An article for the Australasian Journal of Early Childhood (AJEC) - Assignment Example

Teachers in these environments have the opportunity to use action research as a method of improving the interaction of students to the environment in the context of independent study. Figure 1: Children Engaging the Natural Environment in a Forest School (Cummings, 2010) Creating Quality Learning Environments Logan, Press, and Sumsion (2012) discuss the idea of discourses and gazes as ways of creating a discussion about policy and defining quality. Discourses involve the literature and communications in which the construction of human social interaction is framed and formed, taking from basic policy the cues on how to behave as prescribed by society.

The gaze is a way in which to form philosophy through grouping different discourses together and seeing the world through a specific lens. The philosophies that are central to encouraging sustainability and environmental responsibility are enhanced through the use of discourses and gaze. . st is that they have a strong sense of identity through feeling secure in their world and the second in that they learn how to effectively communicate. Forest schools use a constructivist approach to learning as they are concerned with the processes through which children will learn through constructing their own learning experiences.

The three aspects used in the Forest Schools are: using the forest as a context for learning, using materials from the forest for learning, and the use of the five senses as well as building on their natural curiosity in order to construct learning (Cumming, 2010). The process of learning transforms into increased effectiveness of defining their sense of self within the context of identity and within the context of the world environment. Action Research The concept of action research as a means of self critique and transformation provides for creating new and better worlds as time passes.

MacNaughton and Smith (2001) discuss action research in relationship with post-modernism in which there is a pursuit of ‘truth’. Through techniques of action research, teachers are continually improving their influence in the classroom by using what they learn in their practice to transform their means of communication and influence. The truth becomes an organic form of learning in which discovery by students and teachers allow for constant improvement and change. Figure 2: Teachers in a Forest School (Forest Education Initiative, 2013) Action research can help to transform a number of different areas in practice, but in learning to create philosophies about the world and influence the socialization of children a professional is helping to shape the future through beliefs and traditions that can influence a lifetime.

Literature from the Lady Gowrie