Showing papers in "Journal of Outdoor Education in 2011"
TL;DR: The authors found that natural environments support children's imaginative play, the development of positive relationships and allow for the environment to become a place of learning, and concluded that in order to make effective use of the outdoors, early childhood centres need to provide children with access to the natural environment and teachers who support children in developing a relationship with nature.
Abstract: A growing body of literature indicates that humans need contact with nature for their wellbeing, however at the same time young children are becoming increasingly separated from the natural world as their access to the outdoors diminishes. The importance of school and prior-to-school settings in Connecting children with nature has been acknowledged. This study sought to find out how opportunities to engage with nature would influence children’s play and social behaviours. Two early childhood centres with contrasting outdoor environments were selected for the study, and twelve focus participants were observed over a twelve-week period in concert with interviews and field notes. The findings suggest that natural environments support children’s imaginative play, the development of positive relationships and allows for the environment to become a place of learning. The authors conclude that in order to make effective use of the outdoors, early childhood centres need to provide children with access to the natural environment and teachers who support children in developing a relationship with nature.
168 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the naturalistic decision making processes of leaders of outdoor adventure activities, focusing on field-based identification of the characteristics of leadership experience, followed by their use under controlled experimental conditions employing computer simulations.
Abstract: The purpose of this research was to examine the naturalistic decision making processes of leaders of outdoor adventure activities. The research focus was on field-based identification of the characteristics of leadership experience, followed by their use under controlled experimental conditions employing computer simulations. The sample consisted of 104 experienced outdoor leaders and enabled examination of the differences between intermediate and advanced performance in recognition-primed decision making. The outcomes provide laboratory-based support for the information that leaders’ attend to in making a decision. Consistent with naturalistic decision making, the advanced leaders processed information within an option rather than examining information across options. A higher level of familiarity with the setting predisposed the application of expertise and gave increased confidence in the decision made. Applications of this research include the use of computer simulations in outdoor leadership training.
16 citations