The affordance of an environment will offer its inhabitants different opportunities according to surface, vegetation, weather, and objects (Gibson, 1979). The name Forest School for the theory and ethos of promoting development and learning through play and supporting sustainability in the outdoors implies a forest is required. Is this necessarily true?
Whilst not all countries will have the surface features, physical qualities or cultural lifestyle seen in Swedish Forest Schools, valuable experiences in different locations can still be achieved. To understand what is valuable in a Forest School context is to understand the ethos of Forest School. Can transferring this Forest School ethos into unique environments be successful?
Swedish Forest School I Ur Och Skur (Roberston, 2008) founders based their pedagogy on the affordance of their environment to support learning and development through play, particularly focussing on physical and sensory experiences along with a sense of family togetherness as they connect with their natural surroundings. I Ur Och Skur also place value on partnership with parents. Understanding their natural environment has allowed them to realise the potential for supporting this pedagogical approach.
Perth, Western Australia has no forests and its natural wild outdoor spaces are native bush areas (Knight, 2013. Pg. 31) Likewise with their Swedish counterpart, outdoor learning for young aboriginal children encompasses their traditional cultural connection with their natural surroundings. Aboriginal culture contains a spiritual connection between the person and the land. An important aspect of the Aboriginal outdoor learning concept known as Bush School was to entwine the spiritual perspective of the tribes with the children’s outdoor learning experiences.
Forest School research and theory inspired the initial Bush School concept, endeavouring to bring the qualities and benefits of this European phenomenon to a very different location (Knight, 2013. Pg. 135)
According to Knight (2013, pg. 133), research has shown that the Aboriginal child’s well being increases when their cultural identity is strengthened and promoted through learning outdoors in a harsh climate. Bush School used the Leuven Involvement Scales, Laevers (1994, cited in Knight,. 2013, pg 136) to measure engagement whereupon results showed ‘involvement was unilaterally higher in the outdoors.’ (Knight, 2013, pg. 136).Similarly, children’s self-confidence and self-esteem in Switzerland has been positively promoted through a Forest education according to Swarbrick et al (2004, quoted in., Lindemann - Matthies and Knecht., 2011). According to Mygind (2009, cited in Bentsen et al., 2010) Danish research found that children there also experienced a higher level of well being whilst being taught in a Forest School environment. Therefore the ethos of playing and learning in a unique outdoor location whether it is a forest or not can improve wellbeing.
Cooperation with parents is a defining strand of the Forest School ethos to connect community with nature. Bush School has also benefitted from forming partnerships with Aboriginal tribes. Families and respected Elders of the tribes, normally responsible for teaching their communities about their culture and practices, were involved in the conceptual development of Bush School. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (1992 cited in Knight., 2013, pg. 135) explains how children’s development and learning is supported through their culture and community. This theory explains how building relationships with the families and Elders to shape the children’s experiences through their historical culture and community supported the development of an appropriate curriculum. The Forest School ethos of including family and culture into practice has enabled Bush School to provide learning opportunities that connect with the unique outdoor environment.
Swedish Forest School’s fundamental principles are designed to be promoted through a Forest environment. Learning through nature, play, discovery, and curiosity promotes outdoor life ‘cultivating environmental awareness and laying foundations for a healthy lifestyle’ Rantatalo (2000 cited by Knight,. 2013, pg. 43).
Promotion of health in Forest free rural communities in South Africa where poverty is deep-rooted, has led to children, families and communities coming together to care for their natural environments through the development of the veggie bag. This simple idea of providing people with an opportunity to grow food in a harsh climate where water supply can often prove difficult ‘has offered potential for children to engage their own lived experiences with a real - life learning opportunity’, Knight (2013, pg. 99). According to Knight (2013, pg. 103) ‘the veggie bag initiated by a non government organisation LETCEE, would help sustain a family’s health while fostering intergenerational learning and children’s understanding of the world.’ This intergenerational learning is another example of the Forest School ethos of collaborating with families and community ‘to acquire environmental consciousness’ Mayer – Smith et al (2007 quoted in Knight,. 2013, pg. 105). Mayer – Smith et al (2007) research within the veggie bag initiative demonstrated that the children’s outdoor experience of caring and growing plants for food fostered and developed their ‘interconnectedness and relatedness with the environment.’ This is another example of how the Forest School ethos can be developed in a country or location without forest woodlands.
Understanding how the Forest School ethos has supported children’s development in countries where typical forest environments are not available is inspiring and offers practitioners an insight into how the benefits of an outdoor learning initiative for children and their families can be successful whatever the environment affords.
Reference List
Bentsen, P., Sondergaard, F., Mygind, E. & Barfoed Randrup, T. (2010) The extent and dissemination of udeskole in Danish Schools. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, Issue 9, pp. 235 - 243.
Gibson, J. J. (1979) THE THEORY OF AFFORDANCES. In: The Ecological Approach to Visual Perception. New York, London: Psychology Press.
Knight, S. (2013) International Perspectives on Forest School. London: Sage.
Lair, J. (2014) Words of thought Let the Children Play.
Available at: https://ruqaiyahdavids.wordpress.com/2014/04/04/let-the-children-play/
Accessed 26 September 2015
Lindemann – Matthies, P. Knecht, S. (2011) Swiss Elementary School Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Forest Education: The Journal of Environmental Education. Zurich. Routledge.
