Learning with Wide-Open Eyes

Nudging at Perceived Barriers to Outdoor Learning within a Kindergarten

Authors

  • Tara-Lynn Scheffel
  • Lotje Hives
  • Jeff Scott
  • Astrid Steele

Keywords:

inquiry-based learning, barriers, outdoor learning, kindergarten, case study, Ontario

Abstract

This article presents an in-depth case study of one kindergarten class in northern Ontario, Canada, and the ways that educators nurtured learners’ curiosity in the outdoors. Documentation of learning, including photographs, quotes, and artifacts, served as the key source for reflection by educators, both the kindergarten team (teacher and early childhood educator) and those who partnered alongside them. Families were invited to share their experiences through an anonymous open-ended survey. This article discusses three perceived barriers to learning in the outdoors and the ways that participants noticed, named, and nudged at them for the benefit of the learners.

Published

2022-02-23