Erken Çocukluk Eğitimi Kurumlarının Dış Mekanları Üzerine Bir Derleme: Tasarım ve Değerlendirme

Abstract

Oyun üzerine yapılan pek çok çalışmanın sonucunda erken çocukluk döneminde oyunun önemi kabul edilmiştir. Ancak oyun, son yıllarda, birçok ülkede sadece iç mekanda gerçekleşen bir süreç gibi algılanmaktadır. Dolayısıyla oyunu destekleyen ve oyun için elverişli ortamlara ilişkin düzenlemelerin ve ölçütlerin çoğu, iç mekan gözetilerek yapılmaktadır. Bu durumun doğal bir sonucu olarak erken çocukluk eğitimi kurumlarının dış mekanları ve dış mekan oyunlarını inceleyen çalışmalar çarpıcı sonuçlar ortaya koymuşlardır. Örneğin bu çalışmalar, dış mekanların çoğunlukla çocukları işlevsel/fonksiyonel oyuna yönlendiren ve fiziksel gelişimi destekleyen sabit oyun donanımlarından oluştuğunu ve serbest parçalar (loose parts) olarak belirtilebilecek, çocuğun kendi ilgi ve gereksinimleri doğrultusunda, amacına uygun veya amacı dışında kullanabileceği materyallerden yoksun oyun alanları olduğunu belirtmişlerdir. Bu nedenle dış mekanların, sahip olduğu potansiyeli ortaya çıkarabilecek biçimde ve yapı-inşa oyunları, dramatik oyunlar, kurallı oyunlar, birlikte oyun, işbirlikçi oyun gibi oyunlara yönelik olarak tasarlanmasına gereksinim vardır. Ancak yapılacak tasarım kadar tasarımın etkililiğini arttıracak veya azaltacak etkenlerin belirlenip gerekli düzenlemelerin yapılması da önemlidir. Bu nedenle bu çalışmada var olan bilgi birikiminden yararlanılarak dünyada ve Türkiye’de dış mekanlar ve dış mekan oyunlarına ilişkin çalışmaların sentezlenmesi amaçlanmış ve bu sentez doğrultusunda gerek tasarımcılara gerekse araştırmacı ve uygulayıcılara rehber olması düşünülen birtakım temel ilkeler ortaya koyulmuştur. 

Keywords

• Erken çocukluk eğitimi
• dış mekan tasarımı
• dış mekan oyunları
• serbest parçalar

A Synthesizing Study on Outdoor Environments of Early Childhood Institutions: Design and Evaluation

Abstract

The significance of play in early childhood is widely acknowledged depending on many empirical kinds of research. However, the play has been perceived as an activity that only occurs indoors till last years. That is the reason why all the arrangements and criteria for play supportive environments were presented for indoor learning environments. As a natural result of this case, the studies investigating outdoor environments and outdoor play presented many dramatic results. To illustrate, the studies put forward that outdoor environments became play environments that include fixed play equipment supporting only psychomotor development and lacking loose parts which allow children to use them creatively depending on their needs and interests. Thus, outdoor environments should be designed in a way that enable children to play different types of play including constructive and dramatic play, games with rules, associative and cooperative play. Yet, as much as the design of the outdoor environment, it is important to determine the factors, which decrease or increase the effectiveness of the design of the outdoor environment, and to make essential arrangements about them. That is the reason why, under the head of current knowledge, this study aimed to synthesize the conducted studies about outdoor play and the outdoor environment. Depending on this synthesize, several major principles were presented for both designers of outdoor environments, researchers and practitioners in the field of early childhood education.