Stewart, R. (2009) 0009 Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/rustystewart/3729436724/in/photostream/ (Downloaded: 03 October 2015)
Whilst not all countries will have the surface features, physical qualities or cultural lifestyle seen in Swedish Forest Schools, valuable experiences in different locations can still be achieved. To understand what is valuable in a Forest School context is to understand the ethos of Forest School. Can transferring this Forest School ethos into unique environments be successful?
Swedish Forest School I Ur Och Skur (Roberston, 2008) founders based their pedagogy on the affordance of their environment to support learning and development through play, particularly focussing on physical and sensory experiences along with a sense of family togetherness as they connect with their natural surroundings. I Ur Och Skur also place value on partnership with parents. Understanding their natural environment has allowed them to realise the potential for supporting this pedagogical approach.
Perth, Western Australia has no forests and its natural wild outdoor spaces are native bush areas (Knight, 2013. Pg. 31) Likewise with their Swedish counterpart, outdoor learning for young aboriginal children encompasses their traditional cultural connection with their natural surroundings. Aboriginal culture contains a spiritual connection between the person and the land. An important aspect of the Aboriginal outdoor learning concept known as Bush School was to entwine the spiritual perspective of the tribes with the children’s outdoor learning experiences.
Forest School research and theory inspired the initial Bush School concept, endeavouring to bring the qualities and benefits of this European phenomenon to a very different location (Knight, 2013. Pg. 135)
According to Knight (2013, pg. 133), research has shown that the Aboriginal child’s well being increases when their cultural identity is strengthened and promoted through learning outdoors in a harsh climate. Bush School used the Leuven Involvement Scales, Laevers (1994, cited in Knight,. 2013, pg 136) to measure engagement whereupon results showed ‘involvement was unilaterally higher in the outdoors.’ (Knight, 2013, pg. 136).Similarly, children’s self-confidence and self-esteem in Switzerland has been positively promoted through a Forest education according to Swarbrick et al (2004, quoted in., Lindemann - Matthies and Knecht., 2011). According to Mygind (2009, cited in Bentsen et al., 2010) Danish research found that children there also experienced a higher level of well being whilst being taught in a Forest School environment. Therefore the ethos of playing and learning in a unique outdoor location whether it is a forest or not can improve wellbeing.
Cooperation with parents is a defining strand of the Forest School ethos to connect community with nature. Bush School has also benefitted from forming partnerships with Aboriginal tribes. Families and respected Elders of the tribes, normally responsible for teaching their communities about their culture and practices, were involved in the conceptual development of Bush School. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (1992 cited in Knight., 2013, pg. 135) explains how children’s development and learning is supported through their culture and community. This theory explains how building relationships with the families and Elders to shape the children’s experiences through their historical culture and community supported the development of an appropriate curriculum. The Forest School ethos of including family and culture into practice has enabled Bush School to provide learning opportunities that connect with the unique outdoor environment.
Swedish Forest School’s fundamental principles are designed to be promoted through a Forest environment. Learning through nature, play, discovery, and curiosity promotes outdoor life ‘cultivating environmental awareness and laying foundations for a healthy lifestyle’ Rantatalo (2000 cited by Knight,. 2013, pg. 43).
Promotion of health in Forest free rural communities in South Africa where poverty is deep-rooted, has led to children, families and communities coming together to care for their natural environments through the development of the veggie bag. This simple idea of providing people with an opportunity to grow food in a harsh climate where water supply can often prove difficult ‘has offered potential for children to engage their own lived experiences with a real - life learning opportunity’, Knight (2013, pg. 99). According to Knight (2013, pg. 103) ‘the veggie bag initiated by a non government organisation LETCEE, would help sustain a family’s health while fostering intergenerational learning and children’s understanding of the world.’ This intergenerational learning is another example of the Forest School ethos of collaborating with families and community ‘to acquire environmental consciousness’ Mayer – Smith et al (2007 quoted in Knight,. 2013, pg. 105). Mayer – Smith et al (2007) research within the veggie bag initiative demonstrated that the children’s outdoor experience of caring and growing plants for food fostered and developed their ‘interconnectedness and relatedness with the environment.’ This is another example of how the Forest School ethos can be developed in a country or location without forest woodlands.
Understanding how the Forest School ethos has supported children’s development in countries where typical forest environments are not available is inspiring and offers practitioners an insight into how the benefits of an outdoor learning initiative for children and their families can be successful whatever the environment affords.
Reference List
Bentsen, P., Sondergaard, F., Mygind, E. & Barfoed Randrup, T. (2010) The extent and dissemination of udeskole in Danish Schools. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, Issue 9, pp. 235 - 243.
Gibson, J. J. (1979) THE THEORY OF AFFORDANCES. In: The Ecological Approach to Visual Perception. New York, London: Psychology Press.
Knight, S. (2013) International Perspectives on Forest School. London: Sage.
Lair, J. (2014) Words of thought Let the Children Play.
Available at: https://ruqaiyahdavids.wordpress.com/2014/04/04/let-the-children-play/
Accessed 26 September 2015
Lindemann – Matthies, P. Knecht, S. (2011) Swiss Elementary School Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Forest Education: The Journal of Environmental Education. Zurich. Routledge.
Stewart, R. (2009) 0009 Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/rustystewart/3729436724/in/photostream/ (Downloaded: 03 October 2015)