The introduction of the Foundation Phase gave a unique opportunity to study the interpretation and delivery of a play-based early childhood curriculum. This new curriculum saw the disappearance of Physical Education for pupils under the age of seven in Wales. Physical Education is acknowledged as more than the development of physical competence, being part of a process concerned with lifelong physical, intellectual, social and emotional learning accrued through a range of physical activities, in a variety of contexts (Doherty and Brennan, 2008). As such a goal of Physical Education is physical literacy, (Hardman, 2011; Talbot, 2007). In light of this, this research set out to explore the contribution of the Foundation Phase to the development of children’s physical literacy. In order to achieve this, a three-phase complementarity mixed-methods design (Greene et al., 1989) was used to generate data over two years in selected schools in Wales. The schools were found to be enacting the Foundation Phase with fidelity to the original aims of the policy makers by demonstrating the key features of play-based active learning, focused adult-led sessions, child-initiated learning, and use of the outdoors for learning. In so doing they were deemed to be successful in achieving the aim of the Foundation Phase of developing independent, motivated active learners. The Foundation Phase was also found to be supporting the development of children’s cognitive development with good levels of achievement in literacy and numeracy assessments. The playful pedagogy observed in the schools enabled the pupils to have autonomy in their learning. Pupils were motivated, active and engaged in embodied learning both indoors and outdoors. The findings indicated that the Foundation Phase was making a positive contribution to the development of children’s physical literacy.

Symphony of the spheres in change? Learning in environment for sustainable development in primary school with a scientific and longitudinal approach. This research deals with learning in science, including learning in environment for sustainable development. Learning in environment and sustainable development are obligatory perspectives in science as well as in other school subjects. The longitudinal study started in 2003, concerning 28 pupils nine years of age in a city in southern Sweden. Data collection has been caught in the pupils’ science lessons from year 2003 to 2006. In order to analyse the pupils’ development of concepts in science and in environment for sustainable development, I have videotaped a lot of sequences from the science lessons and followed up with questionnaires and questions in interviews. Stimulated recall is used to find the teacher’s intentions and reactions on the outcome of the lessons. The results are analysed according to the Earth System Science (ESS) model. It is a model, which describes the relations and interactions between the natural spheres: the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere as well as the biosphere, including man, and the technosphere/anthroposphere. The longitudinal approach resulted in important findings regarding the changes in the pupils’ answers over time. They develop complicated 'concept webs'. The concepts found among the pupils in this study are e.g. the hydrological cycle; life; soil; water in every day life; pollution; non-polluting busses as well as waste; collecting batteries; corrosion; greenhouse and the increasing greenhouse effect. Some concepts e.g. the hydrological cycle, life and soil can from the beginning be classified as concepts used in science, but also to describe what happens in the environment. Concepts as pollution; non-polluting busses; collecting batteries; corrosion; greenhouse and increasing greenhouse effect are used by the pupils to express relations and interactions in and between the natural spheres including man. The relation between man and nature is for the pupils an area of conflicts through the entire study when the pupils from a scientific approach will be aware of the impact on living ecosystems including themselves, today and in the future. The concepts are often connected to each other in a more or less complicated network, 'concepts webs'. The obtained results indicate that the Socratic dialogue is a possible and successful method to use for the development of pupils’ concepts in environmental questions and issues. Another finding in the study is how different methods, e.g. Play and learning, support environmental learning and learning for sustainable development during the science lessons. Play is important in integrated learning and gives opportunity to understand others’ perspectives, Theory of mind. The results indicate an integrated learning process by the pupils, implying in what way they express human impact on nature.

This research deals with learning in science, including learning in environment for sustainable development. Learning in environment and sustainable development are obligatory perspectives in science as well as in other school subjects. The longitudinal study started in 2003, concerning 28 pupils nine years of age in a city in southern Sweden. Data collection has been caught in the pupils’ science lessons from year 2003 to 2006. In order to analyse the pupils’ development of concepts in science and in environment for sustainable development, I have videotaped a lot of sequences from the science lessons and followed up with questionnaires and questions in interviews. Stimulated recall is used to find the teacher’s intentions and reactions on the outcome of the lessons. The results are analysed according to the Earth System Science (ESS) model. It is a model, which describes the relations and interactions between the natural spheres: the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere as well as the biosphere, including man, and the technosphere/anthroposphere. The longitudinal approach resulted in important findings regarding the changes in the pupils’ answers over time. They develop complicated 'concept webs'. The concepts found among the pupils in this study are e.g. the hydrological cycle; life; soil; water in every day life; pollution; non-polluting busses as well as waste; collecting batteries; corrosion; greenhouse and the increasing greenhouse effect. Some concepts e.g. the hydrological cycle, life and soil can from the beginning be classified as concepts used in science, but also to describe what happens in the environment. Concepts as pollution; non-polluting busses; collecting batteries; corrosion; greenhouse and increasing greenhouse effect are used by the pupils to express relations and interactions in and between the natural spheres including man. The relation between man and nature is for the pupils an area of conflicts through the entire study when the pupils from a scientific approach will be aware of the impact on living ecosystems including themselves, today and in the future. The concepts are often connected to each other in a more or less complicated network, 'concepts webs'. The obtained results indicate that the Socratic dialogue is a possible and successful method to use for the development of pupils’ concepts in environmental questions and issues. Another finding in the study is how different methods, e.g. Play and learning, support environmental learning and learning for sustainable development during the science lessons. Play is important in integrated learning and gives opportunity to understand others’ perspectives, Theory of mind. The results indicate an integrated learning process by the pupils, implying in what way they express human impact on nature.

