action research examples for kindergarten

21 Action Research Examples (In Education)

Action research is an example of qualitative research . It refers to a wide range of evaluative or investigative methods designed to analyze professional practices and take action for improvement.

Commonly used in education, those practices could be related to instructional methods, classroom practices, or school organizational matters.

The creation of action research is attributed to Kurt Lewin , a German-American psychologist also considered to be the father of social psychology.

Gillis and Jackson (2002) offer a very concise definition of action research: “systematic collection and analysis of data for the purpose of taking action and making change” (p.264).

The methods of action research in education include:

• conducting in-class observations
• taking field notes
• surveying or interviewing teachers, administrators, or parents
• using audio and video recordings.

The goal is to identify problematic issues, test possible solutions, or simply carry-out continuous improvement.

There are several steps in action research : identify a problem, design a plan to resolve, implement the plan, evaluate effectiveness, reflect on results, make necessary adjustment and repeat the process.

Action Research Examples

• Digital literacy assessment and training: The school’s IT department conducts a survey on students’ digital literacy skills. Based on the results, a tailored training program is designed for different age groups.
• Library resources utilization study: The school librarian tracks the frequency and type of books checked out by students. The data is then used to curate a more relevant collection and organize reading programs.
• Extracurricular activities and student well-being: A team of teachers and counselors assess the impact of extracurricular activities on student mental health through surveys and interviews. Adjustments are made based on findings.
• Parent-teacher communication channels: The school evaluates the effectiveness of current communication tools (e.g., newsletters, apps) between teachers and parents. Feedback is used to implement a more streamlined system.
• Homework load evaluation: Teachers across grade levels assess the amount and effectiveness of homework given. Adjustments are made to ensure a balance between academic rigor and student well-being.
• Classroom environment and learning: A group of teachers collaborates to study the impact of classroom layouts and decorations on student engagement and comprehension. Changes are made based on the findings.
• Student feedback on curriculum content: High school students are surveyed about the relevance and applicability of their current curriculum. The feedback is then used to make necessary curriculum adjustments.
• Teacher mentoring and support: New teachers are paired with experienced mentors. Both parties provide feedback on the effectiveness of the mentoring program, leading to continuous improvements.
• Assessment of school transportation: The school board evaluates the efficiency and safety of school buses through surveys with students and parents. Necessary changes are implemented based on the results.
• Cultural sensitivity training: After conducting a survey on students’ cultural backgrounds and experiences, the school organizes workshops for teachers to promote a more inclusive classroom environment.
• Environmental initiatives and student involvement: The school’s eco-club assesses the school’s carbon footprint and waste management. They then collaborate with the administration to implement greener practices and raise environmental awareness.
• Working with parents through research: A school’s admin staff conduct focus group sessions with parents to identify top concerns.Those concerns will then be addressed and another session conducted at the end of the school year.
• Peer teaching observations and improvements: Kindergarten teachers observe other teachers handling class transition techniques to share best practices.
• PTA surveys and resultant action: The PTA of a district conducts a survey of members regarding their satisfaction with remote learning classes.The results will be presented to the school board for further action.
• Recording and reflecting: A school administrator takes video recordings of playground behavior and then plays them for the teachers. The teachers work together to formulate a list of 10 playground safety guidelines.
• Pre/post testing of interventions: A school board conducts a district wide evaluation of a STEM program by conducting a pre/post-test of students’ skills in computer programming.
• Focus groups of practitioners : The professional development needs of teachers are determined from structured focus group sessions with teachers and admin.
• School lunch research and intervention: A nutrition expert is hired to evaluate and improve the quality of school lunches.
• School nurse systematic checklist and improvements: The school nurse implements a bathroom cleaning checklist to monitor cleanliness after the results of a recent teacher survey revealed several issues.
• Wearable technologies for pedagogical improvements; Students wear accelerometers attached to their hips to gain a baseline measure of physical activity.The results will identify if any issues exist.
• School counselor reflective practice : The school counselor conducts a student survey on antisocial behavior and then plans a series of workshops for both teachers and parents.

Detailed Examples

1. cooperation and leadership.

A science teacher has noticed that her 9 th grade students do not cooperate with each other when doing group projects. There is a lot of arguing and battles over whose ideas will be followed.

So, she decides to implement a simple action research project on the matter. First, she conducts a structured observation of the students’ behavior during meetings. She also has the students respond to a short questionnaire regarding their notions of leadership.

She then designs a two-week course on group dynamics and leadership styles. The course involves learning about leadership concepts and practices . In another element of the short course, students randomly select a leadership style and then engage in a role-play with other students.

At the end of the two weeks, she has the students work on a group project and conducts the same structured observation as before. She also gives the students a slightly different questionnaire on leadership as it relates to the group.

She plans to analyze the results and present the findings at a teachers’ meeting at the end of the term.

2. Professional Development Needs

Two high-school teachers have been selected to participate in a 1-year project in a third-world country. The project goal is to improve the classroom effectiveness of local teachers. 

The two teachers arrive in the country and begin to plan their action research. First, they decide to conduct a survey of teachers in the nearby communities of the school they are assigned to.

The survey will assess their professional development needs by directly asking the teachers and administrators. After collecting the surveys, they analyze the results by grouping the teachers based on subject matter.

They discover that history and social science teachers would like professional development on integrating smartboards into classroom instruction. Math teachers would like to attend workshops on project-based learning, while chemistry teachers feel that they need equipment more than training.

The two teachers then get started on finding the necessary training experts for the workshops and applying for equipment grants for the science teachers.

3. Playground Accidents

The school nurse has noticed a lot of students coming in after having mild accidents on the playground. She’s not sure if this is just her perception or if there really is an unusual increase this year.  So, she starts pulling data from the records over the last two years. She chooses the months carefully and only selects data from the first three months of each school year.

She creates a chart to make the data more easily understood. Sure enough, there seems to have been a dramatic increase in accidents this year compared to the same period of time from the previous two years.

She shows the data to the principal and teachers at the next meeting. They all agree that a field observation of the playground is needed.

Those observations reveal that the kids are not having accidents on the playground equipment as originally suspected. It turns out that the kids are tripping on the new sod that was installed over the summer.

They examine the sod and observe small gaps between the slabs. Each gap is approximately 1.5 inches wide and nearly two inches deep. The kids are tripping on this gap as they run.

They then discuss possible solutions.

4. Differentiated Learning

Trying to use the same content, methods, and processes for all students is a recipe for failure. This is why modifying each lesson to be flexible is highly recommended. Differentiated learning allows the teacher to adjust their teaching strategy based on all the different personalities and learning styles they see in their classroom.

Of course, differentiated learning should undergo the same rigorous assessment that all teaching techniques go through. So, a third-grade social science teacher asks his students to take a simple quiz on the industrial revolution. Then, he applies differentiated learning to the lesson.

By creating several different learning stations in his classroom, he gives his students a chance to learn about the industrial revolution in a way that captures their interests. The different stations contain: short videos, fact cards, PowerPoints, mini-chapters, and role-plays.

At the end of the lesson, students get to choose how they demonstrate their knowledge. They can take a test, construct a PPT, give an oral presentation, or conduct a simulated TV interview with different characters.

During this last phase of the lesson, the teacher is able to assess if they demonstrate the necessary knowledge and have achieved the defined learning outcomes. This analysis will allow him to make further adjustments to future lessons.

5. Healthy Habits Program

While looking at obesity rates of students, the school board of a large city is shocked by the dramatic increase in the weight of their students over the last five years. After consulting with three companies that specialize in student physical health, they offer the companies an opportunity to prove their value.

So, the board randomly assigns each company to a group of schools. Starting in the next academic year, each company will implement their healthy habits program in 5 middle schools.

Preliminary data is collected at each school at the beginning of the school year. Each and every student is weighed, their resting heart rate, blood pressure and cholesterol are also measured.

After analyzing the data, it is found that the schools assigned to each of the three companies are relatively similar on all of these measures.

At the end of the year, data for students at each school will be collected again. A simple comparison of pre- and post-program measurements will be conducted. The company with the best outcomes will be selected to implement their program city-wide.

Action research is a great way to collect data on a specific issue, implement a change, and then evaluate the effects of that change. It is perhaps the most practical of all types of primary research .

Most likely, the results will be mixed. Some aspects of the change were effective, while other elements were not. That’s okay. This just means that additional modifications to the change plan need to be made, which is usually quite easy to do.

There are many methods that can be utilized, such as surveys, field observations , and program evaluations.

The beauty of action research is based in its utility and flexibility. Just about anyone in a school setting is capable of conducting action research and the information can be incredibly useful.

Aronson, E., & Patnoe, S. (1997). The jigsaw classroom: Building cooperation in the classroom (2nd ed.). New York: Addison Wesley Longman.

Gillis, A., & Jackson, W. (2002). Research Methods for Nurses: Methods and Interpretation . Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company.

Lewin, K. (1946). Action research and minority problems. Journal of SocialIssues, 2 (4), 34-46.

Macdonald, C. (2012). Understanding participatory action research: A qualitative research methodology option. Canadian Journal of Action Research, 13 , 34-50. https://doi.org/10.33524/cjar.v13i2.37 Mertler, C. A. (2008). Action Research: Teachers as Researchers in the Classroom . London: Sage.

Dave Cornell (PhD)

Dr. Cornell has worked in education for more than 20 years. His work has involved designing teacher certification for Trinity College in London and in-service training for state governments in the United States. He has trained kindergarten teachers in 8 countries and helped businessmen and women open baby centers and kindergartens in 3 countries.

• Dave Cornell (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/dave-cornell-phd/ Vicarious Punishment: Definition, Examples, Pros and Cons
• Dave Cornell (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/dave-cornell-phd/ 10 Sublimation Examples (in Psychology)
• Dave Cornell (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/dave-cornell-phd/ 10 Fixed Ratio Schedule Examples
• Dave Cornell (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/dave-cornell-phd/ 10 Sensorimotor Stage Examples

Chris Drew (PhD)

This article was peer-reviewed and edited by Chris Drew (PhD). The review process on Helpful Professor involves having a PhD level expert fact check, edit, and contribute to articles. Reviewers ensure all content reflects expert academic consensus and is backed up with reference to academic studies. Dr. Drew has published over 20 academic articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education and holds a PhD in Education from ACU.

• Chris Drew (PhD) #molongui-disabled-link Cognitive Dissonance Theory: Examples and Definition
• Chris Drew (PhD) #molongui-disabled-link Vicarious Punishment: Definition, Examples, Pros and Cons
• Chris Drew (PhD) #molongui-disabled-link 10 Sublimation Examples (in Psychology)
• Chris Drew (PhD) #molongui-disabled-link Social Penetration Theory: Examples, Phases, Criticism

2 thoughts on “21 Action Research Examples (In Education)”

Where can I capture this article in a better user-friendly format, since I would like to provide it to my students in a Qualitative Methods course at the University of Prince Edward Island? It is a good article, however, it is visually disjointed in its current format. Thanks, Dr. Frank T. Lavandier

Hi Dr. Lavandier,

I’ve emailed you a word doc copy that you can use and edit with your class.

Best, Chris.

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How to Do Action Research in Your Classroom

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Action Research

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Action research is a method used by teachers to solve everyday issues in the classroom. It is a reflective, democratic, and action-based approach to problem-solving or information-seeking in the classroom. Instead of waiting for a solution, action research empowers teachers to become critical and reflective thinkers and lifelong learners that are dedicated to helping improve student learning and teaching effectiveness.

Teachers or program leaders can take on an action research project by framing a question, carrying out an intervention or experiment, and reporting on the results. Below you’ll find resources, examples, and simple steps to help you get started.

Action Research in Early Childhood Education

Steps for action research.

1. Identify a Topic

Topics for action research can include the following:

• Changes in classroom practice
• Effects of program restructuring
• New understanding of students
• Teacher skills and competencies
• New professional relationships
• New content or curricula
• What problem do you want to solve? What information are you seeking?
• What data will need to be collected to help find a solution or answer?
• How will it be collected, by whom and from whom?
• How can you assure that your data will be reliable?

3. Collect Data

A mixed-method approach is a great way to ensure that your data is valid and reliable since you are gathering data from more than one source. This is called triangulation.

Mixed-methods research is when you integrate quantitative and qualitative research and analysis in a single study. Quantitative data is data that can be measured and written down with numbers. Some examples include attendance records, developmental screening tests, and attitude surveys. Qualitative data is data that cannot be measured in a numerical format. Some examples include observations, open-ended survey responses, audio recordings, focus groups, pictures, and in-depth interviews.

Ethically, even if your research will be contained in the classroom, it is important to get permission from the director or principal and parents. If your data collection involves videotaping or photographing students, you should review and follow school procedures. Always make sure that you have a secure place to store data and that you respect the confidentiality of your students.

4. Analyze and Interpret the Data

It’s important to consider when data will be able to answer your question. Were you looking for effects right away or effects that last until the end of the school year? When you’re done, review all of the data and look for themes. You can then separate the data into categories and analyze each group. Remember the goal of the analysis is not only to help answer the research question, but to gain understanding as a teacher.

5. Carry out an Action Plan to Improve Your Practice 

After the analysis, summarize what you learned from the study.

• How can you share your findings?
• What new research questions did the study prompt you to research next?
• What actionable steps can you make as a result of the findings?

Pine, G. J. (2008). Teacher action research: building knowledge democracies. Sage Publications.

