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ERIC Number: EJ1481991
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0966-9760
EISSN: EISSN-1469-8463
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Places, Spaces and Encounters with Nature -- Socio-Material Discourses in Swedish Preschools
Annika Manni1; J. Annerbäck2; H. Löfgren3; F. Mårtensson4; A. Fröberg5
International Journal of Early Years Education, v33 n3 p545-563 2025
This article investigates views and discourses on outdoor play in preschool teachers talks about their playgrounds and outdoor practices in Swedish preschools. Included were a strategic sample of teachers from newer, larger preschool facilities with more programmed outdoor space, and teachers from older, more traditional facilities containing more nature. Through interviews with 38 teachers at 21 preschools and a thematic analysis inspired by socio-material theory, we identified three main themes: "The meanings and limits of free outdoor play, the view on nature and children's encounters with nature," and "dangers and risks in the playground." Within these themes, we show how the teachers' views construct discourses related to the outdoor educational places and spaces that are available. Furthermore, changes in preschool curricula as well as in the playground material and design are active agents in constructing discourses on outdoor play, including risks and limitations, beyond teachers' own beliefs on children's needs.
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Sweden
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Department of Applied Educational Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; 2Department of Thematic Studies – Child studies, Linkoping University, Linkoping, Sweden; 3Department of Thematic Studies (TEMA), Linkoping University, Linkoping, Sweden; 4Department of People and Society, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Alnarp, Sweden; 5Department of Food and Nutrition, and Sport Science, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden