ABSTRACT

Research Findings. The Scottish government is in the process of transforming their early childhood learning and care landscape by doubling the number of free hours of childcare for families and by requiring that all children in care spend a significant portion of each day outdoors. Thus, the government is promoting outdoor play programs. We surveyed 45 educators working in 16 outdoor programs and 16 nursery programs in Scotland as this transition was taking place. The survey focused on the benefits, barriers, risks, and challenges regarding implementation of this new social policy and educators’ views on an ideal outdoor play program. Research Findings and Policy revealed that educators working in outdoor play programs were more confident in supporting outdoor play, reported more benefits, risks, and challenges for both children and educators, and highlighted more barriers to implementing the new policy. Educators in both programs held similar views about early learning and care programs reflecting Ministry play-based curriculum guidelines for children’s learning, development, and the role of educators. Only outdoor play program educators raised issues regarding risk benefit analysis of outdoor play. Our findings highlight the importance of considering the views of educators regarding government policy decisions and its potential success of implementation.

摘要

研究成果. 苏格兰政府正在通过将家庭的免费托儿时间增加一倍，并要求所有受托儿童每天有很大一部分时间在户外度过，从而改变他们的幼儿学习和保育格局。因此，政府正在推广户外游戏计划。随着这一转变的发生，我们调查了苏格兰 16 个户外项目和 16 个托儿所的 45 名教育工作者。调查的重点是实施这项新社会政策的好处、障碍、风险和挑战，以及教育工作者对理想户外游戏计划的看法。研究结果和政策显示，从事户外游戏项目的教育工作者对支持户外游戏更有信心，报告了对儿童和教育工作者的更多好处、风险和挑战，并强调了实施新政策的更多障碍。两个计划中的教育工作者对反映教育部基于游戏的儿童学习、发展和教育者作用的课程指南的早期学习和护理计划持有相似的观点。只有户外游戏计划教育者提出了有关户外游戏风险收益分析的问题。我们的研究结果强调了考虑教育者对政府政策决定及其实施的潜在成功的看法的重要性。只有户外游戏计划教育者提出了有关户外游戏风险收益分析的问题。我们的研究结果强调了考虑教育者对政府政策决定及其实施的潜在成功的看法的重要性。只有户外游戏计划教育者提出了有关户外游戏风险收益分析的问题。我们的研究结果强调了考虑教育者对政府政策决定及其实施的潜在成功的看法的重要性。