Exploring the Challenges and Opportunities of Winter Nature Education in Kindergartens
Tang, Li (2024)
2024
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024071523977
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024071523977
Tiivistelmä
This research looks into the challenges and opportunities of teaching children about nature in Finnish kindergarten during the winter. Pilke luontopäiväkoti, a private daycare center focused on nature, commissioned the study to offer useful insights and suggestions for improving nature education in the winter months. The main beneficiaries are the daycare center and its staff, who can use the findings to enhance their teaching methods.
The study aimed to identify the main challenges faced by educators in teaching about nature in winter and to explore the unique opportunities that the season presents. The research was based on Act on Early Childhood Education and Care, National core curriculum for early childhood education and care (2022), as well as existing literature on environmental and nature education (e.g., Palmer's Tree Model).
For richer information, a questionnaire was provided to the kindergarten staff. It would be possible for the participants to describe their experiences and opinions, hence generating valid qualitative data and using them to inform and develop future practices. As identified in this study, the complexity of organizing outdoor activities for young children in addition to the short daylight hours and poor weather conditions are possible difficulties in teaching nature in winter. However, even under challenging conditions, it was educational for children to appreciate nature with activities that involved snow and learning how ecosystems function in winter. In short, this research study concludes that Finnish kindergartens, with adequate resources and support, could implement winter nature education within their teaching program.
The study aimed to identify the main challenges faced by educators in teaching about nature in winter and to explore the unique opportunities that the season presents. The research was based on Act on Early Childhood Education and Care, National core curriculum for early childhood education and care (2022), as well as existing literature on environmental and nature education (e.g., Palmer's Tree Model).
For richer information, a questionnaire was provided to the kindergarten staff. It would be possible for the participants to describe their experiences and opinions, hence generating valid qualitative data and using them to inform and develop future practices. As identified in this study, the complexity of organizing outdoor activities for young children in addition to the short daylight hours and poor weather conditions are possible difficulties in teaching nature in winter. However, even under challenging conditions, it was educational for children to appreciate nature with activities that involved snow and learning how ecosystems function in winter. In short, this research study concludes that Finnish kindergartens, with adequate resources and support, could implement winter nature education within their teaching program.