a??It was Funa??: An Evaluation of Sand Tray Pictures, an Innovative Visually Expressive Method for Researching Childrena??s Experiences with Nature

摘要

In order to study childrena??s subjective experiences, researchers need to employ methods that are interesting and engaging but at the same time can produce data that answers research questions. This article critically reflects on the use of an innovative visually expressive method, sand tray pictures, which allows children to communicate their multi-dimensional subjective experiences with nature. In this study, sand tray pictures were compared with photographs taken and pictures drawn by the children as approaches for understanding childrena??s experiences in a public botanic garden during a five-day summer camp. Sand trays were identified as a highly effective tool in eliciting insights about childrena??s subjective and socio-cultural experiences in nature.