Keywords

• Design of outdoor environments
• outdoor play
• loose parts

References

1. Açık, Y., Gülbayrak, C. & Turaci-Çelik, G. (2004). Investigation of the level of safety and appropriateness of playgrounds in Elazığ city in Turkey. International Journal of Health Research, 14(1), 75-82.
2. Ahmad, S., Ch, A. H., Batool, A., Sittar, K., & Malik, M. (2016). Play and cognitive development: Formal operational perspective of Piaget’s theory. Journal of Education and Practice, 7(28), 72–79.
3. Akkulah, A. T. (2008). The research of safety standards in children’s playgrounds and its application in Nenehatun Park. http//www.belgeler,com/blg/jw2/oyun-alanları-guvenlık-standartlarının-arastırılması-ve-nenehatun-parkı-ornegınde-ırdelenmesı-the-research-of-safety-standards-in-children-s-playgrounds-and-it-s-application-in-nenehatun-park adresinden edinilmiştir.
4. Amus, G. (2013). An Alternative Journey into Forest Kindergartens and Reggio Emilia Approach in Harkönen, U. (Ed.). Reorientation of teacher education towards sustainability theory and practice): Vol. 7. proceedings of the 10th international JTEFS /BBCC conference sustainable development (pp. 5-25). Joensuu: Publications of University of Eastern Finland.
5. Banko, Ç., Akdemir, K., Gemici-Koşar, M. & Sevimli-Çelik, S. (2018). The investigation of outdoor playgrounds in terms of supporting risky play, Inonu University Journal of the Faculty of Education, 19(3), 406-417.
6. Bergen, D. (2002). The role of pretend play in children’s cognitive development. Early Childhood Research & Practice, 4(1).
7. Bilton, H. (2010). Outdoor learning in early years: Management and innovation. New York: Routledge.
8. Boyle, B., & Charles, M. (2010). Using socio-dramatic play to support a beginning writer: “Daniel, the doctor and the bleeding ball.” International Journal of Early Years Education, 18(3), 213–225.