Related Content

Data design initiative, webinar: child assessments: telling stories with data, data basics, data literacy credential, data essentials.

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

4 Preparing for Action Research in the Classroom: Practical Issues

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

• What sort of considerations are necessary to take action in your educational context?
• How do you facilitate an action plan without disrupting your teaching?
• How do you respond when the unplanned happens during data collection?

An action research project is a practical endeavor that will ultimately be shaped by your educational context and practice. Now that you have developed a literature review, you are ready to revise your initial plans and begin to plan your project. This chapter will provide some advice about your considerations when undertaking an action research project in your classroom.

Maintain Focus

Hopefully, you found a lot a research on your topic. If so, you will now have a better understanding of how it fits into your area and field of educational research. Even though the topic and area you are researching may not be small, your study itself should clearly focus on one aspect of the topic in your classroom. It is important to maintain clarity about what you are investigating because a lot will be going on simultaneously during the research process and you do not want to spend precious time on erroneous aspects that are irrelevant to your research.

Even though you may view your practice as research, and vice versa, you might want to consider your research project as a projection or megaphone for your work that will bring attention to the small decisions that make a difference in your educational context. From experience, our concern is that you will find that researching one aspect of your practice will reveal other interconnected aspects that you may find interesting, and you will disorient yourself researching in a confluence of interests, commitments, and purposes. We simply want to emphasize – don’t try to research everything at once. Stay focused on your topic, and focus on exploring it in depth, instead of its many related aspects. Once you feel you have made progress in one aspect, you can then progress to other related areas, as new research projects that continue the research cycle.

Identify a Clear Research Question

Your literature review should have exposed you to an array of research questions related to your topic. More importantly, your review should have helped identify which research questions we have addressed as a field, and which ones still need to be addressed . More than likely your research questions will resemble ones from your literature review, while also being distinguishable based upon your own educational context and the unexplored areas of research on your topic.

Regardless of how your research question took shape, it is important to be clear about what you are researching in your educational context. Action research questions typically begin in ways related to “How does … ?” or “How do I/we … ?”, for example:

Research Question Examples

• How does a semi-structured morning meeting improve my classroom community?
• How does historical fiction help students think about people’s agency in the past?
• How do I improve student punctuation use through acting out sentences?
• How do we increase student responsibility for their own learning as a team of teachers?

I particularly favor questions with I or we, because they emphasize that you, the actor and researcher, will be clearly taking action to improve your practice. While this may seem rather easy, you need to be aware of asking the right kind of question. One issue is asking a too pointed and closed question that limits the possibility for analysis. These questions tend to rely on quantitative answers, or yes/no answers. For example, “How many students got a 90% or higher on the exam, after reviewing the material three times?

Another issue is asking a question that is too broad, or that considers too many variables. For example, “How does room temperature affect students’ time-on-task?” These are obviously researchable questions, but the aim is a cause-and-effect relationship between variables that has little or no value to your daily practice.

I also want to point out that your research question will potentially change as the research develops. If you consider the question:

As you do an activity, you may find that students are more comfortable and engaged by acting sentences out in small groups, instead of the whole class. Therefore, your question may shift to:

• How do I improve student punctuation use through acting out sentences, in small groups ?

By simply engaging in the research process and asking questions, you will open your thinking to new possibilities and you will develop new understandings about yourself and the problematic aspects of your educational context.

Understand Your Capabilities and Know that Change Happens Slowly

Similar to your research question, it is important to have a clear and realistic understanding of what is possible to research in your specific educational context. For example, would you be able to address unsatisfactory structures (policies and systems) within your educational context? Probably not immediately, but over time you potentially could. It is much more feasible to think of change happening in smaller increments, from within your own classroom or context, with you as one change agent. For example, you might find it particularly problematic that your school or district places a heavy emphasis on traditional grades, believing that these grades are often not reflective of the skills students have or have not mastered. Instead of attempting to research grading practices across your school or district, your research might instead focus on determining how to provide more meaningful feedback to students and parents about progress in your course. While this project identifies and addresses a structural issue that is part of your school and district context, to keep things manageable, your research project would focus the outcomes on your classroom. The more research you do related to the structure of your educational context the more likely modifications will emerge. The more you understand these modifications in relation to the structural issues you identify within your own context, the more you can influence others by sharing your work and enabling others to understand the modification and address structural issues within their contexts. Throughout your project, you might determine that modifying your grades to be standards-based is more effective than traditional grades, and in turn, that sharing your research outcomes with colleagues at an in-service presentation prompts many to adopt a similar model in their own classrooms. It can be defeating to expect the world to change immediately, but you can provide the spark that ignites coordinated changes. In this way, action research is a powerful methodology for enacting social change. Action research enables individuals to change their own lives, while linking communities of like-minded practitioners who work towards action.

Plan Thoughtfully

Planning thoughtfully involves having a path in mind, but not necessarily having specific objectives. Due to your experience with students and your educational context, the research process will often develop in ways as you expected, but at times it may develop a little differently, which may require you to shift the research focus and change your research question. I will suggest a couple methods to help facilitate this potential shift. First, you may want to develop criteria for gauging the effectiveness of your research process. You may need to refine and modify your criteria and your thinking as you go. For example, we often ask ourselves if action research is encouraging depth of analysis beyond my typical daily pedagogical reflection. You can think about this as you are developing data collection methods and even when you are collecting data. The key distinction is whether the data you will be collecting allows for nuance among the participants or variables. This does not mean that you will have nuance, but it should allow for the possibility. Second, criteria are shaped by our values and develop into standards of judgement. If we identify criteria such as teacher empowerment, then we will use that standard to think about the action contained in our research process. Our values inform our work; therefore, our work should be judged in relation to the relevance of our values in our pedagogy and practice.

Does Your Timeline Work?

While action research is situated in the temporal span that is your life, your research project is short-term, bounded, and related to the socially mediated practices within your educational context. The timeline is important for bounding, or setting limits to your research project, while also making sure you provide the right amount of time for the data to emerge from the process.

For example, if you are thinking about examining the use of math diaries in your classroom, you probably do not want to look at a whole semester of entries because that would be a lot of data, with entries related to a wide range of topics. This would create a huge data analysis endeavor. Therefore, you may want to look at entries from one chapter or unit of study. Also, in terms of timelines, you want to make sure participants have enough time to develop the data you collect. Using the same math example, you would probably want students to have plenty of time to write in the journals, and also space out the entries over the span of the chapter or unit.

In relation to the examples, we think it is an important mind shift to not think of research timelines in terms of deadlines. It is vitally important to provide time and space for the data to emerge from the participants. Therefore, it would be potentially counterproductive to rush a 50-minute data collection into 20 minutes – like all good educators, be flexible in the research process.

Involve Others

It is important to not isolate yourself when doing research. Many educators are already isolated when it comes to practice in their classroom. The research process should be an opportunity to engage with colleagues and open up your classroom to discuss issues that are potentially impacting your entire educational context. Think about the following relationships:

Research participants

You may invite a variety of individuals in your educational context, many with whom you are in a shared situation (e.g. colleagues, administrators). These participants may be part of a collaborative study, they may simply help you develop data collection instruments or intervention items, or they may help to analyze and make sense of the data. While the primary research focus will be you and your learning, you will also appreciate how your learning is potentially influencing the quality of others’ learning.

We always tell educators to be public about your research, or anything exciting that is happening in your educational context, for that matter. In terms of research, you do not want it to seem mysterious to any stakeholder in the educational context. Invite others to visit your setting and observe your research process, and then ask for their formal feedback. Inviting others to your classroom will engage and connect you with other stakeholders, while also showing that your research was established in an ethic of respect for multiple perspectives.

Critical friends or validators

Using critical friends is one way to involve colleagues and also validate your findings and conclusions. While your positionality will shape the research process and subsequently your interpretations of the data, it is important to make sure that others see similar logic in your process and conclusions. Critical friends or validators provide some level of certification that the frameworks you use to develop your research project and make sense of your data are appropriate for your educational context. Your critical friends and validators’ suggestions will be useful if you develop a report or share your findings, but most importantly will provide you confidence moving forward.

Potential researchers

As an educational researcher, you are involved in ongoing improvement plans and district or systemic change. The flexibility of action research allows it to be used in a variety of ways, and your initial research can spark others in your context to engage in research either individually for their own purposes, or collaboratively as a grade level, team, or school. Collaborative inquiry with other educators is an emerging form of professional learning and development for schools with school improvement plans. While they call it collaborative inquiry, these schools are often using an action research model. It is good to think of all of your colleagues as potential research collaborators in the future.

Prioritize Ethical Practice

Try to always be cognizant of your own positionality during the action research process, its relation to your educational context, and any associated power relation to your positionality. Furthermore, you want to make sure that you are not coercing or engaging participants into harmful practices. While this may seem obvious, you may not even realize you are harming your participants because you believe the action is necessary for the research process.

For example, commonly teachers want to try out an intervention that will potentially positively impact their students. When the teacher sets up the action research study, they may have a control group and an experimental group. There is potential to impair the learning of one of these groups if the intervention is either highly impactful or exceedingly worse than the typical instruction. Therefore, teachers can sometimes overlook the potential harm to students in pursuing an experimental method of exploring an intervention.

If you are working with a university researcher, ethical concerns will be covered by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). If not, your school or district may have a process or form that you would need to complete, so it would beneficial to check your district policies before starting. Other widely accepted aspects of doing ethically informed research, include:

Confirm Awareness of Study and Negotiate Access – with authorities, participants and parents, guardians, caregivers and supervisors (with IRB this is done with Informed Consent).

• Promise to Uphold Confidentiality – Uphold confidentiality, to your fullest ability, to protect information, identity and data. You can identify people if they indicate they want to be recognized for their contributions.
• Ensure participants’ rights to withdraw from the study at any point .
• Make sure data is secured, either on password protected computer or lock drawer .

Prepare to Problematize your Thinking

Educational researchers who are more philosophically-natured emphasize that research is not about finding solutions, but instead is about creating and asking new and more precise questions. This is represented in the action research process shown in the diagrams in Chapter 1, as Collingwood (1939) notes the aim in human interaction is always to keep the conversation open, while Edward Said (1997) emphasized that there is no end because whatever we consider an end is actually the beginning of something entirely new. These reflections have perspective in evaluating the quality in research and signifying what is “good” in “good pedagogy” and “good research”. If we consider that action research is about studying and reflecting on one’s learning and how that learning influences practice to improve it, there is nothing to stop your line of inquiry as long as you relate it to improving practice. This is why it is necessary to problematize and scrutinize our practices.

Ethical Dilemmas for Educator-Researchers

Classroom teachers are increasingly expected to demonstrate a disposition of reflection and inquiry into their own practice. Many advocate for schools to become research centers, and to produce their own research studies, which is an important advancement in acknowledging and addressing the complexity in today’s schools. When schools conduct their own research studies without outside involvement, they bypass outside controls over their studies. Schools shift power away from the oversight of outside experts and ethical research responsibilities are shifted to those conducting the formal research within their educational context. Ethics firmly grounded and established in school policies and procedures for teaching, becomes multifaceted when teaching practice and research occur simultaneously. When educators conduct research in their classrooms, are they doing so as teachers or as researchers, and if they are researchers, at what point does the teaching role change to research? Although the notion of objectivity is a key element in traditional research paradigms, educator-based research acknowledges a subjective perspective as the educator-researcher is not viewed separately from the research. In action research, unlike traditional research, the educator as researcher gains access to the research site by the nature of the work they are paid and expected to perform. The educator is never detached from the research and remains at the research site both before and after the study. Because studying one’s practice comprises working with other people, ethical deliberations are inevitable. Educator-researchers confront role conflict and ambiguity regarding ethical issues such as informed consent from participants, protecting subjects (students) from harm, and ensuring confidentiality. They must demonstrate a commitment toward fully understanding ethical dilemmas that present themselves within the unique set of circumstances of the educational context. Questions about research ethics can feel exceedingly complex and in specific situations, educator- researchers require guidance from others.

Think about it this way. As a part-time historian and former history teacher I often problematized who we regard as good and bad people in history. I (Clark) grew up minutes from Jesse James’ childhood farm. Jesse James is a well-documented thief, and possibly by today’s standards, a terrorist. He is famous for daylight bank robberies, as well as the sheer number of successful robberies. When Jesse James was assassinated, by a trusted associate none-the-less, his body travelled the country for people to see, while his assailant and assailant’s brother reenacted the assassination over 1,200 times in theaters across the country. Still today in my hometown, they reenact Jesse James’ daylight bank robbery each year at the Fall Festival, immortalizing this thief and terrorist from our past. This demonstrates how some people saw him as somewhat of hero, or champion of some sort of resistance, both historically and in the present. I find this curious and ripe for further inquiry, but primarily it is problematic for how we think about people as good or bad in the past. Whatever we may individually or collectively think about Jesse James as a “good” or “bad” person in history, it is vitally important to problematize our thinking about him. Talking about Jesse James may seem strange, but it is relevant to the field of action research. If we tell people that we are engaging in important and “good” actions, we should be prepared to justify why it is “good” and provide a theoretical, epistemological, or ontological rationale if possible. Experience is never enough, you need to justify why you act in certain ways and not others, and this includes thinking critically about your own thinking.

Educators who view inquiry and research as a facet of their professional identity must think critically about how to design and conduct research in educational settings to address respect, justice, and beneficence to minimize harm to participants. This chapter emphasized the due diligence involved in ethically planning the collection of data, and in considering the challenges faced by educator-researchers in educational contexts.