Den här studien handlar om äventyrspedagogik som metod där syftet är att utforska och bidra med förståelse för vad den pedagogiska metoden äventyrspedagogik innebär. Frågeställningarna som valdes ut för att svara upp till syftet berör hur och varför förskollärare arbetar med äventyrspedagogik, hur förskollärare ser på äventyrspedagogikens möjligheter att stimulera barns lek och lärande samt vilka pedagogiska utmaningar som finns i arbetssättet. Studien är av kvalitativ ansats och semistrukturerade intervjuer har använts som metod för att svara upp till frågeställningarna. För att kunna få ett resultat bearbetades teman och kategorier fram utifrån de transkriberade intervjuerna. Urvalsgruppen innefattar fem förskollärare från två olika förskolor i två olika kommuner som arbetar med äventyrspedagogik som metod i sin vardagliga verksamhet. Fyra av dessa förskollärare har läst Furmarks (1999) kurs i äventyrspedagogik som ges vid Luleå Tekniska universitet. Resultatet på studien visar på ett stort engagemang hos de berörda förskollärarna, där flera fått en nytändning i sin yrkesprofession. Samtliga respondenter svarade att lek uppstod utifrån de erfarenheter barn förvärvar i ett äventyr samt att lek och lärande hör ihop med varandra. Den kunskap som barn får genom äventyrspedagogik är bland annat samarbete och den sociala utvecklingen barn emellan. De pedagogiska utmaningar som belystes var frågor om tid, materiella resurser, språk samt funktionsnedsättningar.

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.

Syftet med studien är att ge en fördjupad förståelse kring hur pedagogers och barns positioner förändras då pedagoger går in i barninitierad lek. Detta undersöktes med hjälp av de teoretiska begreppen som om, som är, agency, metakommunikation och alteritet. För att besvara frågeställningarna användes en kvalitativ metod och observationer. Som teori har studien tagit utgångspunkt i lekresponsiv undervisningsteori. Insamlad data analyserades sedan med hjälp av en tematisk analys. Studiens resultat visar att pedagogens deltagande i en barninitierad lek påverkar de deltagande barnen i leken samt påverkar leken och dess utveckling. Studiens slutsats blev därmed att ett pedagogiskt deltagande kan utspela sig på tre olika sätt. Pedagogen kan delta på ett intensivt sätt som resulterar i att barnen kan bli störda i leken och kan behöva avbryta den. Pedagogen kan delta försiktigt där barnen kan fortsätta sin lek med stöttning från en pedagog.Pedagogen kan bli inbjuden av barnen och göra att pedagogen kan delta på barnens villkor. Dessa tre sätt visar i sin tur att pedagogens agerande i sitt deltagande påverkar barnen och deras fria lek. Med användning av de teoretiska begreppen har det skapats en förståelse för samspelet och vikten av att anpassa sitt bemötande som pedagog i barninitierade lekar. / The purpose of the study is to give a deeper understanding regarding how educators and childrens positions change when the educators participate in child-initiated play. This was investigated through theoretical concepts such as: as-if, as-is, agency, metacommunication, and alterity. To answer these questions observations together with a qualitative method was used. The study is founded on play-responsive learning theory. Data was collected and analyzed using thematic analysis. The study shows that educators participation in child-initiated play affects the participating children as well as the play and its development. The conclusion of the study is that pedagogical participation can occur in three different ways. The educator can participate intensely, leading to the children being disturbed and needing to interrupt their play. The educator can participate cautiously, which means that the children are allowed to continue their play with support from the educator. The educator can lastly be invited by the children and participate on their terms. These three ways display that the educators actions in participation have an impact on the childrens free play. Through theoretical concepts, the study highlights the importance of adapting to the needs of children in child-initiated play, and the importance of the interaction between educators and children.

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This Master’s thesis aims to fill the research gaps by providing a study that clearly defines and concretizes the social benefits in river restorations. By further analysing the significance of the social benefits the aim is further to gain a better understanding of the factors that enable people to reap greater social benefits in river restoration. Given the dearth in research, an exploratory research approach is chosen to guide this thesis, on the premises that it provides and generates greater descriptions and broader understandings of the social benefits in river restorations. In addition, the exploratory approach enables analysis and arguments using both primary and secondary research methods, which are applied through literature reviews, official website analysis and interviews with representatives of the single organizations. The factors considered to constitute the social benefits in river restoration are well-being, aesthetics, recreation, play and learn, cultural expression, social cohesion and sense of belonging. When analysing the key factors that enable people to benefit from the social benefits of river restoration, the recognition includes relational values, active citizenship, public participation, knowledge sharing and social dynamics. In addition, the data collected from the single organizations indicate different levels of citizens’ activity and participation, i.e., semi-active, participating, active and highly active. Lastly, this thesis’ contribution to the research field is of great value, as the main findings demonstrate a coherence and consistency between the theoretical reasonings and the identifications of the four single organizations.

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