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Preparing Future Teachers to Support Children's Nature Exploration 68 BRIDGING RESEARCH AND PRACTICE ExchangePress.com EXCHANGE MARCH/APRIL 2021 Copyright © Dimensions Educational Research Foundation All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. Visit us at www.ChildCareExchange.com or call (800) 221-2864. RESEARCH & PRACTICE Preparing Future Teachers to Support Children’s Nature Exploration by Molly Gerrish Education is seen as a major force in the bid to produce The Important Role of Teachers more sustainably literate citizens. Most notable is the role that early childhood education can play in sustainable It has been noted that in order to have an early childhood development. Early childhood education can contribute to program of the utmost quality, there are several key factors this development through educators’ professional competen- that must be in place. In addition to programmatic concerns, cies, cultural experiences, integrated knowledge-base, and such as curriculum, assessment, and overall pedagogy, the personally engaging experiences for children. Wadsworth role that the teacher plays is also crucial—ideally, a teacher (1888) articulated that even a single awe-inspiring experi- is seen as not only being a source of information, but also a ence with nature is worth more than memorizing a thousand source of encouragement, assistance, and security. The beliefs facts. Sobel (2008) commented that there is a strong relation- held by teachers can be a major influence on the types of ship between experiences with nature in childhood and the play situations, environmental set-ups, and activities that are behavior and attitude toward nature demonstrated by adults. planned and implemented in the classroom (Little, Wyver, & Sharing in nature experiences with children is an optimal Gibson, 2011). Wilson (2008) also argued that for children ingredient for creating stewards of the land who truly care to benefit the most from time in the outdoors, teachers must about and care for the environment, and who believe in their change their point of view regarding nature, and view the own skills and knowledge (Sobel, 2008). Read on to gather outdoor environment as not simply a place for the children evidence-based practices that can support current and future to have free play and a break from teaching. Many current teachers as they learn about the value of nature explora- and future teachers need to learn how to support children’s tion, especially during this COVID-19 era, when we are all nature explorations. encouraged to be outdoors more. Molly Gerrish Exchange Leadership Initiative BRIDGING ExchangePress.com/leadership RESEARCH AND PRACTICE Molly Gerrish, Ph.D., is a tenured associate professor of early childhood education and program/academic director of the The Bridging Research and Practice feature includes an early childhood programs at the University of Wisconsin-River article on an aspect of early childhood research, plus Falls, where she also serves as co-chair of the teacher education department. She was recently named faculty member of the links to the original published research with a companion year and has presented at conferences locally, nationally and article full of practical strategies for how to implement the internationally in Costa Rica, China, Vancouver, New Zealand, research in your practice. Australia and Scotland. Her research interests include nature -connected learning, social/emotional development, sustainability in We encourage you to nominate research for review early childhood, and mental health. She sits on several state and national level boards including the United Way’s Success by Six, serves as the director of the St. by the Research Advisory Team by email: Croix Early Childhood Interagency Council and served as a regional rep for the [email protected] and [email protected] NAECTE. She is also proud to be a nature guide for the state of Wisconsin and an To learn more about the Advisory Team, visit: Exchange Leader. Her on-going commitment to the highest quality opportunities for ExchangePress.com/research children both nationally and internationally drive her teaching, research and writing. ExchangePress.com BRIDGING RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 69 MARCH/APRIL 2021 EXCHANGE Malone and Tranter (2003b) and Davies (1996) contended The Important Role of Nature that many teachers have limited views of what the outdoors can offer in terms of potential for learning. It is impera- There is an increasing amount of research demonstrating tive that, in order to garner the benefits that time in nature that children who participate in nature-based activities and can provide, teachers must not see time outdoors as merely spend more time outdoors reap many benefits. Research a break from their teaching. Rather, teachers’ ability to reveals that outdoor skills education and wildlife-related embrace the teachable moments presented in the outdoor outdoor education provide benefits to health, learning, and setting and ability to use the outdoors as an extension of lifestyle. It is also noted that time spent in nature produces their traditional teaching can be beneficial to the overall numerous benefits, among them an increased connection development of young children (Malone & Tranter, 2003). to nature and therefore increased care and concern for the Wilson (2008) continued by stating the importance of environment, increased attention capacity, more positive having at least one interested adult share in experiences emotions, and ability to reflect on life’s problems more with children outdoors; this role model can have a major effectively and efficiently, as well as focus on problem influence on a child’s learning. Observing the interactions, solving. Numerous environmentalists and ecologists have a trusted adult in a natural setting is impactful in teaching stated the important role that being in nature plays in the science and in engaging curiosity and interest (Wilson, healthy development of individuals. Mayer et al. stated that 2008). Niklasson and Sandberg (2010) argued that adults many notable environmentalists including Berry (1997), serve as powerful role models and influence young children Leopold (1949), Orr (1994), Louv (2007), Muir (1894), and in terms of their behaviors and attitudes toward nature. “If Thoreau (1854) commented on the physical and psycholog- adults have a favorable view of nature this is transferred to ical benefits garnered from spending time outside in nature. their children” (Niklasson & Sandberg, 2010, p. 487). Children spending time in nature exhibit increased atten- tion, increased physical activity, and more environmentally Teacher preparation programs may also have a significant friendly behaviors. There are many health benefits apparent influence on how novice teachers implement practices within in children who spend time outdoors as opposed to those their own classrooms. If there is no focus on the importance who do not, such as a lower percentage of diabetes and of nature while pre-service teachers are being trained, it other obesity-related illnesses, and decreased levels of stress is unlikely that they will embrace a nature-based teaching in children who spend time outdoors. philosophy, unless it is a very personal interest (Louv, 2008). The attitudes and experiences that an individual has with nature are seen as major determinants in how they will then Supporting Current and Future Teachers share nature with their students (Cornell, 1998). Therefore, the type of teacher education program pre-service teachers As teacher-educators, we are preparing the next generation attend, the types of opportunities to practice how to utilize of early childhood educators. We support our adult learners, nature within their teaching practices, and their level of beginning with their own comfort level outdoors, and comfort doing so all contribute to the likelihood that a build awareness of the benefits of employing nature-based teacher will use nature within his or her teaching practices. teaching strategies. We hope the insights we offer into how Ferreira, Grueber, and Yarema (2012) stated that many best to support students can also be applied to encourage teacher preparation programs do not adequately prepare teachers currently in the classroom. new teachers to understand the role that nature can play in their teaching. Parlo and Butler (2007) agreed that many Our UW-Riverfalls coursework supports future educators’ teachers who graduate from teacher preparation programs development through guided reading, hands-on practical are unaware of how to coordinate academic standard experiences with young children, families, and the greater requirements and a nature-based curriculum. The experi- community; and utilizing threaded curricula that builds from ences one has personally with any phenomena can influ- course to course. The early childhood program at UWRF is ence ongoing feelings about that particular phenomenon. unique, in that it has a specific nature-based standard and Therefore, considering the lack of education about nature, course outcome connected to program completion. In this coupled with the effect that personal experience can have on way, students are able to build on their existing knowledge attitudes and values, it may be of importance for teachers to base of nature and sustainability (regardless of the extent examine their own backgrounds more closely, in order to see of their knowledge and experiences upon entry into the how they are able to influence the development of positive
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