Planning Action

After the thinking about the considerations above, you are now at the stage of having selected a topic and reflected on different aspects of that topic. You have undertaken a literature review and have done some reading which has enriched your understanding of your topic. As a result of your reading and further thinking, you may have changed or fine-tuned the topic you are exploring. Now it is time for action. In the last section of this chapter, we will address some practical issues of carrying out action research, drawing on both personal experiences of supervising educator-researchers in different settings and from reading and hearing about action research projects carried out by other researchers.

Engaging in an action research can be a rewarding experience, but a beneficial action research project does not happen by accident – it requires careful planning, a flexible approach, and continuous educator-researcher reflection. Although action research does not have to go through a pre-determined set of steps, it is useful here for you to be aware of the progression which we presented in Chapter 2. The sequence of activities we suggested then could be looked on as a checklist for you to consider before planning the practical aspects of your project.

We also want to provide some questions for you to think about as you are about to begin.

• Have you identified a topic for study?
• What is the specific context for the study? (It may be a personal project for you or for a group of researchers of which you are a member.)
• Have you read a sufficient amount of the relevant literature?
• Have you developed your research question(s)?
• Have you assessed the resource needed to complete the research?

As you start your project, it is worth writing down:

• a working title for your project, which you may need to refine later;
• the background of the study , both in terms of your professional context and personal motivation;
• the aims of the project;
• the specific outcomes you are hoping for.

Although most of the models of action research presented in Chapter 1 suggest action taking place in some pre-defined order, they also allow us the possibility of refining our ideas and action in the light of our experiences and reflections. Changes may need to be made in response to your evaluation and your reflections on how the project is progressing. For example, you might have to make adjustments, taking into account the students’ responses, your observations and any observations of your colleagues. All this is very useful and, in fact, it is one of the features that makes action research suitable for educational research.

Action research planning sheet

In the past, we have provided action researchers with the following planning list that incorporates all of these considerations. Again, like we have said many times, this is in no way definitive, or lock-in-step procedure you need to follow, but instead guidance based on our perspective to help you engage in the action research process. The left column is the simplified version, and the right column offers more specific advice if need.

Figure 4.1 Planning Sheet for Action Research

Action Research Copyright © by J. Spencer Clark; Suzanne Porath; Julie Thiele; and Morgan Jobe is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Rethinking nature journaling in the Kindergarten Program action research in learning and teaching

• Original Paper
• Published: 04 March 2022
• Volume 25 , pages 159–179, ( 2022 )

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• Hongliang Hu   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-3154-8282 1  

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This qualitative action research study in a Canadian urban public elementary school proposes teachers and early childhood education integrate different types of nature journaling into the Kindergarten Program. In this study, analysis of data collected from weekly classroom lessons and student work samples through two action research cycles led to the identification of three types of nature journaling: 1) observation-focused nature journaling, which may encourage sensory engagement; 2) relationship-built nature journaling, which may help to foster a sense of connection with the natural environment; and 3) curriculum-connected nature journaling, which may contextualize nature journaling as an interdisciplinary pedagogical strategy. These three types of nature journaling are interrelated within the framework of ecological systems theory that guides this study. This study values whole child development and experiential learning. It emphasizes the pedagogical values and curriculum connections nature journaling can bring to the Kindergarten Program, especially when used as a way for students to explore environmental and nature education. Based on its findings, this study recommends that educators organize curriculum and foster students’ interdependence in the context of real-world experiences through a nature journaling approach.

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Introduction

Nature journaling is the maintaining of a personal or professional diary or journal to record observations, feelings, responses and reflections about the world of nature around us (Blum, 2018 ; Leslie & Roth, 2000 ). It has been used by scientists, naturalists, environmental professionals and outdoor educators (Johnson, 2014 ; Laws & Lygren, 2020 ). In this study, educators put nature journaling into practice to integrate nature-based environmental education into a Canadian Kindergarten classroom in Toronto, Ontario. Using action research (AR), this study examines why educators may want to think about using nature journaling within their Kindergarten Program to support whole child development within the framework of ecological systems theory.

This qualitative investigation explores the impacts of nature journaling within a class of 28 Kindergarten students at a Canadian urban elementary school across two action research cycles: first within a face-to-face (F2F) classroom environment (pre-COVID); then later within an online learning context (during COVID). Using examples from working with these students, this study aims to emphasize the pedagogical value of nature journaling through highlighting its inherent curriculum connections and potential for engaging in holistic, experiential teaching and learning in the Kindergarten Program. This research also uses examples to demonstrate how nature journaling techniques can be specifically modified to better suit young learners.

In sharing this research, this article will first situate this study within a literature review related to 1) the overall significance of nature journaling, 2) the connection between nature journaling and the ecological systems theory framework, and 3) the limited research on using nature journaling with young children. Next, it will detail the action research methodology, as well as the specific data collection methods used. It will describe the thematic analysis process performed on the data before presenting a discussion of its findings. Overall, this study found that integrating nature journaling in the Kindergarten Program may lead to the emergence of three main types of nature journaling, possibly each with a unique outcome: 1) observation-focused nature journaling, which may encourage sensory engagement; 2) relationship-building nature journaling, which may help to foster a sense of connection with the natural environment; and 3) curriculum-connected nature journaling, which may contextualize nature journaling as an interdisciplinary pedagogical strategy. This article will conclude with implications and future recommendations from this research.

Nature journaling and its significance

The significance of nature journaling has been documented in the literature. Laws and Lygren ( 2020 ) believe that educators can use journaling as an interdisciplinary approach to engage children with and in nature wherever they are. Nature journaling is considered an invaluable tool to uncover children’s learning of nature through art, language, writing, science and inquiry and develop a growth mindset (Laws et al., 2010 ; Laws & Lygren, 2020 ). Comparatively, Johnson ( 2014 ) proposes that nature journals of young children are important, acting as places to record what is seen and wondered; as learning platforms for developing ecological literacy that is age and developmentally appropriate; and as interactive spaces for developing relationships between children and the natural world through drawing and adult documentation. From a general to a comparative view of nature journaling discussed above, its significance is reflected in naturally reinforcing observation skills, obtaining real life experience within the natural world, providing documentation of learning, and enhancing children’s learning in various ways.

White ( 2004 ) found that cultivating young children’s relationships with nature benefits their development while Sobel ( 1996 ) believed that developing children’s empathy with the natural world should be the main learning objective for children ages four through seven. Through relationships with nature, children can develop environmental values needed to become the future stewards of the Earth who will preserve the diversity and wonder of nature (White, 2004 ). Nature journaling can be one way for children to record their natural curiosity, helping them cultivate the joys found in contact with nature and develop their awareness and appreciation of the earth. Overall, in this study nature journaling was a way for children to record their direct encounters sensorially, cognitively and affectively with natural environments, guided by ecological systems theory.

Theoretical framework: ecological systems theory

The ecological systems theory first developed by Urie Bronfenbrenner ( 1979 ) examined a child’s development within the context of the multifaceted system of diverse relationships. As a theory of human development, everything is seen as interrelated and our knowledge of development is bounded by context, culture, and history (Bronfenbrenner, 1979 ; Darling, 2007 ). Bronfenbrenner ( 1979 ) further depicted context, culture, and history as concentric nested circles comprising the microsystem (the child’s immediate settings), mesosystem (about interactions and interrelationships between the microsystems), exosystem (social structures or settings), and macrosystem (the broader level policies, political institutions, and cultural beliefs) and subsequently added the chronosystem to denote dynamic system changes over the human life. His ecological model was framed within the human-centered sociopolitical-environmental context of its time. Therefore, Bronfenbrenner’s theory has influenced early years practitioners to look at those different types of environmental systems that impact indirectly on the lives of children. It offers a means of thinking about how wider and unseen aspects of society may impact their development and learning through ecological systems and the relationship between each child’s unique biology and the environments in which they grow up (Darling, 2007 ; Guy-Evans, 2020 ).

At its core, environmental learning is about understanding the interconnections that exist in nature and between nature and human societies. Elliott and Davis ( 2018 ) proposed rethinking Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory to de-center the human condition and strengthen children and nature connections that have implications for early childhood education philosophy and pedagogy. This ecological worldview implies that children are connected with the natural world, so that they should become agents of taking care of environment. As children grow, they should be better able to possess a greater understanding of the characteristics of themselves, others, and complex ecological systems and their mutual influence on the environment. Bronfenbrenner’s ( 1979 ) ecological systems theory emphasizes seeing a child’s learning and development as multifaceted and affected by many interacting factors, and recognizes various phenomena as interconnected components that interact with one another to make a dynamic whole. Built upon Bronfenbrenner’s theory, Elliott and Davis value the interrelationship and interconnection between children and the natural world, and develop children’s beliefs, attitudes and values, and help them care for and feel connected to nature through a developmental, ecological lens. Hence, the dynamics and reciprocity of interrelationships between humans and nature must be recognized in any theorizing about human development (Elliott & Davis, 2018 ).

Nature journaling with young children

Research shows that nature journaling is a tool for children’s learning through drawing, writing, science and art to develop observational skills, deepen nature exploration, increase knowledge of their local environment and grow a deeper relationship with nature (Cormell & Ivey, 2012 ; Laws et al., 2010 ; Johnson, 2013 , 2014 ; Spinazola, 2015 ). Johnson ( 2014 ) believes that children 4 and 6 years old can draw symbols, write words, even sentences on the nature journal. Nature journaling for younger children is a journaling experience more enjoyable and spontaneous, a wonderful tool of expression of their uniqueness and creativity. Nature journaling focuses more on learning observation skills instead of drawing a perfect picture. Drawing and writing in nature journals connects children to nature and their immediate environments, embeds interdisciplinary learning, and encourages various styles of learning through cross-curricular connections. (Laws et al., 2010 ; Laws & Lygren, 2020 ; Lygren, 2016 ; Leslie, 2001 , 2002 ; Cormell & Ivey, 2012 ). In addition, sensory observations along with writing will deepen children’s connection and awareness of their own bodies and sensitivity to their surroundings, cultivate deeper sense of curiosity, then inspire children to follow their own trails of questions towards natural discoveries (Laws et al., 2010 ).

There is limited research of nature journaling related to young children, however, a couple of research studies, such as both Laws’ and Johnson’s research, address that nature journaling, as a form of experiential learning, allows children to experience nature outdoors authentically, exposed to the elements and exploring nature with their senses, and putting those senses to paper with creativity (Laws et al., 2010 ; Johnson, 2013 , 2014 ). Johnson ( 2014 ) emphasizes that nature journaling is just as important as teaching reading and math when helping young children get engaged with the elements of nature. Nature journals spark young children’s interests in oral and written language and improve both literacy and ecological literacy development during the early childhood sensitive period for language development (Johnson, 2014 ). One of the purposes of nature journaling is providing opportunities to study the natural world, growing a deeper relationship with the Earth, and caring for the Earth (Laws et al., 2010 ; Laws & Lygren, 2020 ; Lygren, 2016 ). Johnson ( 2014 ) strongly recommends the practice of nature journaling in the early childhood outdoor classroom environment to foster naturalist intelligence and academic enthusiasm. Based on the above literature review, a research gap has been identified, as there do not seem to have any action research studies related to nature journaling in Kindergarten Programs. Nor has this research topic been addressed in conjunction with the interdependence of sustainability and enduring understanding of how we are all connected and interrelated in human systems and natural systems.

Integrating nature journaling into weekly activities

Research context and the ar cycles.

I am an early childhood educator (ECE) at a Canadian urban elementary school. I am also a researcher belonging to the Environmental Education Action Research Team, which is run in partnership through the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE, University of Toronto) & the Toronto District School Board (TDSB)’s EcoSchools program. This action research (AR) study was conducted in my Kindergarten classroom with my 28 students during the 2019-2020 academic school year. This study implemented the cycle of classroom action research (CAR) found in Fig  1 (Muhsin, 2017 ). The process of data collection was divided into two AR cycles with each cycle consisted of four phases: Planning, Action, Observation and Reflection. The first AR cycle occurred within face-to-face (F2F) learning at my school and lasted 10 weeks before the Ontario Ministry of Education announced that publicly-funded schools would close for in-person learning on March 20, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The second AR cycle occurred within online learning after my school shifted to remote education in April 2020 and continued for another 10 weeks.

The Cycle of Classroom Action Research. Note . This figure is adopted through the Scheme of AR Phases created by Muhsin ( 2017 )

During the first AR cycle of F2F learning, I used the existing schoolyard as the base of weekly nature journaling, and applied a project-based learning approach in Environmental Education in the Kindergarten Program in order to evoke children’s interests. The project-based learning approach in Environmental Education empowers children’s learning as active participants and involves their in-depth investigation of an environmental learning topic (Alfonso, 2016 ; Abshor, 2017 ). During the second AR cycle, the context of this action research changed from a F2F classroom to an online classroom. I carried on the project-based environmental learning but shifted the learning perspectives from school to home. In the process of online data collection, I re-planned to meet children’s needs through our online classroom, rebuilt relationships through family engagement and reconnected nature with Kindergarten children through weekly nature journaling. The role of learning at home with parental involvement, engagement and partnership enriches children’s experiences and development of positive attitudes towards and expectations for education (O'Toole et al., 2019 ). The nature journaling entries got all collected except those who were absent during the two AR cycles.

