Building Research Capacity of Future Teachers: A Canadian Case Study

Since their first day in school, in-service teachers are expected to act professionally, make good judgments, think critically, and problem-solve effectively. The literature suggests that engaging pre-service teachers in research can help them to develop several key skills. In this paper, we present the outcomes from a year and a half long mixed-methods case study that was conducted in two phases (i.e., a pilot and a follow-up study) with two groups of pre-service teachers enrolled in a teacher education programme in a Canadian mid-size university. The purpose of this research was to examine how an in-course research component might have shaped the perceived research capacity of the pre-service teachers and their disposition toward teacher research. The participants reported that the research component had improved their inquiry, reflective, critical thinking, and research-related skills. We conclude by discussing the study outcomes and proposing a set of recommendations for theory and practice

The strands of the Forest School implementation challenges: A literature review

The literature proposes that Forest School, which is a form of outdoor and environmental education, can improve the children’s overall wellbeing. Yet, the implementation of this promising and distinctive educational concept can be hindered by several barriers. In this paper, I draw on relevant resources to introduce the main obstacles to the implementation of Forest School and the factors that could mitigate them. Four criteria guided the selection of the resources: a) the source, type, and content of the paper, (b) the subject matter, (c) the publication date, and (d) the publication language. The present review of literature yielded five main Forest School implementation challenges encompassing the (1) adults’ risk perceptions and attitudes associated with Forest School outdoor activities; (2) meeting curriculum and stakeholders’ expectations; (3) cost and logistical difficulties; (4) finding an appropriate site and using the facilities, and (5) the administrative work. I then juxtapose these challenges with relevant literature, present various mitigating factors, and introduce some implications of this work for research and practice. 

Activities in nature: how frequent is the contact of contemporary children with the natural world?

The progressive process of industrialization occurring in the world in the last 200 years has increased the urban population. One of its consequences has been the gradual detachment from nature, which negatively affects children’s development. At the same time, several authors state that children play essentially indoors, and outdoor activities are declining not only in nature places but also in urban areas, due to several reasons. The present study aims to check how frequently a myriad of several outdoor activities are performed by a group of 153 urban children, 87 boys and 70 girls, from 6 state primary schools with different social backgrounds (low to high socio-economic status) from the Lisbon area. Differences between boys and girls were also analysed. For this purpose, a questionnaire was administered containing demographic-related items, such as sex, age and school, and the following 11 statements pertaining to different outdoor activities: picking up wild fruits; gardening; climbing trees; catching birds in traps; collecting rocks, minerals and fossils; tracking; visiting farms, zoos and other thematic parks; practising outdoor sports; playing in forested areas; going hunting or fishing with friends and relatives; rappelling and other extreme sports. Children had to select the frequency of their performing of each activity on a four-point scale. A total score for the 11 activities was also calculated. The results show that almost all activities have never or rarely been done by the participants, and only outdoor sports are practised more often (sometimes). Boys and girls statistically significant differences were only for practising outdoor sports and for hunting and fishing with friends and relatives, favouring boys. But the frequency of this latter activity was very low in both genders. The present study confirmed children’s prevalent disconnection with nature alongside the decline in performing different outdoor activities, showing that this trend is at least affecting several western countries. Since the situation is impoverishing children’s development and affecting their knowledge and awareness about the importance of the natural world, implications for parents, teachers and policy makers are discussed to try to invert the present trend.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio