but still within the school. Moreover, Chinese primary school teachers acknowledged several benefits of practicing outdoor education such as stimulating multi-senses to help experience, improving social relation and both mental and physical health, promoting educational knowledge and attitude, developing creativity and imagination, and increasing interest and participation. Additionally, the participants reported several barriers that suppress their willingness of practicing outdoor education, such as restricted time, limited place, large population, lack of financial support, air pollution situation, weather factor, insufficient pedagogical training, lack of preparation, teachers' attitude and preference. It is highlighted by the participants that air pollution situation and large population are two essential factors that prevent them applying outdoor education. The above findings contribute to the current limited scientific knowledge concerning the practice of outdoor education in the context of China. Thus, further qualitative research is a prerequisite so that the results of the current research can be testified and be further discussed.

Outdoor education in the UK has been growing in popularity and with it a further understanding of its benefits. Research shows that many young people still don’t access natural environments and many educators still struggle with how to provide them. This is particularly prevalent in urban environments where spatial inequality has been linked to a decline in health, well-being and personal development. Community mapping involves a community coming together to create a map of their locality and share local knowledge. This can take many forms. Sometimes it might be a traditional cartographic map while other times it may be stories, sculptures or poems. In this research I explore how community mapping can be used as a pedagogical tool, looking particularly at how it can help educators approach outdoor education in an urban environment. I take a teacher action research approach, inspired by previous art-based approaches to educational inquiry. Through doing a community mapping project with two groups of 8 to 10 year olds on an urban farm in central London I share the visable and often invisible components of our pedagogies, including children’s voices and work as well as the voice of myself and another educators, reflecting on the realities of outdoor education in an urban environment. I discover the cross curricular possibilities that such a project brings, the spaces it opens up for us to learn from children’s voices and the many ways in which community mapping can be used to address aims and goals of the UK primary curriculum. Community mapping can help educators overcome a lack of confidence in how to approach outdoor learning. The child-led nature of projects can allow children and educators to work together to co-create their understanding of the locality, noticing the small details they hadn’t seen before. It can provide a space for educators to learn more about how the young people they work with see the world around them while also providing authentic experiences that can be utilized in wider classroom learning. This research allows other educators to take away what resonates with them, with their experiences and pedagogies, and use these new understandings to enhance their own educational practices in their own settings.

The study explores the incorporation of Environmental Education (EE) for sustainability in the Namibian Colleges of Education. The thrust is held in this study because of the view that the incorporation of EE promotes sustainable development. Cross-curricular teaching is the preferred model for the incorporation of EE in the Namibian Colleges of Education because it brings all teacher educators to contribute to the teaching of environmental education themes just as sustainable development requires all players to incorporate its principles in core operations of institutions. The study explores the global environment crisis, the environmental degradation in Africa in general and Namibia in particular. Education is seen as an instrument that could be used to address the environmental problems that affect the ability of the ecosystem to regulate climate, to provide resources and to support natural and human life in the broader environment. The study presented the EE goals such as the ecological foundation, the conceptual awareness: issues and values, investigation and evaluation as well as the environmental action, training and application. The study explores theoretical perspectives for the incorporation of EE, theories of modern environmentalism and theories of sustainability as well as policies that were undertaken in Namibia to incorporate EE in the Namibian Colleges of Education. The methodology of research is both quantitative and qualitative and is rooted in the classical and grounded theory approaches to research. The documentation of data and the questionnaire were used as techniques and tools to collect both direct and indirect data. It emerged from the findings of the study that the ecological foundation and the conceptual awareness subgoals are part of EE teaching while the investigation and evaluation as well as the environmental action, training and application subgoals are not part of EE teaching in the Namibian Colleges of Education. The findings of the study reveal that teacher educators in the Namibian Colleges of Education have a variety of understandings and perceptions about the incorporation of EE in the Namibian Colleges of Education. The findings also show that the barriers that affect the incorporation of EE in the Namibian Colleges of Education are institutional, dispositional and situational. The recommendations of the study support the clarification of the concept of cross-curricular teaching in light of the emerging paradigm of sustainable development. They also promote the re-orientation of the administration, the curriculum and teacher educator attitudes in the Namibian Colleges of Education. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Didactics)

Syftet med studien är att ta reda på i vilken utsträckning lärare använder sig av utomhusundervisning och vilka ämnen som är vanligast att lärare planerar och genomför med hjälp av utemiljö. Dessutom avser studien att undersöka om de anser att det finns eventuella hinder eller fördelar med att undervisa utomhus och vad dessa skulle kunna utgöras av. För att visa vilka hinder och fördelar som finns med arbetsmetoden har litteratur och tidigare forskning inom området granskats. Undersökningen är utförd med hjälp av enkäter samt tillhörande intervjuer för att få ett mer djup på svaren som respondenterna har avgett i enkäterna. Matematik var det ämne som lärarna i undersökningen använde sig av mest i sin undervisning utomhus. Det hinder som de flesta lärare ansåg fanns var personalbrist, medan det bland fördelarna ansågs vara att eleverna får bättre hälsa av att få undervisning utomhus. Samtidigt lyfts det fram att en undervisning utomhus bör kompletteras med undervisningen inomhus för att kunna tillgodose alla elevernas olika lärstilar. / The purpose of the study is to find out to what extent teachers use outdoor education and what subjects are most common for teachers to plan and implement with the help of outdoor environments. In addition, the study intends to investigate if they consider that there are any obstacles or benefits of teaching outdoors and what these could be. To show the obstacles and benefits of the working method, literature and previous research in the field have been examined. The survey was conducted by means of questionnaires and related interviews in order to gain a deeper understanding of the answers the respondents have given in the questionnaires. Interesting was to see that mathematics is the subject that the teachers in the survey use most of their teaching outdoors. The obstacle most teachers felt was the lack of staff, while it was among the benefits that students were better offspring of teaching outdoors. At the same time it is argued that outdoor teaching should be supplemented with the teaching in-house to accommodate all the students' different learning styles.