Challenging Practice through Inquiry

When engaging in reflective thinking about how learning becomes visible in outdoor pedagogy, we are immediately drawn towards children. Children are our most natural researchers; they wonder at the whistle of the wind, investigate the textures of the mud, and study patterns on the leaves as part of their daily work. Questioning the who, what, where and why is innate within children as they make sense of the world around them (Renick, 2009). This curiosity is central to continued interest and engagement in outdoor learning throughout early childhood, and therefore needs to be supported by early learning professionals (Reckwitz, 2002).

Embracing children through this lens allows for more authentic storytelling of the aha moments and wonderings that arise during rich outdoor play experiences. As the most important priority within our field, we focus our attention on how to translate children’s learning in a way that can be seen by others. With so much effort and intentional thinking towards this, we can inadvertently lose sight of ourselves in this process. How are we making the investigations, aha moments and challenges to our assumptions visible through our own work and learning?

When engaging in a community of practice that supports disequilibrium, challenging of assumptions and furthering learning – it becomes more familiar and welcomed in our practice. Given the geographical and contextual differences of the participants within the community of practice, the knowledge, assumptions, and practices connected to outdoor pedagogy are that much more diverse.

Feldman (2020) acknowledges that this is a central part within communities of practice. Those who participate in this type of social learning can “re-invigorate rather than recycle old ideas” (Feldman, 2020) and we see a clearer shift in their roles from a peripheral observer to more of a leader in research and reflective practice (Hunter, Syversen, Graves & Bodensteiner, 2020). When we go through a significant change or shift in practice we need to “interrupt or disrupt the routinization of practice” so that reflection can occur beyond the surface level (Green, 2009; Feldman, 2020).

In our outdoor play space, photos, artifacts, and pedagogical documentation showcases the deep investigation that occurs with young children. When I look at my workspace, where I grow, experiment, and investigate outdoor pedagogy- where are these artifacts of my learning? Posters, quotes, and sticky notes filled with other’s wisdom cover my walls, however as I move through new learning within this community of practice- how is this made visible in the places and spaces most central to me?

Reflecting on the cycle of inquiry and the cycle of curiosity, these models act as an integral tool for conceptualizing the pathway of scaffolding inquiry related to outdoor pedagogy (Dietze, 2021). Since being introduced to these models, it has allowed for visualizing the complex thinking and investigation that occurs during inquiry.

Figure 1

In figure 1, you will see a representation of how I was able to portray my translation of theory to practice through the learnings and aha moments I have experienced as part of this community of practice. This process of inquiry stemmed from a discussion around leading change in outdoor pedagogy.

Striving to make inquiry and curiosity visible through the context of our outdoor play spaces is an area that demands continual reflection. Having a safe space within this community of practice, that is rooted in inquiry-based learning and reflection helps to perpetuate thinking that goes outside of our comfort zone (Feldman, 2020). If adults are to act as the catalysts for fostering environments that support inquiry-based learning, then we need to magnify our own seeing, thinking, and wondering.

I have the privilege of having a “not so silent” member of our community of practice, an infant daughter with whom I am able to witness firsthand some of the translation of theory to practice. Together we investigate the best recipe for mud pies, question why the wind moves the tree branches and tinker with loose part materials in new ways, among many other things. Being part of a community that welcomes disequilibrium, uncertainty and strives to challenge assumptions regarding outdoor play pedagogy has fostered a new lens within both my personal and professional practice. As I am discovering firsthand with my daughter, venturing off the beaten path to investigate the unknown is often what leads to the best discoveries.

Jenny Britt, MPE., BEd., YMCA of Southwestern Ontario

References

Chakravarthi, S. (2009). Preschool teachers’ beliefs and practices of outdoor play and outdoor environments. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Dietze, B. (2021). Cycle of curiosity. Presentation

Feldman, J. (2020). The role of professional learning communities to support teacher development: A social practice theory perspective. South African Journal of Education, 40(1)

Green, B. (2009). Understanding and researching professional practice. Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Sense.

Hunter, J., Syversen, K. B., Graves, C., & Bodensteiner, A. (2020). Balancing Outdoor Learning and Play: Adult Perspectives of Teacher Roles and Practice in an Outdoor Classroom. International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education, 7(2), 34–50.

Reckwitz A. (2002) Toward a theory of social practices: A development in culturalist theorizing. European Journal of Social Theory, 5(2):243–263. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1368431022222543 

Renick, S. (2009). Exploring early childhood teachers’ beliefs and practices about preschool outdoor play: A case study. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Texas Woman’s University.