Refining a Games Testing Tool for Various Cultural, Social, and Geographic Situations to Evaluate Preschool Children's Bioaffinity

Autor/inn/en	MacKeen, Jessica; Wright, Tarah
Titel	Refining a Games Testing Tool for Various Cultural, Social, and Geographic Situations to Evaluate Preschool Children's Bioaffinity
Quelle	In: International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education, 8 (2020) 1, S.9-25 (17 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	2331-0464
Schlagwörter	Foreign Countries; Preschool Children; Preschool Education; Environmental Education; Games; Psychological Testing; Reggio Emilia Approach; Child Development; Child Psychology; Ecology; Developmental Psychology; Canada + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; Pre-school age; Preschool age; Child; Children; Pre-school education; Preschool education; Vorschulalter; Kind; Kinder; Vorschulkind; Vorschulkinder; Vorschulerziehung; Vorschule; Umweltbildung; Umwelterziehung; Umweltpädagogik; Game; Spiel; Spiele; Psychological test; psychological tests; Psychological examination; Psychologischer Test; Reggio-Pädagogik; Kindesentwicklung; Kinderpsychologie; Ökologie; Entwicklungspsychologie; Kanada
Abstract	Studies have used psychological games testing to measure children's bioaffinity (a child's love of/for or connection to nature) as a result of time spent in nature enriching children's well-being. Discrepancies found between two studies in different countries (Sweden and Canada) informed this research. Both studies used the same bioaffinity testing tool with children who had more than average nature-exposure and were enrolled in preschools using the same nature-based philosophy (Reggio-Emilia approach). While the Swedish study found positive bioaffinity amongst the children (aged 5), the Canadian children's (aged 3-5) affinity with nature was weak. The inconsistencies between the Swedish and Canadian studies led to recommendations for further research and testing to determine the following: (1) the appropriateness of the measure for younger children, (2) the need to modify the test to be more culturally and geographically relevant for the participants, and (3) whether such revisions would increase participant understanding and completion of the test while producing more accurate results. As such, this study sought to modify the testing tool to be more culturally, geographically and developmentally appropriate for young Canadian children and then test it with a cohort of 3-5-year-old Canadian preschoolers. Interviews with early childhood education experts and current child development psychology literature informed the modification of the games testing tool. Reduction in the time needed to complete the testing and an increase in child engagement indicate that the new tool's revisions effectively enhanced the children's understanding of the game's testing. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	North American Association for Environmnental Education. 1725 DeSales Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 202-419-0412; Web site: https://naturalstart.org/research
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01