Learning Outdoors: A Pilot Program for Early Childhood Educator Professional Development

Research supports the use of outdoor spaces as a learning environment for child development; however, some early childhood educators may struggle to support learning when outdoors with young children. Reframing teacher mindset towards outdoor environments, gaining a knowledge of child development, and understanding how it applies within the context of naturalist studies have been identified as three key areas supportive for early childhood educators as they work outdoors with young children. Additionally, designing professional development sessions with targeted material, opportunities for observations, and providing time with a coach for support may further support learning and implementation of targeted material. This exploratory study examines the influence of intentionally designed professional development on teachers’ perception of their role while outdoors with young children, knowledge base concerning key elements effective for teaching young children outdoors, and teacher application of key elements while outdoors with young children. Findings showed a change in teacher perception of role, an increase of knowledge base, and an increase in key elements: observation, varied modalities of learning, and extension of indoor classroom learning. Furthermore, this study highlights the potential of incorporating intentionally designed professional development for early childhood educators, particularly for outdoor learning environments.