Research methods and ethical considerations

Three methods were used in this study as data was collected from: 1) weekly nature journaling lesson plans (see examples in Table 1 ); 2) student work samples; and 3) weekly and monthly reflective journals. Weekly nature journaling lesson plans convey the purpose and objectives of environmental learning (which is connected to my students’ interests) as well as the instructions students were provided in creating their nature journals. Student work samples document students’ learning by recording what is learned, speaking to students’ actions and thoughts in an authentic way. The student work samples that were included for analysis were samples that connected to the research topic and can answer the research questions. Reflective journals constitute a source of narrative research and comprise an important part of documenting my practice.

Techniques for journaling with young children need to be considered in research. Researchers need to critically reflect on the research methods and approaches that they use with young children, and the most appropriate way in which to apply them, in order to, as far as possible, maximize their benefits (Fargas Malet et al., 2010 ). Children’s rights are a part of the ethicality of the research that can be justified with the interaction between the researcher and research participant. Children were asked to give assent for their participation in research, where research participants are children as vulnerable and relatively powerless , it is important to ensure that they have opportunities to make their decisions in research. Before starting the research, it was necessary to have the Principal’s consent and their parents’ permission as well, which was provided through informed consent forms that ensured respect for anonymity, confidentiality, and privacy.

The Ontario Ministry of Education ( 2016a , b ) describes that educators co-construct children’s learning through play and inquiry in the Ontario’s two-year Full-Day Kindergarten Program. From a social constructivist perspective, as educators assess children’s learning, assessment shifts from the product of children’s learning to an emphasis on assessing the process of children’s learning (Dahlberg et al., 2013 ; Chiarotto, 2011 ). Keel ( 2018 ) proposes that educators as environmental facilitators act as a connection between education and society as a whole to provide children the opportunities for environmental learning. Utilizing nature journals can empower children to explore their place and environment in their world, and increase their awareness of nature (Keel, 2018 ). When beginning to integrate nature journaling into early childhood environments, Johnson ( 2014 ) believes the role of educators as engaging children in aspects of the natural world and as sparking their wonder through their prior knowledge and memories. As a result, journaling offer educators an academic foundation for increasing outdoor learning time and improving children’s experiential learning experiences in, with and about nature.

Taken from the perspective of the Ontario Ministry of Education in the Kindergarten curriculum, of a social constructivist, and of environmental education, the roles of educators can be seen in three new ways through integrating nature journaling into the Kindergarten Program:

Educators as co-explorers through navigating and observing the natural world.

As co-explorers, educators support to guide, nurture, hypothesize, and solve problems side-by-side with children, and document what they explore and wonder through nature journaling. As children observe the natural world, educators provide them with prompts for further investigation to foster inquiry and deepen their connection with nature.

Educators as co-learners through co-constructing learning about nature journaling.

Educators are considered co-learners by planning nature journaling activities based on the child's interests, asking questions to further understanding, and actively engaging in the activities alongside the child. As children learn in and about nature, educators construct knowledge together with children through observation and reflection.

Educators as co-thinkers through exploring the interrelationship between nature and environment.

Educators are considered co-thinkers with a natural love and passion for increased knowledge in thinking methods, to integrate curriculum and nature journaling together. As children interact with nature, educators scaffold learning by providing resources and remind children of the connections and relationships between all living things.

Data analysis

Thematic analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data drawn from weekly nature journaling lesson plans, student work samples and weekly and monthly reflective teaching journals. This study used a four-step process of thematic analysis. The first step of thematic analysis was gathering and reviewing all of the data. Student work samples were gathered, and lesson plan and my own reflective journals were organized for review and analysis. The second step was creating initial coding categories. Through identifying words, phrases or passages in the texts, or patterns in the photographs or images of student work samples, lesson plan and reflective journal, relationships were found and identified as initial codes. Triangulation of the three forms of data used in this study (student work samples, lesson plans and reflective journals), developed a comprehensive understanding of the types of nature journaling in learning and teaching in the Kindergarten Program. These initial codes provided a way to gain an overall understanding of the data as well as the patterns emerging within the data.

The third step of thematic analysis was reviewing those initial codes, revising and combining them into themes. After coding all of the data, similar types of data were collated together and patterns were identified among them that led to an understanding of broader themes. In the process of the data analysis, reviewing the weekly nature journaling lesson plans, analyzing student work, and reflecting regularly have been an essential part of teaching and learning in the process of AR. Through the reflective process, examining samples of students’ nature journaling helped to understand our own work, and helped us to develop a new and deeper understanding of our students. Through closely analyzing the data, three major themes emerged, which are detailed in the following section.

Findings and discussion

The data revealed the three themes of using nature journaling in learning and teaching with Kindergarten students: 1) observation-focused nature journaling, which may encourage sensory engagement; 2) relationship-building nature journaling, which may help to foster a sense of connection with the natural environment; and 3) curriculum-connected nature journaling, which may contextualize nature journaling as an interdisciplinary pedagogical strategy.

Theme 1: Observation-focused nature journaling

Kindergarten children’s nature journaling is about observing nature that surrounds them in their immediate environment and experiencing nature through sensory engagement. Through observation, children gather information in nature, about nature and from nature, and share their perceptions, feelings, wonder and inquiry in their journals. One example was a ‘sit spot’ nature journal that recorded what was observed silently as indicated in Fig. 2 . Students found their own place in an outdoor area, then paid attention to whatever inspired them and recorded their experiences in their journal. Sit Spot journaling was an opportunity for students to focus not just on observing their surroundings but also on awakening their senses and cultivating awareness in the present moment. Children record how many different colors are in each spot, and how many different textures they can feel. They look above, below, and behind themselves and comment on what they see. They sit quietly and listen for many sounds they can, such as birds, squirrels, and wind rustling the leaves, people talking and cars moving. Thus, in nature journaling, including sit spots can sharpen children’s competence in observation through sensory engagement. The journaling outing may be an opportunity to hone observation skills, take the nature journal to grow, fit within a wider learning experience and connect to other topics as a critical part of the learning process.

Example of a ‘Sit Spot’ Nature Journal . Note. This figure shows a student spending time in silent observation and involved in sensory engagement, drawing and writing what was observed in nature

In comparison with silent observation in a ‘sit spot’ nature journal, another example was a scavenger hunt nature journal recorded through their senses as indicated in Fig. 3 . In a nature scavenger hunt, students experienced walking outdoors to explore natural environments, searched for natural items and documented what was observed in their nature hunt. Here sensory engagement can be a state of being genuinely involved and interested in nature with a child’s five senses. Children may learn best when they are deeply engaged in what they are experiencing with nature. The natural outdoor environment provides for direct contact with natural features of the environment through guided experiences and observations utilizing all of the senses. A child’s nature journal forges the connection between themselves and the pulses of life they sense and observe in nature. A child's natural curiosity plays a big part in nature journaling through sensory engagement - it leads them to explore with their bodies, minds and senses, and inspires them to ask questions, test theories, solve problems, think creatively, and make meaning of the world around them.

Example of Scavenger Hunt Nature Journal . Note. This figure demonstrates exploring and discovering the outdoors through senses and observations and recording what was observed in nature

The importance of nature journaling aligns with the position of Johnson ( 2014 ) about the young child’s nature journal as a place for developing spontaneous observation and facilitating nature connection closer to them. During the nature journaling time, spontaneous observation supports children’s autonomy, having their own ideas with adult-led guidance, making links with nature and choosing ways to do things. As children further develop observational skills in their nature journaling (see examples of sunset nature journal in Fig. 4 ), they learn about the interrelationship between themselves, nature and environment. This observational perspective of nature journaling implies a way for children to explore nature through observation, to get engaged and interpret observation from their lived experiences in nature (Leslie & Roth, 2000 ), and is a place for children to record the natural insights and wonder as developmentally appropriate (Johnson, 2014 ). Moreover, it is a flexible and hands-on teaching tool (Leslie, 2002 ) for educators to teach a focus of observational skills in nature instead of drawing skills on the paper (Leslie, 2001 ). While the heart of nature journaling is not developing drawing skills, the very act of drawing something encourages children as the observer to forge meaningful connections. The ultimate purpose of nature journaling is not the case product-oriented drawing work as Leslie and Roth ( 2000 ) believe that it is likely to find patterns in nature and learn about the principles governing the natural world, and develop a broad understanding of nature and environment in the ecosystem.

Examples of Sunset Nature Journal . Note. This figure shows students’ obeservation of sunset from a prefereable place and documents a sunset city by drawing and writing, and a colourful sunset in nature by an oil pastel art

Kindergarten children’s nature journaling represents the age of nature exploration with the senses to promote the whole child development in nature. To put it simply, it is about exploring nature with their senses and using their senses to regain that sense of wonder in, about and with nature. The sensorial aspect of nature journaling for young children is reflected in the value of Johnson’s research (Johnson, 2014 ) that highlights nature journaling and its techniques as in early childhood should be modified for the young child to incorporate a sensorial-based journaling practice into their environments. By recording all of the interesting things they see, smell, hear, feel and wonder about, children can gently develop the lifelong habit of nature observation. To go deeper, the nature journaling of kindergarten children is opening their senses, their hands, their heart, and their mind to discover nature secrets. In line with the whole child development and a foundation of environmental literacy highlighted in NAAEE ( 2000 , 2019 ), it is vital for educators to see the whole child in order to reduce restrictions on their participation in nature journaling outdoors and promote ways of valuing and including all children in nature.

Within the whole-child approach, educators shift their perspectives from a focus on narrowly defined academic achievement to one that incorporates a broader view of the skills and knowledge that all children must develop in environmental education. This whole-child perspective of nature journaling resonates with the developmentally appropriate environmental education program planned with the whole child in mind highlighted in the document of The Early Childhood Environmental Education Programs: Guidelines for Excellence (NAAEE, 2000 ). With the whole child in mind, educators develop the whole-child approach for teaching nature journaling and acknowledge that we are all interconnected and interdependent on natural systems. It completely changes how we see the world and how we see ourselves in it. The natural world becomes a dynamic, constantly evolving system that we are a part of.

In essence, nature journaling of Kindergarten children is an art of observing nature through sensory awareness. As learning tools connected with developmentally and age-appropriate practice with young children, nature journals are flexible in making observations and recording what they see, hear, feel and smell. This method of hands-on learning can be a powerful experience for Kindergarten children because it helps the observers slow down, carefully take note of their surroundings, make first-hand, concrete observations of nature, document their feeling, assimilate the information in nature and reveal the big picture patterns of an environment.

Theme 2: Relationship-built nature journaling

Nature journaling of Kindergarten children serves as a bridge to find self, support the whole child and build relationships with others, families, nature, the local environment, the natural world and our Earth. This relationship starts from connecting self with nature to extending an interconnection with all living things and non-living things on our Earth. Nature journals in trees, journals in drawing plants, animals, flowers, butterflies, birds, sunset, rocks, leaves and many more are exposed to the outdoor setting. An example of a nature journal in the mangrove tree ecosystem in Fig. 5 illustrates that the mangroves provide the mangrove tree crab to live on the tree it uses for a food source and a shelter from predators. Another example of a nature journal in the water ecosystem in Fig. 6 speaks of the interrelationship among water, tree, butterfly, bee, plant, flower, and our Earth. Correspondingly, nature journals of the mangrove tree and water nature journals speak to exosystemic relationships. When a child is immersed in observing the surrounding environment and recording what its surrounding environment look like, this nature journaling develops a connection with self, others and the immediate environment.

Nature Journals in the Mangrove Ecosystem.  Note. This figure demonstrates the relationship between Mangrove tree and tree crab and how the tree crab and the mangrove tree rely on each other

Nature Journals in the Water Ecosystem. Note . This figure demonstrates the interrelationship among water, tree, butterfly, bee, plant, flower, and our Earth. All are interconnected

Nature journaling could potentially promote children's relationships at all levels. At the micro-level, nature journaling is an exploratory way for children to interact with individuals, peers, small groups, families around them and nearby nature. A nature journal becomes an opportunity for personal growth, family engagement and school-based learning to study the evolving natural world. Some entry examples connect to the microsystem and mesosystem, such as the entry on regrowing vegetables and investigating water at home (see Fig. 9 ); the entry on winter tree inquiry at the schoolyard indicated in Fig. 7 ; the entry on sunset at a preferable place (see Fig. 4 ), such as from the home window, the backyard, or near the local lake. The immediate relationships in a microsystem and mesosystem are built through mutual influence, reciprocal communication and direct interaction of siblings, parents, school peers and educators in the process of nature journaling. The micro-level relationship of nature journaling resonates with the microsystem and the mesosystem that encompass the relationships and interactions a child has with one’s immediate surroundings in Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979 ; Guy-Evans, 2020 ). A child’s relationship with the natural environment in one’s individual microsystem and mesosystem is not built upon independently, but is interconnected and they assert influence upon one another.

