Collective place-making through the design of an outdoor nature rich play space in early childhood education

Abstract

A university community is diverse and creates a rich environment for multiple and varied perspectives. A nursery within a university campus has potential to form an integral part of the future of the children who attend, and likewise, of the future of the university more widely. The Scottish Government (2023a) has committed funding to the development of outdoor play and learning in support of children’s wellbeing, particularly as an effective approach to early childhood education. This research explores the opportunities for connecting, belonging and being in an outdoor play place through community consultation to design a nature rich play space for a children’s nursery. Perspectives based on connection to place, nature and ideas which were influenced by and influence, sustainability, within the University of Dundee campus, were gathered. The theoretical perspective of the research was framed in early childhood education through the lens’ of Dewey’s (1916) experiential learning, Sobel’s (2004) place-based education, Wilson’s (1984) biophilia and Richardson et al.’s nature connection. The review of literature indicated that the context for this research, based in a multi-stakeholder university campus, was new and lay in the interrelated areas of focus which contribute to the researched area. These included biophilic design, attachment to place, pedagogies of sustainability, human-human and human–non-human relationships and consultation within the design process.

This research is a single case, case study set within an interpretive paradigm and qualitative methodology. Data were gathered through interviews, questionnaires, visual and design-based methods. Overall, the findings reflect perspectives of six different data sets that comprised of children, their educators, and parents, expert interviewees, education staff and wider university staff and students. Data were analysed using a reflexive, thematic approach (Braun and Clarke, 2020). Four key themes were generated from the data. These are: play and relationships in nature are integral to place-making, learning, wellbeing, and development; affordances support positive environmental attitudes; community and collaboration are at the heart of wellbeing and sustainability, and pedagogy is significant in scaffolding children’s engagement with nature in a nature, play-based, environment. Additional analysis of the key findings identified that community consultation in planning for place-making of a nature-rich outdoor play space in a university campus, is an effective process. Community consultation supports the development of human to human and human to non-human relationships. A focus on placemaking as part of the design process highlights the potential positive effect on the community's wider environmental attitudes and dispositions and on the physical environment. The value of collective voice in designing nature rich spaces for young children is therefore emphasised through the findings. The collective voices heard through this study suggest that design ideas can relate to wellbeing, engagement and pedagogical approaches, not only for young children but also for students, particularly those learning to become educators of children. There are therefore implications for how student teachers may learn about early childhood education, nature-based learning and play and pedagogical approaches that encourage children to be citizens in matters that directly affect them. Furthermore, inclusion of the wider case study university stakeholders in exploring existing outdoor spaces can lead to a greater understanding of stakeholders’ relations with place and the effect this may have on the wellbeing of the university human and non-human community.

Date of Award	2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Dundee
Supervisor	Kumara Ward (Supervisor) & Liz Lakin (Supervisor)