Forest Trips as a Method of Adventure Education in Early Childhood Setting
Hakanpää, Linnea (2021)
Hakanpää, Linnea
2021
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2021052410876
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2021052410876
Tiivistelmä
The purpose of this thesis was to investigate how adventure education can be integrated into early childhood setting. More specifically its aim was to explore how forest trips can be utilized as a method of adventure education at Pilke Laajalahti, a private daycare centre in Espoo, who is the commissioner of this thesis. The thesis has been supplemented by an adventure educational activity guidebook, which includes examples of activities for forest trips in accordance with the annual pedagogical strategy plan of Pilke Laajalahti. The thesis is particularly timely, as the popularity of adventure education has grown in the recent years and the employees at Pilke Laajalahti had a need for a concrete approach towards the topic.
First, a theoretical framework was developed in order to understand how adventure education can be applied in early childhood setting. The theoretical framework was then complemented with qualitative research methods of observations and interviews with the children as well as community-based participatory development method of brainstorming with the commissioner. Based on this research a pilot forest trip was designed and utilized when compiling the adventure educational activity guidebook, which is the end product of this thesis.
It was discovered that there is room to integrate adventure education as a permanent part of the curriculum of Pilke Laajalahti and forest trips are one viable method of doing so. In the future, it would also be interesting to study what other methods of adventure and outdoor education could be applied at Pilke Laajalahti.
First, a theoretical framework was developed in order to understand how adventure education can be applied in early childhood setting. The theoretical framework was then complemented with qualitative research methods of observations and interviews with the children as well as community-based participatory development method of brainstorming with the commissioner. Based on this research a pilot forest trip was designed and utilized when compiling the adventure educational activity guidebook, which is the end product of this thesis.
It was discovered that there is room to integrate adventure education as a permanent part of the curriculum of Pilke Laajalahti and forest trips are one viable method of doing so. In the future, it would also be interesting to study what other methods of adventure and outdoor education could be applied at Pilke Laajalahti.