Examples of Winter Tree Inquiry Nature Journal . Note. This figure shows the entry into exploration and inquiry on winter trees with no leaves and with green leaves at the schoolyard. The process of inquiry supports students to connect with one another and influence how they form relationships with people, places, ideas and environment through nature journaling

At the macro-level, nature journaling is a creative way for children to rediscover nature and shape the local environment, the natural world and the Earth and be shaped as well. Some nature journal examples likely connect to the exosystem and macrosystem, such as the entry on visiting the local park (see Fig. 8 ), taking a virtual field trip to nature center Anne Kolb Nature Center (see Fig. 5 ); investigating the water in the neighborhood (see Fig. 6 ) and integrating Indigenous culture into nature journaling (see Fig. 10 ). In the exosystem and macrosystem, relationships are built through external environments and real-life experiences. In the process of nature journaling, the external relationships influence a child’s learning and development indirectly through culture, community, and society. Within the chronosystem, the data in this study has not shown much evidence on children’s experience and their environments in a person’s life span. The macro-level relationship of nature journaling is tied with the exosystem and the macrosystem in which children do not function directly as the outermost layer in the child’s environment, and which encompass the dimension of time as it relates to a child’s environments (Bronfenbrenner, 1979 ; Guy-Evans, 2020 ). Children are constructing understandings and building relationships to the natural world in their outmost layer systems and their experiential experiences can shape and augment their conception of relatedness to the natural world.

The intersectionality of micro-level and macro-level relationships of nature journaling between environmental education and children’s development is reflected in the critical point of Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979 ; Guy-Evans, 2020 ). Environmental education programs have traditionally concentrated on the ecosystemic and ekistic relationships and Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory looks at a child’s development within the context of the system of relationships that form his or her environment. On the one hand, to rethink nature journaling in learning and teaching, educators look not only at the child and her immediate environment, but also at the interaction of the larger environment as well. On the other hand, educators consider how children and we are part of that ecosystem and that diversity. Through an ecological exploration of the interdependence of all living things, children learn to connect with nature, appreciate, respect, honor nature and all that it encompasses, and grow a deeper relationship with the natural world, to develop a greater awareness and caring for the Earth.

In summary, nature journaling of Kindergarten children is indicative of relationship building with natural environments and is a potential way to creatively connect and build their personal relationship with the natural world. It is this relationship that will carry meaning into their understanding of nature. Through the process of nature journaling, Kindergarten children capture their discoveries on paper and reflect more deeply on the experience of being in connection with nature and the Earth. As reflecting on their meaningful experience, children build deeper and longer lasting memories of the natural world, appreciate nature, and uncover new ecological perspectives.

Theme 3: Curriculum-connected nature journaling

Nature journaling of Kindergarten children serves as an interdisciplinary tool to connect with the curriculum and may prove to be an effective way for cross-curricular teaching and learning to educate the whole child. The frames in the Ontario Kindergarten curriculum (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2016a ) are intertwined with weekly nature journaling integrated in the Kindergarten Program. The Kindergarten frames grow out of the foundations for learning to support an approach that aligns with the way children's learning naturally occurs and that focuses on aspects of learning that are critical to young children's development. The frames reflect the integrated way in which learning occurs during children's play and inquiry in Kindergarten (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2016b , p. 13-15).

Curriculum-connected nature journaling is further reflected in the recommendation of Laws and Lygren ( 2020 ) that educators can leap into journaling with students with curriculum plans, advice and field experiences in nature. Nature journaling is a powerful adjunct to teaching science and should be a standard part of every classroom (Laws et al., 2012 ). A journal entry of adopting a tree in Fig. 8 demonstrates developing early literacy, numeracy, and art in connection with the Ontario Kindergarten curriculum. Recording the date, location, and weather helps focus children on the big-picture context of that journal entry. The journals can become a place for creative writing, scientific observations and personal reflections. A nature growth journal in regrowing the vegetables in water in Fig. 9 is one of the typical examples of teaching science as an interdisciplinary approach. This figure demonstrates how children record gardening in connection with observation, investigation, writing, science and reflection in the process of nature journaling. Students learn how to regrow vegetables from scraps and further investigate some of the most common vegetables that regrow: not only carrots but also celery; lettuce; and other vegetables through the nature regrowth journaling. This nature journaling supports students’ drawing and writing in response to observations of nature growth day by day.

Example of Adopting a Tree Nature Journal . Note. This figure demonstrates engaging students in real-world applications in the local environment over time in connection with the Ontario Kindergarten curriculum

Example of Regrowing Vegetables in Water Nature Journal . Note. This figure shows designing science experiments to investigate which factors are important for vegetables to regrow and document their nature regrowth journal

Nature journaling with Kindergarten children has the potential to capture that richness and Indigenous perspectives on connecting and interweaving the threads of curriculum and learning. The Indigenous culture has an orientation to learning that is metaphorically represented in its art forms, its way of community, and its way of understanding itself in relationship to its natural environment. An Indigenous lens offers a cross-cultural encounter supporting children’s natural curiosity and exploring their learning about nature and environmental inquiry (Anderson et al., 2017 ). Fig. 10 is one of nature journal artwork examples of four elements of Medicine Wheel within Indigenous perspectives on understanding self and itself in relationships to its natural environment. Within the circle of the Medicine Wheel can be found the four elements of Air, Water, Earth and Fire. As students explore each of these elements of nature, they expand their circle beyond the classroom to the natural world outside and there is the understanding everything are all connected. Precisely, these nature journals show cross-curricular connections with language, math, writing, science and arts. “Journaling, as part of a school curriculum, strengthens and refines students’ cognitive skills by teaching them to observe, to become aware of what they have observed with all of their senses, and, to exercise their imaginations and critical skills through developing hypotheses to explain what has been observed” (Laws et al., 2012 , p. 4).

Example of Four Elements of the Medicine Wheel in Nature Journaling . Note. This figure shows interconnection with nature as wholeness and completeness associated with the Kindergarten curriculum within an Indigenous perspective

For a further discussion, this interdisciplinary combination of art, science, writing, and observation exemplifies the action research’s goals in creating educational programs: to engage Kindergarten students in the incredible natural world around them, to inspire them to keen observations of the wild places in the schoolyard, in their own backyards and in their local park, and to foster in them a desire to love, appreciate and protect nature and environment. Nature journaling is a valuable, multidimensional approach to language, writing, science and art. Through nature journaling, students may build neural pathways that enable different brain regions to communicate with each other, and might result in more flexible thinking and creative problem-solving in all areas of life. This approach to nature journaling also offers students an excellent way to learn and practice a growth mindset through nature and science.

In short, nature journaling of Kindergarten children is curriculum connected as an interdisciplinary pedagogy. It can incorporate such diverse subjects as science, language arts, visual arts, and even math into children’s learning indoors and outdoors. By developing a nature journaling practice, educators can seamlessly weave in a variety of topics to encourage and deepen cross-curricular connections. This interdisciplinary pedagogy engages children in the natural world, and inspires them to become keen observers in nature, and fosters in them a desire to take care of natural environments.

Considering the themes as a whole

Taken together, the three types of nature journaling in learning and teaching with Kindergarten children are interrelated through observation, sensory engagement, and a connection with a natural environment and curriculum. Children’s learning and development occur in the framework of ecological system theory and nature journaling really matters with a focus on those values and pedagogies for Kindergarten-aged children that link interdependence. Within the perspectives of interdependence, children observe nature and environment through multiple senses, develop and maintain relationships with the natural world through experiential learning, promote critical thinking through nature journaling as explorers, learners and thinkers and understand how living and non-living things depend on one another in the ecosystem. As children observe nature and environment carefully and sensitively, educators see them learning. When educators approach observation of children with an open mind, we can observe the richness of their play and interaction through a nature journaling environmental pedagogy. On the one hand, we can become aware of what children know and can do, and use this information to ensure that what we provide a nature journaling curriculum is closely linked to their abilities and needs. On the other hand, the three types of nature journaling in learning and teaching with Kindergarten children enhance our knowledge and understanding of how children develop and learn. This dynamic approach to nature journaling in learning and teaching enables us to go beyond the idea of normative developmental expectations and outcomes measures and enables us to really see, and celebrate, children as individuals.

This study explores nature journaling as a pedagogical tool for environmental and nature education. It shows that there is potential for children to learn more about human-nature interconnectedness through the process of weekly nature journal entries over a long period of time. It also shows that aspects of microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and macrosystem were captured in these students’ journal entries except that the chronosystem needs to consider nature journaling over the life course of children in research. Through the integration of three major types of nature journaling, educators and practitioners can offer young children more opportunities to develop an understanding of the dependence between humans and the environment where they live. Educators and practitioners can also cultivate children’s naturalist skills, realize the potency of the nature journal as a tool for environmental and nature education, and discover that the learning process is more important than the end product. Most importantly, nature journaling provides an open means for children to make a connection to their natural world and understand the environmental interdependence that shows the relationships between all living things, including humans and different types of environmental systems within the ecological worldview.

The implications in this study involve Kindergarten curriculum and pedagogy. Nature journaling provides an outlet for educators to rethink prescribed curriculum that dictates what and when topics are taught. Linking journaling to the classroom also allows children to make better curriculum connections with nature and the environment (Cormell & Ivey, 2012 ). As an environmental pedagogy, nature journaling emphasizes experience and reconnection with the more-than-human world, and supports children’s holistic, experiential learning in active participation and natural enjoyment (Tsevreni, 2020 ). Therefore, early years educators and practitioners in this new Anthropocene epoch should have the opportunity to use nature journaling to facilitate environmental learning and to deepen relationships with natural world at the micro-and macro-levels. In essence, the central points of Carr and Plevyak ( 2020 ) are to urgently call for us to make significant changes in the way we educate children from going beyond connections with nature to focusing on learning for embracing nature as the venue for Environmental Education. This study recommends that educators organize curriculum to foster interdependence in the context of real-world experiences through a nature journaling approach. Beginning with our youngest populace at school, educators should use a nature journaling approach to sustain relationships with nature and enhance children’s learning and development in environmental and nature education.

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Hu, H. Rethinking nature journaling in the Kindergarten Program action research in learning and teaching. Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education 25 , 159–179 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42322-022-00095-0

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Action research in the classroom: A teacher's guide

November 26, 2021

Discover best practices for action research in the classroom, guiding teachers on implementing and facilitating impactful studies in schools.

Main, P (2021, November 26). Action research in the classroom: A teacher's guide. Retrieved from https://www.structural-learning.com/post/action-research-in-the-classroom-a-teachers-guide

What is action research?

Action research is a participatory process designed to empower educators to examine and improve their own practice. It is characterized by a cycle of planning , action, observation, and reflection, with the goal of achieving a deeper understanding of practice within educational contexts. This process encourages a wide range of approaches and can be adapted to various social contexts.

At its core, action research involves critical reflection on one's actions as a basis for improvement. Senior leaders and teachers are guided to reflect on their educational strategies , classroom management, and student engagement techniques. It's a collaborative effort that often involves not just the teachers but also the students and other stakeholders, fostering an inclusive process that values the input of all participants.

The action research process is iterative, with each cycle aiming to bring about a clearer understanding and improvement in practice. It typically begins with the identification of real-world problems within the school environment, followed by a circle of planning where strategies are developed to address these issues. The implementation of these strategies is then observed and documented, often through journals or participant observation, allowing for reflection and analysis.

The insights gained from action research contribute to Organization Development, enhancing the quality of teaching and learning. This approach is strongly aligned with the principles of Quality Assurance in Education, ensuring that the actions taken are effective and responsive to the needs of the school community.

Educators can share their findings in community forums or through publications in journals, contributing to the wider theory about practice . Tertiary education sector often draws on such studies to inform teacher training and curriculum development.

In summary, the significant parts of action research include:

• A continuous cycle of planning, action, observation, and reflection.
• A focus on reflective practice to achieve a deeper understanding of educational methodologies.
• A commitment to inclusive and participatory processes that engage the entire school community.

Creating an action research project

The action research process usually begins with a situation or issue that a teacher wants to change as part of school improvement initiatives .

Teachers get support in changing the ' interesting issue ' into a 'researchable question' and then taking to experiment. The teacher will draw on the outcomes of other researchers to help build actions and reveal the consequences .

Participatory action research is a strategy to the enquiry which has been utilised since the 1940s. Participatory action involves researchers and other participants taking informed action to gain knowledge of a problematic situation and change it to bring a positive effect. As an action researcher , a teacher carries out research . Enquiring into their practice would lead a teacher to question the norms and assumptions that are mostly overlooked in normal school life . Making a routine of inquiry can provide a commitment to learning and professional development . A teacher-researcher holds the responsibility for being the source and agent of change.

Examples of action research projects in education include a teacher working with students to improve their reading comprehension skills , a group of teachers collaborating to develop and implement a new curriculum, or a school administrator conducting a study on the effectiveness of a school-wide behavior management program.

In each of these cases, the research is aimed at improving the educational experience for students and addressing a specific issue or problem within the school community . Action research can be a powerful tool for educators to improve their practice and make a positive impact on their students' learning.

Potential research questions could include:

• How can dual-coding be used to improve my students memory ?
• Does mind-mapping lead to creativity?
• How does Oracy improve my classes writing?
• How can we advance critical thinking in year 10?
• How can graphic organisers be used for exam preparation?

Regardless of the types of action research your staff engage in, a solid cycle of inquiry is an essential aspect of the action research spiral. Building in the process of reflection will ensure that key points of learning can be extracted from the action research study.

What is an action research cycle?

Action research in education is a cycle of reflection and action inquiry , which follows these steps:

1. Identifying the problem

It is the first stage of action research that starts when a teacher identifies a problem or question that they want to address. To make an a ction research approach successful, the teacher needs to ensure that the questions are the ones 'they' wish to solve. Their questions might involve social sciences, instructional strategies, everyday life and social management issues, guide for students analytical research methods for improving specific student performance or curriculum implementation etc. Teachers may seek help from a wide variety of existing literature , to find strategies and solutions that others have executed to solve any particular problem. It is also suggested to build a visual map or a table of problems, target performances, potential solutions and supporting references in the middle.

