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FINNUT-Forskning og innovasjon i utdanningssektoren

Competence for developing early childhood education and care (ECEC) institutions indoor- and outdoor environments

Alternative title: Kompetanse for utvikling av barnehagers inne- og utemiljøer

Awarded: NOK 7.9 mill.

The ECEC sector has identified a strong need for research and new competencies regarding the role physical environments have as arenas for play, learning and development, and strategies for enhancing these environments. The aim of this project was to develop new knowledge and to test out new research tools which will result in a higher competence in planning, designing, and developing ECEC institutions' physical environment. The project investigated how children interact with and use the physical environment for play and learning in ECEC, and how this environment can contribute to promoting play, learning, psychosocial, and physical health. The aim was also to build competence among important stakeholders and ultimately result in developing tools for how to improve ECEC physical environments. The project consisted of 4 phases. In phase 1, a total of 80 children's use of existing environments in 8 selected ECEC institutions were observed and analyzed. In phase 2, the results from phase 1, together with the knowledge and experience of ECEC teachers, landscape architects, and architects, were used to develop preliminary criteria for optimal indoor-/outdoor environments in ECEC. These criteria were further used to plan and conduct interventions in the 8 ECEC institutions; changes in the physical indoor and outdoor environment specifically adapted to each institution's existing environment and the challenges revealed through phase 1. In phase 3 we conducted new observations of children's play and interactions with the environment (after the intervention). This data collection was carried out identical to the one in phase 1, also with the same children. I addition, we conducted interviews with children, ECEC principals, ECEC teachers, and assistants about their experience with the changes of their environment. In phase 4 the knowledge produced in phases 1 through 3 was used to further develop the environment criteria and create an internet-based tool for designing physical environments in ECEC. The knowledge and competence produced in this project were developed in close collaboration between researchers and ECEC institutions, and 8 ECEC teachers were co-researchers with a 10 % position in the project. The project was interdisciplinary including researchers from different areas; education, pedagogy, health, architecture, and landscape architecture. The knowledge/tools are relevant for the ECEC sector and professionals who develop/design and rehabilitate ECEC institutions. Fifteen articles have been published in international scientific journals, and three more are in progress. In addition, an anthology (in Norwegian) is published, including fifteen chapters; eight are based on research, and seven are authored by the co-researchers (ECEC teachers) in the project. We have also developed and launched an online tool/resource for the ECEC sector, landscape architects, and architects (www.barnehagemiljo.no). On this online resource, we have created and made available 8 podcast episodes, 5 webinars, and 5 digistories for disseminating knowledge to the practice field. Since this is a competence project, we have focused on disseminating to the practice field that needs the knowledge that we have developed in the project. Therefore, we have mainly directed our contact and dissemination towards ECEC institutions/ECEC practitioners, ECEC owners (both municipalities and private owners), ECEC teacher educations/ECEC teacher students, architects/architect students, landscape architects/landscape architect students, and the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training (through the regional arrangement for competence development in ECEC).

Prosjektet har: -bidratt med ny kunnskap om hvordan barn tar i bruk det fysiske miljøet og betydningen av det fysiske miljøet for barns lek, læring, psykososial helse og fysisk helse. -bidratt med erfaring om hvordan man på en god måte kan forske sammen med praksisfeltet. -utviklet kriterier for gode barnehagemiljø, tilgjengelig i en åpen nettressurs, og med en rekke digitale læremidler som brukes aktivt av praksisfeltet. -produsert 15 artikler i internasjonale vitenskapelige tidsskrift. -publisert en antologi med 15 kapitler ( 8 er forskningsbasert og 7 er skrevet av barnehagelærere). -fått resultater fra prosjektet inn i undervisningen i ulike emner på flere av de største barnehagelærerutdanningene i Norge. -presentert funn fra prosjektet for en rekke barnehager, barnehageeiere, barnehagemyndigheter, arkitekter og landskapsarkitekter. -bidratt med at resultater og nettressurs brukes aktivt i forbindelse med U.dir. sin Regional ordning for kompetanseutvikling i barnehage.

The ECEC sector has identified a strong need for research and new competencies regarding the role physical environments have as arenas for children's play, learning and development, and strategies for enhancing these environments. Therefore, the aim of this project is to develop research based knowledge on how children interact with and use the physical environment for play and learning in ECEC institutions, and how this environment contributes to conditions that promote play, learning, psychosocial, and physical health. The aim is also to build competence among important stakeholders and ultimately result in developing principles and practical tools for how to improve ECEC physical environments; Tools that would be applicable for the ECEC sector, the architect and landscape architect sector, ECEC teacher education, ECEC teacher students, architect students and landscape architect students. The project takes the methodological approach of a Design experiment in education, with an iterative design that through four distinct phases that build on each other will build, test, evaluate and calibrate an intervention in ECEC institutions through a close collaboration between researchers and ECEC teachers. The project is also interdisciplinary in the way it includes researchers and professionals from different relevant subjects such as education, pedagogy, health, architecture and landscape architecture.The data collection will take a convergent mixed-method design with repeated measures, where multiple variables are tested, and quantitative and qualitative data are combined. The overarching method is structured observations; including environment analysis, video observations and situational and overview field notes.These data is supplemented by qualitative interviews of ECEC staff and children.The produced knowledge/competence and tools are particularly relevant for stakeholders in the ECEC sector and professionals who develop, design and rehabilitate ECEC institutions.

Publications from Cristin

Funding scheme:

FINNUT-Forskning og innovasjon i utdanningssektoren