Exploring early childhood teachers' beliefs and practices about preschool outdoor play: a case study

摘要

The purpose of this qualitative research was to explore how teachers' beliefs and practices influence the function of preschool outdoor play. Two theoretical perspectivesudinformed this study, the qualitative case study and activity theory. Focusing on a particular phenomenon, the case study relates the complexities of the case with a thick,uddescriptive end product. Activity theory, a descriptive theory, is related to cultural historical theory. Human activity is explained by human intentions which provideudunderstanding of a specific occurrence in a given case.udThe purposive sample of early childhood teachers was bounded in a single-case program in North Texas. Ten early childhood teachers were interviewed face-to-face andudeach wrote journal entries about their beliefs, perceptions, and facilitations related to the outdoor play environment. Typological analysis model as well as the researcher'sudobservations was used to analyze the data. Three typologies were predetermined from the research questions, teachers' beliefs, perceptions, and facilitation practices about outdoorudplay. The typologies were analyzed to determine themes and subthemes for each typology. The final analysis resulted in themes and statements for a case narrative.udThe early childhood teachers believed that supervision is paramount during children's outdoor play. The teachers perceived that the physical design of the outdoorudenvironment posed limitations for their planning, preparation, and implementation in that environment. Teachers' recollections of their own childhood outdoor play activitiesudprovided a shared value of freedom during play. Yet, during outdoor play teachers'displayed an adherence to rules; a philosophy-reality variance (Hatch, 2002). Theudteachers believed that outdoor play is important to the development of young children, however, minimal knowledge of the outdoor play environment and motivation to promoteudoutdoor play was not evident.udThe results of the study were compared with a review of the literature. This case study uncovered the beliefs and practices that influence meanings and decisionsudconcerning children's outdoor play environments. This case study provides implicationsfor the stakeholders as well as for the larger society. Recommendations for futureresearch are discussed.