ABSTRACT

In children's geographies of the rural milieu, little is known about the geography of the outdoor environment in coastal areas, especially in rural fishing villages. This study explores affordance levels of the outdoor environment in a rural coastal area, with specific reference to young children's play behaviour. This study used an ethnographic approach together with direct participant observations, auto photographs, go-along interviews, and focus group interviews, to elicit the numbers of affordances experienced by 45 respondents, aged 3–13, in Bum Bum Island, Sabah, Malaysia. Hot Spot (Getis-Ord Gi*) spatial statistical and content analyses revealed that perceived affordances are the highest levels of affordances accumulated, followed by utilized and shaped affordances. The most frequent hot spots for the perceived, utilized and shaped affordances occurred in the transitional zone compared to the land and sea zones. This zone was the nucleus for actions of daily play-based experiences for the children in the coastal community based on the natural phenomena of the tides.

摘要

在农村环境的儿童地理中，对沿海地区，尤其是农村渔村的户外环境地理知之甚少。本研究探讨了农村沿海地区户外环境的可供性水平，特别是幼儿的游戏行为。本研究采用人种学方法，结合直接参与者观察、汽车照片、沿途访谈和焦点小组访谈，得出马来西亚沙巴邦布姆岛的 45 名 3-13 岁受访者所经历的可供性数量。热点 (Getis-Ord Gi*) 空间统计和内容分析表明，感知可供性是累积的最高水平可供性，其次是利用和成形可供性。最常见的感知热点，与陆地和海洋区域相比，过渡区域发生了利用和成形的可供性。该区域是沿海社区儿童基于潮汐自然现象的日常游戏体验活动的核心。