What's new

This study is part of a large design-based research project in Danish early childhood institutions. Staff were introduced to wild pedagogies, and the authors analyse experiments aimed at developing new play and learning environments. The authors argue that existing traditions in Danish early childhood education gave wild pedagogies fertile ground. They identify two 'shoots of change' with potential to push the status quo: changing the place of nature in early childhood education, and carving out time for more open approaches. As participants experimented with these changes, pedagogical dilemmas became more visible and more important to them. The authors see attending to and exploring those dilemmas as crucial to keeping change going.

Why it matters in Aotearoa

Early childhood services in Aotearoa that are building nature-based practice may find that change brings dilemmas to the surface. This paper treats attending to those dilemmas as a crucial part of keeping change going.

Putting it into practice

When your team tries a new outdoor or nature-based approach, set aside regular team time to name and discuss the dilemmas it raises, such as how much time to leave open or who leads the play.

How strong is the evidence

Analysis of experiments within a design-based research project. The abstract does not give the number of centres or staff, so it is hard to judge how widely the findings apply.

What to read

The full article, especially the sections on the two 'shoots of change' and the dilemmas participants met.

Who it's for