ERIC Number: EJ1048693
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013-Jun
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1449-6313
EISSN: N/A
Middle Years Students' Experiences in Nature: A Case Study on Nature-Play
Francis, Marj; Paige, Kathy; Lloyd, David
Teaching Science, v59 n2 p20-30 Jun 2013
Increasingly, children today are becoming disconnected from the natural environments resulting in a diminished sense of self, place and community. In an attempt to find out their perceptions, attitudes and values about the natural world, twenty-five Year 6 and 7 students from a northern Adelaide primary school participated in a nature-play case study. The research revealed a number of issues which impact on the quality of nature interactions and experiences during their free-time activities. The key findings indicate that students need to have increased opportunity to access wild nature through a range of first-hand experiences in order to develop realistic concepts about where animals and plants are found in nature.
Descriptors: Student Experience, Case Studies, Grade 6, Grade 7, Values, Student Attitudes, Environmental Education, Outdoor Education, Learning Experience, Ecology, Middle School Students, Freehand Drawing, Art Expression, Questionnaires, Barriers, Play, Heritage Education, Teaching Methods, Educational Practices, Foreign Countries
Australian Science Teachers Association. P.O. Box 334, Deakin West, ACT 2600, Australia. Tel: +61-02-6282-9377; Fax: +61-02-6282-9477; e-mail: publications@asta.edu.au; Web site: http://www.asta.edu.au/resources/teachingscience
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Grade 6; Intermediate Grades; Middle Schools; Elementary Education; Grade 7; Junior High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A