2. Developing an Action Plan

After identifying the problem, after r eviewing the relevant literature and describing the vision of how to solve the problem; the next step would be action planning which means to develop a plan of action . Action planning involves studying the literature and brainstorming can be used by the action research planner to create new techniques and strategies that can generate better results of both action learning and action research. One may go back to the visual map or table of contents and reorder or colour-code the potential outcomes. The items in the list can be ranked in order of significance and the amount of time needed for these strategies.

An action plan has the details of how to implement each idea and the factors that may keep them from their vision of success . Identify those factors that cannot be changed –these are the constants in an equation. The focus of action research at the planning stage must remain focused on the variables –the factors that can be changed using actions. An action plan must be how to implement a solution and how one's instruction, management style, and behaviour will affect each of the variables.

3. Data Collection

Before starting to implement a plan of action , the researcher must have a complete understanding of action research and must have knowledge of the type of data that may help in the success of the plan and must assess how to collect that data. For instance, if the goal is to improve class attendance, attendance records must be collected as useful data for the participatory action. If the goal is to improve time management, the data may include students and classroom observations . There are many options to choose from to collect data from. Selecting the most suitable methodology for data collection will provide more meaningful , accurate and valid data. Some sources of data are interviews and observation. Also, one may administer surveys , distribute questionnaires and watch videotapes of the classroom to collect data.

4. Data Analysis and Conclusions

At this action stage, an action researcher analyses the collected data and concludes. It is suggested to assess the data during the predefined process of data collection as it will help refine the action research agenda. If the collected data seems insufficient , the data collection plan must be revised. Data analysis also helps to reflect on what exactly happened. Did the action researcher perform the actions as planned? Were the study outcomes as expected? Which assumptions of the action researcher proved to be incorrect?

Adding details such as tables, opinions, and recommendations can help in identifying trends (correlations and relationships). One must share the findings while analysing data and drawing conclusions . Engaging in conversations for teacher growth is essential; hence, the action researcher would share the findings with other teachers through discussion of action research, who can yield useful feedback. One may also share the findings with students, as they can also provide additional insight . For example, if teachers and students agree with the conclusions of action research for educational change, it adds to the credibility of the data collection plan and analysis. If they don't seem to agree with the data collection plan and analysis , the action researchers may take informed action and refine the data collection plan and reevaluate conclusions .

5. Modifying the Educational Theory and Repeat

After concluding, the process begins again. The teacher can adjust different aspects of the action research approach to theory or make it more specific according to the findings . Action research guides how to change the steps of action research development, how to modify the action plan , and provide better access to resources, start data collection once again, or prepare new questions to ask from the respondents.

6. Report the Findings

Since the main approach to action research involves the informed action to introduce useful change into the classroom or schools, one must not forget to share the outcomes with others. Sharing the outcomes would help to further reflect on the problem and process, and it would help other teachers to use these findings to enhance their professional practice as an educator. One may print book and share the experience with the school leaders, principal, teachers and students as they served as guide to action research. Or, a community action researcher may present community-based action research at a conference so people from other areas can take advantage of this collaborative action. Also, teachers may use a digital storytelling tool to outline their results.

There are plenty of creative tools we can use to bring the research projects to life. We have seen videos, podcasts and research posters all being used to communicate the results of these programs. Community action research is a unique way to present details of the community-related adventures in the teacher profession, cultivate expertise and show how teachers think about education , so it is better to find unique ways to report the findings of community-led action research.

Final thoughts on action-research for teachers

As we have seen, action research can be an effective form of professional development, illuminating the path for teachers and school leaders seeking to refine their craft. This cyclical process of inquiry and reflection is not merely a methodological pursuit but a profound professional journey. The definition of action research, as a systematic inquiry conducted by teachers, administrators, and other stakeholders in the teaching/learning environment, emphasizes the collaborative nature of improving educational strategies and outcomes.

Action research transcends traditional disciplinary practices by immersing educators in the social contexts of their work, prompting them to question and adapt their methods to meet the evolving needs of their students . It is a form of reflective practice that demands critical thinking and flexibility, as one navigates through the iterative stages of planning, acting, observing, and reflecting.

The process of action research is inherently participatory, encouraging educators to engage with their learning communities to address key issues and social issues that impact educational settings. This method empowers professionals within universities and schools alike to take ownership of their learning and development, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and participatory approaches.

In summary, action research encapsulates the essence of what it means to be a learning professional in a dynamic educational landscape. It is the embodiment of a commitment to lifelong learning and a testament to the capacity of educators to enact change . The value of action research lies in its ability to transform practitioners into researchers, where the quest for knowledge becomes a powerful conduit for change and innovation. Thus, for educators at every level, embracing the rigorous yet rewarding path of action research can unveil potent insights and propel educational practice to new heights.

Key Papers on Action Research

• Utilizing Action Research During Student Teaching by James O. Barbre and Brenda J. Buckner (2013): This study explores how action research can be effectively utilized during student teaching to enhance professional pedagogical disposition through active reflection. It emphasizes developing a reflective habit of mind crucial for teachers to be effective in their classrooms and adaptive to the changing needs of their students.
• Repositioning T eacher Action Research in Science Teacher Education by B. Capobianco and A. Feldman (2010): This paper discusses the promotion of action research as a way for teachers to improve their practice and students' learning for over 50 years, focusing on science education. It highlights the importance of action research in advancing knowledge about teaching and learning in science.
• Action research and teacher leadership by K. Smeets and P. Ponte (2009): This article reports on a case study into the influence and impact of action research carried out by teachers in a special school. It found that action research not only helps teachers to get to grips with their work in the classroom but also has an impact on the work of others in the school.
• Teaching about the Nature of Science through History: Action Research in the Classroom by J. Solomon, Jon Duveen, Linda Scot, S. McCarthy (1992): This article reports on 18 months of action research monitoring British pupils' learning about the nature of science using historical aspects. It indicates areas of substantial progress in pupils' understanding of the nature of science.
• Action Research in the Classroom by V. Baumfield, E. Hall, K. Wall (2008): This comprehensive guide to conducting action research in the classroom covers various aspects, including deciding on a research question, choosing complementary research tools, collecting and interpreting data, and sharing findings. It aims to move classroom inquiry forward and contribute to professional development.

These studies highlight the significant role of action research in enhancing teacher effectiveness, student learning outcomes, and contributing to the broader educational community's knowledge and practices.

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Classroom Practice

• Action research: The benefits for early childhood educators
• This article introduces the purpose, process and benefits of engaging in action research in early childhood settings.
• Engaging in action research is an effective form of professional learning for educators.
• Action research is authentic because it allows educators to respond to issues of importance unique to their own settings.
• Educators have ownership over their action research projects, resulting in ‘transformative’ rather than ‘transmissive’ professional learning.
• Using action research in early childhood settings invites collaboration between educators, families and community.
• The focus of an action research project can be personalised to respond to educators’ interests and passions.
• The cycle of action research invites a sustained engagement in a particular aspect of educators’ work, providing many opportunities to question and reflect on the research topic.

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Rethinking nature journaling in the Kindergarten Program action research in learning and teaching

Hongliang hu.

TDSB Full-Day Kindergarten Program and OISE, University of Toronto &TDSB EcoSchools Environmental Education Action Research Team, Toronto, Ontario Canada

This qualitative action research study in a Canadian urban public elementary school proposes teachers and early childhood education integrate different types of nature journaling into the Kindergarten Program. In this study, analysis of data collected from weekly classroom lessons and student work samples through two action research cycles led to the identification of three types of nature journaling: 1) observation-focused nature journaling, which may encourage sensory engagement; 2) relationship-built nature journaling, which may help to foster a sense of connection with the natural environment; and 3) curriculum-connected nature journaling, which may contextualize nature journaling as an interdisciplinary pedagogical strategy. These three types of nature journaling are interrelated within the framework of ecological systems theory that guides this study. This study values whole child development and experiential learning. It emphasizes the pedagogical values and curriculum connections nature journaling can bring to the Kindergarten Program, especially when used as a way for students to explore environmental and nature education. Based on its findings, this study recommends that educators organize curriculum and foster students’ interdependence in the context of real-world experiences through a nature journaling approach.

Introduction

Nature journaling is the maintaining of a personal or professional diary or journal to record observations, feelings, responses and reflections about the world of nature around us (Blum, 2018 ; Leslie & Roth, 2000 ). It has been used by scientists, naturalists, environmental professionals and outdoor educators (Johnson, 2014 ; Laws & Lygren, 2020 ). In this study, educators put nature journaling into practice to integrate nature-based environmental education into a Canadian Kindergarten classroom in Toronto, Ontario. Using action research (AR), this study examines why educators may want to think about using nature journaling within their Kindergarten Program to support whole child development within the framework of ecological systems theory.

This qualitative investigation explores the impacts of nature journaling within a class of 28 Kindergarten students at a Canadian urban elementary school across two action research cycles: first within a face-to-face (F2F) classroom environment (pre-COVID); then later within an online learning context (during COVID). Using examples from working with these students, this study aims to emphasize the pedagogical value of nature journaling through highlighting its inherent curriculum connections and potential for engaging in holistic, experiential teaching and learning in the Kindergarten Program. This research also uses examples to demonstrate how nature journaling techniques can be specifically modified to better suit young learners.

In sharing this research, this article will first situate this study within a literature review related to 1) the overall significance of nature journaling, 2) the connection between nature journaling and the ecological systems theory framework, and 3) the limited research on using nature journaling with young children. Next, it will detail the action research methodology, as well as the specific data collection methods used. It will describe the thematic analysis process performed on the data before presenting a discussion of its findings. Overall, this study found that integrating nature journaling in the Kindergarten Program may lead to the emergence of three main types of nature journaling, possibly each with a unique outcome: 1) observation-focused nature journaling, which may encourage sensory engagement; 2) relationship-building nature journaling, which may help to foster a sense of connection with the natural environment; and 3) curriculum-connected nature journaling, which may contextualize nature journaling as an interdisciplinary pedagogical strategy. This article will conclude with implications and future recommendations from this research.

Nature journaling and its significance

The significance of nature journaling has been documented in the literature. Laws and Lygren ( 2020 ) believe that educators can use journaling as an interdisciplinary approach to engage children with and in nature wherever they are. Nature journaling is considered an invaluable tool to uncover children’s learning of nature through art, language, writing, science and inquiry and develop a growth mindset (Laws et al., 2010 ; Laws & Lygren, 2020 ). Comparatively, Johnson ( 2014 ) proposes that nature journals of young children are important, acting as places to record what is seen and wondered; as learning platforms for developing ecological literacy that is age and developmentally appropriate; and as interactive spaces for developing relationships between children and the natural world through drawing and adult documentation. From a general to a comparative view of nature journaling discussed above, its significance is reflected in naturally reinforcing observation skills, obtaining real life experience within the natural world, providing documentation of learning, and enhancing children’s learning in various ways.

White ( 2004 ) found that cultivating young children’s relationships with nature benefits their development while Sobel ( 1996 ) believed that developing children’s empathy with the natural world should be the main learning objective for children ages four through seven. Through relationships with nature, children can develop environmental values needed to become the future stewards of the Earth who will preserve the diversity and wonder of nature (White, 2004 ). Nature journaling can be one way for children to record their natural curiosity, helping them cultivate the joys found in contact with nature and develop their awareness and appreciation of the earth. Overall, in this study nature journaling was a way for children to record their direct encounters sensorially, cognitively and affectively with natural environments, guided by ecological systems theory.

Theoretical framework: ecological systems theory

The ecological systems theory first developed by Urie Bronfenbrenner ( 1979 ) examined a child’s development within the context of the multifaceted system of diverse relationships. As a theory of human development, everything is seen as interrelated and our knowledge of development is bounded by context, culture, and history (Bronfenbrenner, 1979 ; Darling, 2007 ). Bronfenbrenner ( 1979 ) further depicted context, culture, and history as concentric nested circles comprising the microsystem (the child’s immediate settings), mesosystem (about interactions and interrelationships between the microsystems), exosystem (social structures or settings), and macrosystem (the broader level policies, political institutions, and cultural beliefs) and subsequently added the chronosystem to denote dynamic system changes over the human life. His ecological model was framed within the human-centered sociopolitical-environmental context of its time. Therefore, Bronfenbrenner’s theory has influenced early years practitioners to look at those different types of environmental systems that impact indirectly on the lives of children. It offers a means of thinking about how wider and unseen aspects of society may impact their development and learning through ecological systems and the relationship between each child’s unique biology and the environments in which they grow up (Darling, 2007 ; Guy-Evans, 2020 ).

At its core, environmental learning is about understanding the interconnections that exist in nature and between nature and human societies. Elliott and Davis ( 2018 ) proposed rethinking Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory to de-center the human condition and strengthen children and nature connections that have implications for early childhood education philosophy and pedagogy. This ecological worldview implies that children are connected with the natural world, so that they should become agents of taking care of environment. As children grow, they should be better able to possess a greater understanding of the characteristics of themselves, others, and complex ecological systems and their mutual influence on the environment. Bronfenbrenner’s ( 1979 ) ecological systems theory emphasizes seeing a child’s learning and development as multifaceted and affected by many interacting factors, and recognizes various phenomena as interconnected components that interact with one another to make a dynamic whole. Built upon Bronfenbrenner’s theory, Elliott and Davis value the interrelationship and interconnection between children and the natural world, and develop children’s beliefs, attitudes and values, and help them care for and feel connected to nature through a developmental, ecological lens. Hence, the dynamics and reciprocity of interrelationships between humans and nature must be recognized in any theorizing about human development (Elliott & Davis, 2018 ).

