Wild Wiltshire Study, Dr Mel McCree

Wild Wiltshire

Year 1 findings of a 3 year longitudinal evaluation of the impact upon

disadvantaged primary age children

attending Forest School and outdoor learning

Sunday, 26 October 2014

Project Partners• Wiltshire Wildlife Trust

• Ivy Lane Primary School

• Funded by The Blagrave Trust

• Dr Mel McCree, Free Range Creativity Research Consultancy and Plymouth University

Free Range Creativity


The Project• Three year project

• Term time and school holidays

• Half / one day per week

• 13 children

• Same children

• Years 2 to 4 at start (ages 6-9)

• One / two WWT staff plus two school staff


The Children• Struggle to thrive in a classroom setting

• Seen as likely to underachieve:

“all of the children are making less than expected progress in many core areas of learning (speaking and listening, reading, writing and maths) and most had lower than average starting points in these areas“

• Disadvantaged:

“economically & emotionally disadvantaged & with special education needs (including behaviour difficulties)”


The Children

Pen Portrait Headlines

12/13: Free School Meals

13/13: additional support

(all int /4 ext)5 in Year 23 in Year 35 in Year 4

11/13: known family breakdowns

13/13: SEN

2/13: young carers

2/13: behavioural difficulties

2/13: safeguarding issues


What and where• Learning outside the

classroom, outdoor learning, Forest School, learning in the natural environment, fieldwork, bushcraft, conservation, nature-based play, wild play…

• On a variety of WWT nature reserves, with regular visits to one woodland

• Local and further afield


The Ethos“For us this is not just about the '3 Rs’ but making sure that children are emotionally and socially ready [for secondary school] and that some children need more and continued support with this. We believe that using nature to achieve this is a worthwhile approach”

• Process not outcome

• Choice of activities

• Self-directed

• Self-expression

• Self-regulation


The EthosProvision of emotional time and space

“Can you catch?”“No”“Well learn then”“I will be the Master of Catching…when I am ready”

“When we get in to the woods, please can I go and sit somewhere by myself for five minutes”“Of course. Why would you like to do that?”“Because this is the only time I get some peace and quiet”


Provide the opportunity…


…to thrive


…to learn about themselves


…be happy


…be safe



...express ourselves


…connect with nature


...help conserve


Have fun!


Research questionsQualitative, interpretive, multi-method process: pilot year exploring methods & aims

1. Changes to overall wellbeing and academic development?

2. What factors enable this?

3. Which changes are recognised by school?

4. Significant changes over time?


Caution re outcome claims• What links from experience to

improved wellbeing to improved attainment?

• Cannot separate influence of WW from other variable factors

• Gather a triangulated mosaic of in-depth evidence

• Observe direct links made

• Challenge bias and methods

• Improve validity & credibility


Mosaic framework• Multi-method

• Participatory co-investigators

• Reflexive

• Focus on children’s lived experiences

• Embedded into practice

Clark and Moss, 2001

Gallacher and Gallagher, 2008


2 stage Mosaic design• Gathering data, documentation,

reflections, researcher observation to create a MOSAIC

• Reflect this to participants and listen to their perspectives

• Helps to show these perspectives and develop understanding of the complex meaning-making & narratives

data analysis


Multi-methodQuestionnaires

Observation

Assessment scales

Documentation: photos,

child-led filming, scrapbook

diaries

‘Magic Den’ interviews

Staff & parent focus groups

Quantative school data

Magic Dens include:

Reviewing film & photos

Choosing preferences

Activities: Jellybeans

Mapping


Year 1 ThemesMost popular experiences:

NURTURE

PHYSICALITY

SOCIAL TIME

HANDS ON

NATURE


Hot chocolate!• Nurture as the prime

ingredient to engage

• Hungry, tired, cold, stressed...

• Hot chocolate and snacks around the fire

• Possibly decreases as a need as feelings of security increase?


Physicality

New space,

new adventures

Hiding, climbing, running & exploring the woods


Shared and socialTalking,

playing &sharing time with friends

"I'm going to let people join in my hole digging today…. because some people want to do it and I haven't let them and it might make them happy"

choice


Hands-onMaking fires, dens, holes, tool use, films, art, stories, imaginative play.

choice

open enquiry

experiential learning


Connecting with nature

•

How to measure and assess?

Discovering & learning about the living world

Implicit or explicit?


Assessment scales

Leuven scales: engagement and involvement as “deep-level learning” (Laevers, 1993)

triangulated with field notes, school data & participants’ evaluation

“She's been off all week, she's not 100% but she didn't want to miss WW today”


Assessment scales 2


Issues raised• Funding research provision

(informing wider policy)

• Both school and practitioner’s aims have evolved during project, informing the research

• Setting collaboration

• Data collection bias &/or sector insight? Implications for practitioner-led research

• Making the link between children’s nature connection, wellbeing and attainment


Crystallisation process

wellbeing through long term nature connection...

the long way round to attainment?

longitudinal...

emergent...

understanding...


Dissemination

Where could this lead?

• Collaboration

• Sharing experience

• Publication

• Contagion

• Increased provision


Thank You

Year 1

Pilot report

available at:

www.freerangecreativity.org.uk


http://www.freerangecreativiy.org.uk

http://www.freerangecreativiy.org.uk

Education

Wild Wiltshire Study, Dr Mel McCree