9. Breadekamp, S. & Coople, C. (1996). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs. Washington D.C: NAEYC.
10. Cabrera, N. J., Karberg, E., Malin, J. L., & Aldoney, D. (2017). The magic of play: low-income mothers’ and fathers’ playfulness and children’s emotion regulation and vocabulary skills. Infant Mental Health Journal, 38(6), 757–771.
11. Casey, T. & Robertson, J. (2017). Loose part play: A toolkit. Inspiring Scotland. https://www.inspiringscotland.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Loose-Parts-Play-web.pdf adresinden edinilmiştir.
12. Cevher-Kalburan, N. (2014). Young children’s opportunities and parent’s opinions regarding outdoor play. Journal of Studies on Social Policy, 32, 113–135.
13. Cevher-Kalburan, N., & Yurt, Ö. (2011). “School playgrounds as learning environments: Early childhood teachers’ beliefs and practices”. Paper presented at the 7th International Conference on Education, INEAG, Samos-Greece.
14. Chakravarthi, S. (2009). Preschool teachers’ beliefs and practices of outdoor play and outdoor environments. Unpublished doctorate thesis, The University of North Carolina, Greensboro.
15. Cihangiroğlu, C. (1994). Çocuk oyun alanlarındaki oyun aletlerinde uyulması gereken kriterler üzerine bir araştırma. Unpublished master thesis. Ankara: Ankara Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü.
16. Cooper, A. (2015). Nature and the outdoor learning environment: The forgotten resource in early childhood education. International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education, 3(1), p. 85.
17. Copeland, K.A., Kendeigh, C.A., Bria E. Saelens, B.A., Kalkwarf, H. J., Sherman, S.N., (2012). Physical activity in child-care centers: Do teachers hold the key to the playground? Health Education Research, 27(1), 81-100.
18. Çelik, A. (2012). Okul öncesi eğitim kurumlarında açık alan kullanımı: Kocaeli örneği. Journal of Agricultural Faculty of Atatürk Üniversity, 43(1), 79-88.
19. Çetken, H. Ş., Sevimli-Çelik, S. (2018). Okul öncesi öğretmenlerinin dış mekân oyunlarına karşı bakış açılarının incelenmesi. Journal of Theoretical Educational Science, 11(2), 318-341.
20. Dyment, J., & O'Connell, T. S. (2013). The impact of playground design on play choices and behaviors of pre-school children. Children's Geographies, 11(3), 263-280.
21. Engelen, L., Perry, G., Bundy, A., Chan, T. K. Y., Ragen, J., Bauman, A., Naughton, G.(2018). Spying on children during a school playground intervention using a novel method for direct observation of activities during outdoor play. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 18(1), 86–95.
22. Erden, F. & Yalçın, F. (2016). Dış mekân oyunları. M. Ören (Ed.). Oyun ve öğrenme içinde (s. 164-187). Eski Şehir: Anadolu Üniversitesi.
23. Ernst, J. (2014). Early childhood educators’ preferences and perceptions regarding outdoor settings as learning environments. International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education, 2(1), p. 97.
24. Farley, T. A., Meriwether, R. A., Baker, E. T., Rice, J. C., & Webber, L. S. (2008). Where do the children play? The influence of playground equipment on physical activity of children in free play. Journal of Physical Activity & Health, 5(2), 319–331.
25. Flannigan, C., & Dietze, B. (2017). Children, outdoor play, and loose parts. Journal of Childhood Studies, 42(4), 53-60.
26. Frost, J. L. (1998). “Neuroscience, Play, and Child Development”. Paper presented at the IPA/USA Triennial NationalConference, Longmont, CO.
27. Frost, J. L. (1997). Playgrounds. Parks and Recreation, 32(4), 54-60.
28. Frost, J. L., Wortham, S., & Reifel, S. (2005). Play and child development. Prentice-Hall, Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.
29. Heft, H. (1988). Affordances of children' environments: A functional approach to environmental description. Children's Environments Quarterly, 5(3), 29-37.
30. Hennger, M. L. (1993). Enriching the outdoor play experience. Childhood Education, 70 (2), 87-91.
31. Herrington, S., & Brussoni, M. (2015). Beyond physical activity: The importance of play and nature-based play spaces for children’s health and development. Current Obesity Reports, 4(4), 477–483.
32. Herrington, S., Brunella, S. & Brussoni, M. (2017). Outdoor play spaces in Canada: As if children mattered. In Tim, W., Eva, A., Ellen Beate Hansen, S., Libby, L., Shirley W. (Eds.), The Sage handbook of outdoor play and learning (pp. 143-159). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
33. Houser, N.E., Roach, L., Stone, M.R., Turner, J. & Kirk, S.F.L. (2016). Let the children play: Scoping review on the implementation and use of loose parts for promoting physical activity participation. AIMS Public Health, 3(4), 781-799.
34. Hu, B. Y., Li, K., De Marco, A., & Chen, Y. (2014). Examining the quality of outdoor play in Chinese kindergartens. International Journal of Early Childhood, 47, 53–77.
35. Ihmeideh, F. M., & Al-Qaryouti, I. A. (2016). Exploring kindergarten teachers’ views and roles regarding children’s outdoor play environments in Oman. Early Years, 36 (1), 81-96.
36. Johnson, J.E., Christie, J.F & Yawkey, T.D. (1999). Play, development and early education. New York: Longman.
37. Johnson, J.E., Christie, J.F., & Wardle, F. (2005). Play, development and early education. Boston: Pearson.
38. Kaçan, M. O., Hamaltov, M., & Kartaltepe, O. (2017). Examining the gardens of the preschool education institutions. Erken Çocukluk Çalışmaları Dergisi, 1(1), 60-70.