Nature journaling with young children

Research shows that nature journaling is a tool for children’s learning through drawing, writing, science and art to develop observational skills, deepen nature exploration, increase knowledge of their local environment and grow a deeper relationship with nature (Cormell & Ivey, 2012 ; Laws et al., 2010 ; Johnson, 2013 , 2014 ; Spinazola, 2015 ). Johnson ( 2014 ) believes that children 4 and 6 years old can draw symbols, write words, even sentences on the nature journal. Nature journaling for younger children is a journaling experience more enjoyable and spontaneous, a wonderful tool of expression of their uniqueness and creativity. Nature journaling focuses more on learning observation skills instead of drawing a perfect picture. Drawing and writing in nature journals connects children to nature and their immediate environments, embeds interdisciplinary learning, and encourages various styles of learning through cross-curricular connections. (Laws et al., 2010 ; Laws & Lygren, 2020 ; Lygren, 2016 ; Leslie, 2001 , 2002 ; Cormell & Ivey, 2012 ). In addition, sensory observations along with writing will deepen children’s connection and awareness of their own bodies and sensitivity to their surroundings, cultivate deeper sense of curiosity, then inspire children to follow their own trails of questions towards natural discoveries (Laws et al., 2010 ).

There is limited research of nature journaling related to young children, however, a couple of research studies, such as both Laws’ and Johnson’s research, address that nature journaling, as a form of experiential learning, allows children to experience nature outdoors authentically, exposed to the elements and exploring nature with their senses, and putting those senses to paper with creativity (Laws et al., 2010 ; Johnson, 2013 , 2014 ). Johnson ( 2014 ) emphasizes that nature journaling is just as important as teaching reading and math when helping young children get engaged with the elements of nature. Nature journals spark young children’s interests in oral and written language and improve both literacy and ecological literacy development during the early childhood sensitive period for language development (Johnson, 2014 ). One of the purposes of nature journaling is providing opportunities to study the natural world, growing a deeper relationship with the Earth, and caring for the Earth (Laws et al., 2010 ; Laws & Lygren, 2020 ; Lygren, 2016 ). Johnson ( 2014 ) strongly recommends the practice of nature journaling in the early childhood outdoor classroom environment to foster naturalist intelligence and academic enthusiasm. Based on the above literature review, a research gap has been identified, as there do not seem to have any action research studies related to nature journaling in Kindergarten Programs. Nor has this research topic been addressed in conjunction with the interdependence of sustainability and enduring understanding of how we are all connected and interrelated in human systems and natural systems.

Integrating nature journaling into weekly activities

Research context and the ar cycles.

I am an early childhood educator (ECE) at a Canadian urban elementary school. I am also a researcher belonging to the Environmental Education Action Research Team, which is run in partnership through the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE, University of Toronto) & the Toronto District School Board (TDSB)’s EcoSchools program. This action research (AR) study was conducted in my Kindergarten classroom with my 28 students during the 2019-2020 academic school year. This study implemented the cycle of classroom action research (CAR) found in Fig  1 (Muhsin, 2017 ). The process of data collection was divided into two AR cycles with each cycle consisted of four phases: Planning, Action, Observation and Reflection. The first AR cycle occurred within face-to-face (F2F) learning at my school and lasted 10 weeks before the Ontario Ministry of Education announced that publicly-funded schools would close for in-person learning on March 20, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The second AR cycle occurred within online learning after my school shifted to remote education in April 2020 and continued for another 10 weeks.

The Cycle of Classroom Action Research. Note . This figure is adopted through the Scheme of AR Phases created by Muhsin ( 2017 )

During the first AR cycle of F2F learning, I used the existing schoolyard as the base of weekly nature journaling, and applied a project-based learning approach in Environmental Education in the Kindergarten Program in order to evoke children’s interests. The project-based learning approach in Environmental Education empowers children’s learning as active participants and involves their in-depth investigation of an environmental learning topic (Alfonso, 2016 ; Abshor, 2017 ). During the second AR cycle, the context of this action research changed from a F2F classroom to an online classroom. I carried on the project-based environmental learning but shifted the learning perspectives from school to home. In the process of online data collection, I re-planned to meet children’s needs through our online classroom, rebuilt relationships through family engagement and reconnected nature with Kindergarten children through weekly nature journaling. The role of learning at home with parental involvement, engagement and partnership enriches children’s experiences and development of positive attitudes towards and expectations for education (O'Toole et al., 2019 ). The nature journaling entries got all collected except those who were absent during the two AR cycles.

Research methods and ethical considerations

Three methods were used in this study as data was collected from: 1) weekly nature journaling lesson plans (see examples in Table ​ Table1); 1 ); 2) student work samples; and 3) weekly and monthly reflective journals. Weekly nature journaling lesson plans convey the purpose and objectives of environmental learning (which is connected to my students’ interests) as well as the instructions students were provided in creating their nature journals. Student work samples document students’ learning by recording what is learned, speaking to students’ actions and thoughts in an authentic way. The student work samples that were included for analysis were samples that connected to the research topic and can answer the research questions. Reflective journals constitute a source of narrative research and comprise an important part of documenting my practice.

Examples of Weekly Nature Journaling

Note.  A list of some examples of nature journaling lesson plans, including general guidelines

Techniques for journaling with young children need to be considered in research. Researchers need to critically reflect on the research methods and approaches that they use with young children, and the most appropriate way in which to apply them, in order to, as far as possible, maximize their benefits (Fargas Malet et al., 2010 ). Children’s rights are a part of the ethicality of the research that can be justified with the interaction between the researcher and research participant. Children were asked to give assent for their participation in research, where research participants are children as vulnerable and relatively powerless , it is important to ensure that they have opportunities to make their decisions in research. Before starting the research, it was necessary to have the Principal’s consent and their parents’ permission as well, which was provided through informed consent forms that ensured respect for anonymity, confidentiality, and privacy.

The Ontario Ministry of Education ( 2016a , b ) describes that educators co-construct children’s learning through play and inquiry in the Ontario’s two-year Full-Day Kindergarten Program. From a social constructivist perspective, as educators assess children’s learning, assessment shifts from the product of children’s learning to an emphasis on assessing the process of children’s learning (Dahlberg et al., 2013 ; Chiarotto, 2011 ). Keel ( 2018 ) proposes that educators as environmental facilitators act as a connection between education and society as a whole to provide children the opportunities for environmental learning. Utilizing nature journals can empower children to explore their place and environment in their world, and increase their awareness of nature (Keel, 2018 ). When beginning to integrate nature journaling into early childhood environments, Johnson ( 2014 ) believes the role of educators as engaging children in aspects of the natural world and as sparking their wonder through their prior knowledge and memories. As a result, journaling offer educators an academic foundation for increasing outdoor learning time and improving children’s experiential learning experiences in, with and about nature.

Taken from the perspective of the Ontario Ministry of Education in the Kindergarten curriculum, of a social constructivist, and of environmental education, the roles of educators can be seen in three new ways through integrating nature journaling into the Kindergarten Program:

• Educators as co-explorers through navigating and observing the natural world.

As co-explorers, educators support to guide, nurture, hypothesize, and solve problems side-by-side with children, and document what they explore and wonder through nature journaling. As children observe the natural world, educators provide them with prompts for further investigation to foster inquiry and deepen their connection with nature.

• 2. Educators as co-learners through co-constructing learning about nature journaling.

Educators are considered co-learners by planning nature journaling activities based on the child's interests, asking questions to further understanding, and actively engaging in the activities alongside the child. As children learn in and about nature, educators construct knowledge together with children through observation and reflection.

• 3. Educators as co-thinkers through exploring the interrelationship between nature and environment.

Educators are considered co-thinkers with a natural love and passion for increased knowledge in thinking methods, to integrate curriculum and nature journaling together. As children interact with nature, educators scaffold learning by providing resources and remind children of the connections and relationships between all living things.

Data analysis

Thematic analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data drawn from weekly nature journaling lesson plans, student work samples and weekly and monthly reflective teaching journals. This study used a four-step process of thematic analysis. The first step of thematic analysis was gathering and reviewing all of the data. Student work samples were gathered, and lesson plan and my own reflective journals were organized for review and analysis. The second step was creating initial coding categories. Through identifying words, phrases or passages in the texts, or patterns in the photographs or images of student work samples, lesson plan and reflective journal, relationships were found and identified as initial codes. Triangulation of the three forms of data used in this study (student work samples, lesson plans and reflective journals), developed a comprehensive understanding of the types of nature journaling in learning and teaching in the Kindergarten Program. These initial codes provided a way to gain an overall understanding of the data as well as the patterns emerging within the data.

The third step of thematic analysis was reviewing those initial codes, revising and combining them into themes. After coding all of the data, similar types of data were collated together and patterns were identified among them that led to an understanding of broader themes. In the process of the data analysis, reviewing the weekly nature journaling lesson plans, analyzing student work, and reflecting regularly have been an essential part of teaching and learning in the process of AR. Through the reflective process, examining samples of students’ nature journaling helped to understand our own work, and helped us to develop a new and deeper understanding of our students. Through closely analyzing the data, three major themes emerged, which are detailed in the following section.

Findings and discussion

The data revealed the three themes of using nature journaling in learning and teaching with Kindergarten students: 1) observation-focused nature journaling, which may encourage sensory engagement; 2) relationship-building nature journaling, which may help to foster a sense of connection with the natural environment; and 3) curriculum-connected nature journaling, which may contextualize nature journaling as an interdisciplinary pedagogical strategy.

Theme 1: Observation-focused nature journaling

Kindergarten children’s nature journaling is about observing nature that surrounds them in their immediate environment and experiencing nature through sensory engagement. Through observation, children gather information in nature, about nature and from nature, and share their perceptions, feelings, wonder and inquiry in their journals. One example was a ‘sit spot’ nature journal that recorded what was observed silently as indicated in Fig. ​ Fig.2. 2 . Students found their own place in an outdoor area, then paid attention to whatever inspired them and recorded their experiences in their journal. Sit Spot journaling was an opportunity for students to focus not just on observing their surroundings but also on awakening their senses and cultivating awareness in the present moment. Children record how many different colors are in each spot, and how many different textures they can feel. They look above, below, and behind themselves and comment on what they see. They sit quietly and listen for many sounds they can, such as birds, squirrels, and wind rustling the leaves, people talking and cars moving. Thus, in nature journaling, including sit spots can sharpen children’s competence in observation through sensory engagement. The journaling outing may be an opportunity to hone observation skills, take the nature journal to grow, fit within a wider learning experience and connect to other topics as a critical part of the learning process.

Example of a ‘Sit Spot’ Nature Journal . Note. This figure shows a student spending time in silent observation and involved in sensory engagement, drawing and writing what was observed in nature

In comparison with silent observation in a ‘sit spot’ nature journal, another example was a scavenger hunt nature journal recorded through their senses as indicated in Fig. ​ Fig.3. 3 . In a nature scavenger hunt, students experienced walking outdoors to explore natural environments, searched for natural items and documented what was observed in their nature hunt. Here sensory engagement can be a state of being genuinely involved and interested in nature with a child’s five senses. Children may learn best when they are deeply engaged in what they are experiencing with nature. The natural outdoor environment provides for direct contact with natural features of the environment through guided experiences and observations utilizing all of the senses. A child’s nature journal forges the connection between themselves and the pulses of life they sense and observe in nature. A child's natural curiosity plays a big part in nature journaling through sensory engagement - it leads them to explore with their bodies, minds and senses, and inspires them to ask questions, test theories, solve problems, think creatively, and make meaning of the world around them.

Example of Scavenger Hunt Nature Journal . Note. This figure demonstrates exploring and discovering the outdoors through senses and observations and recording what was observed in nature

The importance of nature journaling aligns with the position of Johnson ( 2014 ) about the young child’s nature journal as a place for developing spontaneous observation and facilitating nature connection closer to them. During the nature journaling time, spontaneous observation supports children’s autonomy, having their own ideas with adult-led guidance, making links with nature and choosing ways to do things. As children further develop observational skills in their nature journaling (see examples of sunset nature journal in Fig. ​ Fig.4), 4 ), they learn about the interrelationship between themselves, nature and environment. This observational perspective of nature journaling implies a way for children to explore nature through observation, to get engaged and interpret observation from their lived experiences in nature (Leslie & Roth, 2000 ), and is a place for children to record the natural insights and wonder as developmentally appropriate (Johnson, 2014 ). Moreover, it is a flexible and hands-on teaching tool (Leslie, 2002 ) for educators to teach a focus of observational skills in nature instead of drawing skills on the paper (Leslie, 2001 ). While the heart of nature journaling is not developing drawing skills, the very act of drawing something encourages children as the observer to forge meaningful connections. The ultimate purpose of nature journaling is not the case product-oriented drawing work as Leslie and Roth ( 2000 ) believe that it is likely to find patterns in nature and learn about the principles governing the natural world, and develop a broad understanding of nature and environment in the ecosystem.

