Download - Wild Wiltshire Study, Dr Mel McCree
Wild Wiltshire
Year 1 findings of a 3 year longitudinal evaluation of the impact upon
disadvantaged primary age children
attending Forest School and outdoor learning
Sunday, 26 October 2014
Project Partners• Wiltshire Wildlife Trust
• Ivy Lane Primary School
• Funded by The Blagrave Trust
• Dr Mel McCree, Free Range Creativity Research Consultancy and Plymouth University
Free Range Creativity
Sunday, 26 October 2014
The Project• Three year project
• Term time and school holidays
• Half / one day per week
• 13 children
• Same children
• Years 2 to 4 at start (ages 6-9)
• One / two WWT staff plus two school staff
Sunday, 26 October 2014
The Children• Struggle to thrive in a classroom setting
• Seen as likely to underachieve:
“all of the children are making less than expected progress in many core areas of learning (speaking and listening, reading, writing and maths) and most had lower than average starting points in these areas“
• Disadvantaged:
“economically & emotionally disadvantaged & with special education needs (including behaviour difficulties)”
Sunday, 26 October 2014
The Children
Pen Portrait Headlines
12/13: Free School Meals
13/13: additional support
(all int /4 ext)5 in Year 23 in Year 35 in Year 4
11/13: known family breakdowns
13/13: SEN
2/13: young carers
2/13: behavioural difficulties
2/13: safeguarding issues
Sunday, 26 October 2014
What and where• Learning outside the
classroom, outdoor learning, Forest School, learning in the natural environment, fieldwork, bushcraft, conservation, nature-based play, wild play…
• On a variety of WWT nature reserves, with regular visits to one woodland
• Local and further afield
Sunday, 26 October 2014
The Ethos“For us this is not just about the '3 Rs’ but making sure that children are emotionally and socially ready [for secondary school] and that some children need more and continued support with this. We believe that using nature to achieve this is a worthwhile approach”
• Process not outcome
• Choice of activities
• Self-directed
• Self-expression
• Self-regulation
Sunday, 26 October 2014
The EthosProvision of emotional time and space
“Can you catch?”“No”“Well learn then”“I will be the Master of Catching…when I am ready”
“When we get in to the woods, please can I go and sit somewhere by myself for five minutes”“Of course. Why would you like to do that?”“Because this is the only time I get some peace and quiet”
Sunday, 26 October 2014
Provide the opportunity…
Sunday, 26 October 2014
…to thrive
Sunday, 26 October 2014
…to learn about themselves
Sunday, 26 October 2014
…be happy
Sunday, 26 October 2014
…be safe
Sunday, 26 October 2014
Sunday, 26 October 2014
...express ourselves
Sunday, 26 October 2014
…connect with nature
Sunday, 26 October 2014
...help conserve
Sunday, 26 October 2014
Have fun!
Sunday, 26 October 2014
Research questionsQualitative, interpretive, multi-method process: pilot year exploring methods & aims
1. Changes to overall wellbeing and academic development?
2. What factors enable this?
3. Which changes are recognised by school?
4. Significant changes over time?
Sunday, 26 October 2014
Caution re outcome claims• What links from experience to
improved wellbeing to improved attainment?
• Cannot separate influence of WW from other variable factors
• Gather a triangulated mosaic of in-depth evidence
• Observe direct links made
• Challenge bias and methods
• Improve validity & credibility
Sunday, 26 October 2014
Mosaic framework• Multi-method
• Participatory co-investigators
• Reflexive
• Focus on children’s lived experiences
• Embedded into practice
Clark and Moss, 2001
Gallacher and Gallagher, 2008
Sunday, 26 October 2014
2 stage Mosaic design• Gathering data, documentation,
reflections, researcher observation to create a MOSAIC
• Reflect this to participants and listen to their perspectives
• Helps to show these perspectives and develop understanding of the complex meaning-making & narratives
data analysis
Sunday, 26 October 2014
Multi-methodQuestionnaires
Observation
Assessment scales
Documentation: photos,
child-led filming, scrapbook
diaries
‘Magic Den’ interviews
Staff & parent focus groups
Quantative school data
Magic Dens include:
Reviewing film & photos
Choosing preferences
Activities: Jellybeans
Mapping
Sunday, 26 October 2014
Year 1 ThemesMost popular experiences:
NURTURE
PHYSICALITY
SOCIAL TIME
HANDS ON
NATURE
Sunday, 26 October 2014
Hot chocolate!• Nurture as the prime
ingredient to engage
• Hungry, tired, cold, stressed...
• Hot chocolate and snacks around the fire
• Possibly decreases as a need as feelings of security increase?
Sunday, 26 October 2014
Physicality
New space,
new adventures
Hiding, climbing, running & exploring the woods
Sunday, 26 October 2014
Shared and socialTalking,
playing &sharing time with friends
"I'm going to let people join in my hole digging today…. because some people want to do it and I haven't let them and it might make them happy"
choice
Sunday, 26 October 2014
Hands-onMaking fires, dens, holes, tool use, films, art, stories, imaginative play.
choice
open enquiry
experiential learning
Sunday, 26 October 2014
Connecting with nature
•
How to measure and assess?
Discovering & learning about the living world
Implicit or explicit?
Sunday, 26 October 2014
Assessment scales
Leuven scales: engagement and involvement as “deep-level learning” (Laevers, 1993)
triangulated with field notes, school data & participants’ evaluation
“She's been off all week, she's not 100% but she didn't want to miss WW today”
Sunday, 26 October 2014
Assessment scales 2
Sunday, 26 October 2014
Issues raised• Funding research provision
(informing wider policy)
• Both school and practitioner’s aims have evolved during project, informing the research
• Setting collaboration
• Data collection bias &/or sector insight? Implications for practitioner-led research
• Making the link between children’s nature connection, wellbeing and attainment
Sunday, 26 October 2014
Crystallisation process
wellbeing through long term nature connection...
the long way round to attainment?
longitudinal...
emergent...
understanding...
Sunday, 26 October 2014
Dissemination
Where could this lead?
• Collaboration
• Sharing experience
• Publication
• Contagion
• Increased provision
Sunday, 26 October 2014
Thank You
Year 1
Pilot report
available at:
www.freerangecreativity.org.uk
Sunday, 26 October 2014