39. Kiewra, C., & Veselack, E. (2016). Playing with nature: Supporting preschoolers' creativity in natural outdoor classrooms. International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education, 4(1), 70-95.
40. Kos, M. & Jerman, J. (2013). Provisions for outdoor play and learning in Slovene preschools. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 13(3), 189-205.
41. Little, H., Sandseter, E.B.H., & Wyver, S. (2012). Early childhood teachers’ beliefs about children’s risky play in Australia and Norway. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 13(4), 300-316.
42. Lovinger, S. L. (1974). Socio-dramatic play and language development in preschool disadvantaged children. Psychology in the Schools, 11, 313–320.
43. Malone, K. (2007). The bubble-wrap generation: Children growing up in walled gardens. Environmental Education Research, 13(4), 513-527.
44. Mawson, W. B. (2014). Experiencing the ‘wild woods’: The impact of pedagogy on children’s experience of a natural environment. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 22(4), 513–524.
45. Maxwell, L. E., Mitchell, M. R., & Evans, G. W. (2008). Effects of play equipment and loose parts on preschool children's outdoor play behavior: An observational study and design ıntervention. Children Youth and Environments, 18(2), 36-63.
46. McClintic, S. (2014). Loose parts: Adding quality to the outdoor environment. Texas Child Care, 38(3), 17.
47. McClintic, S., & Petty, K. (2015) Exploring early childhood teachers’ beliefs and practices about preschool outdoor play: A qualitative study. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 36(1), 24-43.
48. Miranda, N., Larrea, I. Muela, A. & Barandiaran, A. (2017). Preschool children’s social play and involvement in the outdoor environment. Early Education and Development, 28(5), 525-540.
49. National Association for the Education of Young Children [NAEYC] (2014). NAEYC early childhood program standards and accreditation criteria & guidance for assessment. Washington, DC: Author.
50. Nicholson, S. (1971). The theory of loose parts: An important principle for design methodology, Studies in Design Education Craft & Technology, 4(2), 5–14.
51. O’Brien, L. (2009). Learning outdoors: The forest school approach. Education 3-13, 37, 45–60.
52. Olgan, R. & Kahriman-Öztürk, D. (2011). An investigation in the playgrounds of public and private preschools in Ankara. Education and Science, 36(161), 85-97.
53. Olsen, H. (2013). Creating and enriching quality and safe outdoor environments. Dimensions of Early Childhood, 41(3), 11-17.
54. Orr, E., & Geva, R. (2015). Symbolic play and language development. Infant Behavior & Development, 38, 147–161.
55. Özgüç, İ.M. (1998). Oyun bahçelerinde tasarım ilkeleri. Peyzaj Mimarlığı Dergisi, 5, 15-16.
56. Öztürk, A.Ş. (2009). Okulda eğitimle bütünleştirilmiş mekân dışı eğitim. Milli Eğitim, 181, 131-145.
57. Paechter, C., and S. Clark. 2007. Learning Gender in Primary Playgrounds: Findings from the Tomboy Identities Study. Pedagogy, Culture and Society 15(3), 317–331.
58. Parten, M.B. (1933). Social play among preschool children. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 28, 136-147.
59. Piaget, J. (1962). Play, dreams and ımitation in childhood. New York: Norton.
60. Quinn, S., Donnelly, S., & Kidd, E. (2018). The relationship between symbolic play and language acquisition: A meta-analytic review. Developmental Review, 49, 121–135.
61. Shim, S.-Y., Herwig, J. E., & Shelley, M. (2001). Preschoolers’ play behaviors with peers in classroom and playground settings. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 15, 149–163.
62. Similansky, S. (1968). The effects of sociodramatic play on disadvantaged preschool children. New York: Wiley.
63. Sluss, D. J. (2005). Play as the zone of proximal development :Collaborative constructive block play. http://0search.ebscohost.com.library.metu.edu.tr/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip&db=edsndl&AN=edsndl.oai.union.ndltd.org.VTETD.oai.VTETD.etd-10262005-143532&site=eds-live&authtype=ip,uid adresinden edinilmiştir.
64. Tepebağ, D. & Aktaş-Arnas, Y. (2017). Okul öncesi öğretmenlerinin okul bahçesini eğitsel amaçlı kullanımına yönelik görüşlerinin incelenmesi. Uluslararası Erken Çocukluk Eğitimi Çalışmaları Dergisi 2(2), 50-67. Tovey, H. (2007). Playing outdoors spaces and places, risks and challenge. New York: Open University Press.
65. Üskün, E., Kişioğlu, A.N., Altay, T., Çıkınlar, R., & Kocakaya, A. (2008). Assessment of the current status of playground safety in the midwestern region of Turkey: An effort to provide a safe environment for children. The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics, 50, 559-565.
66. Walker, D. (2006). Toward productive design studies. In Akker, J., Gravemeijer, K., McKenney, S., & Nieveen, N. (Eds.), Educational design research (pp. 13-23). New York and London: Routledge.
67. Waller, T., Arlemaalm-Hagser, E., Sandseter, E.B.H., Lee-Hammond, L., Lekies, K., Wyver, S. (2017). Introduction. In Tim, W., Eva, A., Ellen Beate Hansen, S., Libby, L., Shirley W. (Eds.), The Sage handbook of outdoor play and learning (pp. 1-21). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
68. Water, J. & Maynard, T. (2010). What’s so interesting outside? A study of child-initiated interactio with teachers in the natural outdoor environment. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal 18(4), 473–483.