Publicação
Outdoor affordances in preschool education: exploring the educational potential of exterior spaces
| Resumo: | This article draws on the Final Internship Report developed within the Supervised Teaching Practice course of the master’s degree in Pre-school and Primary Education. The study focused on the role of outdoor space in promoting affordances, with emphasis on pre-school education, given the richness of observed interactions. Outdoor environments offer opportunities for meaningful, playful and holistic learning. Affordances are understood as possibilities for action that emerge from the complementarity between the child and the environment, shaped by perception, motivation, and development. Observations revealed a progression from sensory exploration toward more complex motor and symbolic actions, reflecting children’s dynamic appropriation of space. Findings highlight outdoor spaces as authentic extensions of learning, capable of fostering autonomy, creativity, imagination and cooperation, while reinforcing the educator’s role in designing rich and challenging environments. |
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| Autores principais: | Gomes, Quirina Ferreira |
| Outros Autores: | Freire-Ribeiro, Ilda; Pires, Delmina |
| Assunto: | Outdoor space Preschool education Affordances Free play Holistic development |
| Ano: | 2025 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | comunicação em conferência |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso aberto |
| Instituição associada: | Instituto Politécnico de Bragança |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | Biblioteca Digital do IPB |
| Resumo: | This article draws on the Final Internship Report developed within the Supervised Teaching Practice course of the master’s degree in Pre-school and Primary Education. The study focused on the role of outdoor space in promoting affordances, with emphasis on pre-school education, given the richness of observed interactions. Outdoor environments offer opportunities for meaningful, playful and holistic learning. Affordances are understood as possibilities for action that emerge from the complementarity between the child and the environment, shaped by perception, motivation, and development. Observations revealed a progression from sensory exploration toward more complex motor and symbolic actions, reflecting children’s dynamic appropriation of space. Findings highlight outdoor spaces as authentic extensions of learning, capable of fostering autonomy, creativity, imagination and cooperation, while reinforcing the educator’s role in designing rich and challenging environments. |
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