Examples of Sunset Nature Journal . Note. This figure shows students’ obeservation of sunset from a prefereable place and documents a sunset city by drawing and writing, and a colourful sunset in nature by an oil pastel art

Kindergarten children’s nature journaling represents the age of nature exploration with the senses to promote the whole child development in nature. To put it simply, it is about exploring nature with their senses and using their senses to regain that sense of wonder in, about and with nature. The sensorial aspect of nature journaling for young children is reflected in the value of Johnson’s research (Johnson, 2014 ) that highlights nature journaling and its techniques as in early childhood should be modified for the young child to incorporate a sensorial-based journaling practice into their environments. By recording all of the interesting things they see, smell, hear, feel and wonder about, children can gently develop the lifelong habit of nature observation. To go deeper, the nature journaling of kindergarten children is opening their senses, their hands, their heart, and their mind to discover nature secrets. In line with the whole child development and a foundation of environmental literacy highlighted in NAAEE ( 2000 , 2019 ), it is vital for educators to see the whole child in order to reduce restrictions on their participation in nature journaling outdoors and promote ways of valuing and including all children in nature.

Within the whole-child approach, educators shift their perspectives from a focus on narrowly defined academic achievement to one that incorporates a broader view of the skills and knowledge that all children must develop in environmental education. This whole-child perspective of nature journaling resonates with the developmentally appropriate environmental education program planned with the whole child in mind highlighted in the document of The Early Childhood Environmental Education Programs: Guidelines for Excellence (NAAEE, 2000 ). With the whole child in mind, educators develop the whole-child approach for teaching nature journaling and acknowledge that we are all interconnected and interdependent on natural systems. It completely changes how we see the world and how we see ourselves in it. The natural world becomes a dynamic, constantly evolving system that we are a part of.

In essence, nature journaling of Kindergarten children is an art of observing nature through sensory awareness. As learning tools connected with developmentally and age-appropriate practice with young children, nature journals are flexible in making observations and recording what they see, hear, feel and smell. This method of hands-on learning can be a powerful experience for Kindergarten children because it helps the observers slow down, carefully take note of their surroundings, make first-hand, concrete observations of nature, document their feeling, assimilate the information in nature and reveal the big picture patterns of an environment.

Theme 2: Relationship-built nature journaling

Nature journaling of Kindergarten children serves as a bridge to find self, support the whole child and build relationships with others, families, nature, the local environment, the natural world and our Earth. This relationship starts from connecting self with nature to extending an interconnection with all living things and non-living things on our Earth. Nature journals in trees, journals in drawing plants, animals, flowers, butterflies, birds, sunset, rocks, leaves and many more are exposed to the outdoor setting. An example of a nature journal in the mangrove tree ecosystem in Fig. ​ Fig.5 5 illustrates that the mangroves provide the mangrove tree crab to live on the tree it uses for a food source and a shelter from predators. Another example of a nature journal in the water ecosystem in Fig. ​ Fig.6 6 speaks of the interrelationship among water, tree, butterfly, bee, plant, flower, and our Earth. Correspondingly, nature journals of the mangrove tree and water nature journals speak to exosystemic relationships. When a child is immersed in observing the surrounding environment and recording what its surrounding environment look like, this nature journaling develops a connection with self, others and the immediate environment.

Nature Journals in the Mangrove Ecosystem.  Note. This figure demonstrates the relationship between Mangrove tree and tree crab and how the tree crab and the mangrove tree rely on each other

Nature Journals in the Water Ecosystem. Note . This figure demonstrates the interrelationship among water, tree, butterfly, bee, plant, flower, and our Earth. All are interconnected

Nature journaling could potentially promote children's relationships at all levels. At the micro-level, nature journaling is an exploratory way for children to interact with individuals, peers, small groups, families around them and nearby nature. A nature journal becomes an opportunity for personal growth, family engagement and school-based learning to study the evolving natural world. Some entry examples connect to the microsystem and mesosystem, such as the entry on regrowing vegetables and investigating water at home (see Fig. ​ Fig.9); 9 ); the entry on winter tree inquiry at the schoolyard indicated in Fig. ​ Fig.7; 7 ; the entry on sunset at a preferable place (see Fig. ​ Fig.4), 4 ), such as from the home window, the backyard, or near the local lake. The immediate relationships in a microsystem and mesosystem are built through mutual influence, reciprocal communication and direct interaction of siblings, parents, school peers and educators in the process of nature journaling. The micro-level relationship of nature journaling resonates with the microsystem and the mesosystem that encompass the relationships and interactions a child has with one’s immediate surroundings in Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979 ; Guy-Evans, 2020 ). A child’s relationship with the natural environment in one’s individual microsystem and mesosystem is not built upon independently, but is interconnected and they assert influence upon one another.

Examples of Winter Tree Inquiry Nature Journal . Note. This figure shows the entry into exploration and inquiry on winter trees with no leaves and with green leaves at the schoolyard. The process of inquiry supports students to connect with one another and influence how they form relationships with people, places, ideas and environment through nature journaling

Example of Regrowing Vegetables in Water Nature Journal . Note. This figure shows designing science experiments to investigate which factors are important for vegetables to regrow and document their nature regrowth journal

At the macro-level, nature journaling is a creative way for children to rediscover nature and shape the local environment, the natural world and the Earth and be shaped as well. Some nature journal examples likely connect to the exosystem and macrosystem, such as the entry on visiting the local park (see Fig. ​ Fig.8), 8 ), taking a virtual field trip to nature center Anne Kolb Nature Center (see Fig. ​ Fig.5); 5 ); investigating the water in the neighborhood (see Fig. ​ Fig.6) 6 ) and integrating Indigenous culture into nature journaling (see Fig. ​ Fig.10). 10 ). In the exosystem and macrosystem, relationships are built through external environments and real-life experiences. In the process of nature journaling, the external relationships influence a child’s learning and development indirectly through culture, community, and society. Within the chronosystem, the data in this study has not shown much evidence on children’s experience and their environments in a person’s life span. The macro-level relationship of nature journaling is tied with the exosystem and the macrosystem in which children do not function directly as the outermost layer in the child’s environment, and which encompass the dimension of time as it relates to a child’s environments (Bronfenbrenner, 1979 ; Guy-Evans, 2020 ). Children are constructing understandings and building relationships to the natural world in their outmost layer systems and their experiential experiences can shape and augment their conception of relatedness to the natural world.

Example of Adopting a Tree Nature Journal . Note. This figure demonstrates engaging students in real-world applications in the local environment over time in connection with the Ontario Kindergarten curriculum

Example of Four Elements of the Medicine Wheel in Nature Journaling . Note. This figure shows interconnection with nature as wholeness and completeness associated with the Kindergarten curriculum within an Indigenous perspective

The intersectionality of micro-level and macro-level relationships of nature journaling between environmental education and children’s development is reflected in the critical point of Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979 ; Guy-Evans, 2020 ). Environmental education programs have traditionally concentrated on the ecosystemic and ekistic relationships and Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory looks at a child’s development within the context of the system of relationships that form his or her environment. On the one hand, to rethink nature journaling in learning and teaching, educators look not only at the child and her immediate environment, but also at the interaction of the larger environment as well. On the other hand, educators consider how children and we are part of that ecosystem and that diversity. Through an ecological exploration of the interdependence of all living things, children learn to connect with nature, appreciate, respect, honor nature and all that it encompasses, and grow a deeper relationship with the natural world, to develop a greater awareness and caring for the Earth.

In summary, nature journaling of Kindergarten children is indicative of relationship building with natural environments and is a potential way to creatively connect and build their personal relationship with the natural world. It is this relationship that will carry meaning into their understanding of nature. Through the process of nature journaling, Kindergarten children capture their discoveries on paper and reflect more deeply on the experience of being in connection with nature and the Earth. As reflecting on their meaningful experience, children build deeper and longer lasting memories of the natural world, appreciate nature, and uncover new ecological perspectives.

Theme 3: Curriculum-connected nature journaling

Nature journaling of Kindergarten children serves as an interdisciplinary tool to connect with the curriculum and may prove to be an effective way for cross-curricular teaching and learning to educate the whole child. The frames in the Ontario Kindergarten curriculum (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2016a ) are intertwined with weekly nature journaling integrated in the Kindergarten Program. The Kindergarten frames grow out of the foundations for learning to support an approach that aligns with the way children's learning naturally occurs and that focuses on aspects of learning that are critical to young children's development. The frames reflect the integrated way in which learning occurs during children's play and inquiry in Kindergarten (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2016b , p. 13-15).

Curriculum-connected nature journaling is further reflected in the recommendation of Laws and Lygren ( 2020 ) that educators can leap into journaling with students with curriculum plans, advice and field experiences in nature. Nature journaling is a powerful adjunct to teaching science and should be a standard part of every classroom (Laws et al., 2012 ). A journal entry of adopting a tree in Fig. ​ Fig.8 8 demonstrates developing early literacy, numeracy, and art in connection with the Ontario Kindergarten curriculum. Recording the date, location, and weather helps focus children on the big-picture context of that journal entry. The journals can become a place for creative writing, scientific observations and personal reflections. A nature growth journal in regrowing the vegetables in water in Fig. ​ Fig.9 9 is one of the typical examples of teaching science as an interdisciplinary approach. This figure demonstrates how children record gardening in connection with observation, investigation, writing, science and reflection in the process of nature journaling. Students learn how to regrow vegetables from scraps and further investigate some of the most common vegetables that regrow: not only carrots but also celery; lettuce; and other vegetables through the nature regrowth journaling. This nature journaling supports students’ drawing and writing in response to observations of nature growth day by day.

Nature journaling with Kindergarten children has the potential to capture that richness and Indigenous perspectives on connecting and interweaving the threads of curriculum and learning. The Indigenous culture has an orientation to learning that is metaphorically represented in its art forms, its way of community, and its way of understanding itself in relationship to its natural environment. An Indigenous lens offers a cross-cultural encounter supporting children’s natural curiosity and exploring their learning about nature and environmental inquiry (Anderson et al., 2017 ). Fig. ​ Fig.10 10 is one of nature journal artwork examples of four elements of Medicine Wheel within Indigenous perspectives on understanding self and itself in relationships to its natural environment. Within the circle of the Medicine Wheel can be found the four elements of Air, Water, Earth and Fire. As students explore each of these elements of nature, they expand their circle beyond the classroom to the natural world outside and there is the understanding everything are all connected. Precisely, these nature journals show cross-curricular connections with language, math, writing, science and arts. “Journaling, as part of a school curriculum, strengthens and refines students’ cognitive skills by teaching them to observe, to become aware of what they have observed with all of their senses, and, to exercise their imaginations and critical skills through developing hypotheses to explain what has been observed” (Laws et al., 2012 , p. 4).

For a further discussion, this interdisciplinary combination of art, science, writing, and observation exemplifies the action research’s goals in creating educational programs: to engage Kindergarten students in the incredible natural world around them, to inspire them to keen observations of the wild places in the schoolyard, in their own backyards and in their local park, and to foster in them a desire to love, appreciate and protect nature and environment. Nature journaling is a valuable, multidimensional approach to language, writing, science and art. Through nature journaling, students may build neural pathways that enable different brain regions to communicate with each other, and might result in more flexible thinking and creative problem-solving in all areas of life. This approach to nature journaling also offers students an excellent way to learn and practice a growth mindset through nature and science.

In short, nature journaling of Kindergarten children is curriculum connected as an interdisciplinary pedagogy. It can incorporate such diverse subjects as science, language arts, visual arts, and even math into children’s learning indoors and outdoors. By developing a nature journaling practice, educators can seamlessly weave in a variety of topics to encourage and deepen cross-curricular connections. This interdisciplinary pedagogy engages children in the natural world, and inspires them to become keen observers in nature, and fosters in them a desire to take care of natural environments.

Considering the themes as a whole

Taken together, the three types of nature journaling in learning and teaching with Kindergarten children are interrelated through observation, sensory engagement, and a connection with a natural environment and curriculum. Children’s learning and development occur in the framework of ecological system theory and nature journaling really matters with a focus on those values and pedagogies for Kindergarten-aged children that link interdependence. Within the perspectives of interdependence, children observe nature and environment through multiple senses, develop and maintain relationships with the natural world through experiential learning, promote critical thinking through nature journaling as explorers, learners and thinkers and understand how living and non-living things depend on one another in the ecosystem. As children observe nature and environment carefully and sensitively, educators see them learning. When educators approach observation of children with an open mind, we can observe the richness of their play and interaction through a nature journaling environmental pedagogy. On the one hand, we can become aware of what children know and can do, and use this information to ensure that what we provide a nature journaling curriculum is closely linked to their abilities and needs. On the other hand, the three types of nature journaling in learning and teaching with Kindergarten children enhance our knowledge and understanding of how children develop and learn. This dynamic approach to nature journaling in learning and teaching enables us to go beyond the idea of normative developmental expectations and outcomes measures and enables us to really see, and celebrate, children as individuals.

This study explores nature journaling as a pedagogical tool for environmental and nature education. It shows that there is potential for children to learn more about human-nature interconnectedness through the process of weekly nature journal entries over a long period of time. It also shows that aspects of microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and macrosystem were captured in these students’ journal entries except that the chronosystem needs to consider nature journaling over the life course of children in research. Through the integration of three major types of nature journaling, educators and practitioners can offer young children more opportunities to develop an understanding of the dependence between humans and the environment where they live. Educators and practitioners can also cultivate children’s naturalist skills, realize the potency of the nature journal as a tool for environmental and nature education, and discover that the learning process is more important than the end product. Most importantly, nature journaling provides an open means for children to make a connection to their natural world and understand the environmental interdependence that shows the relationships between all living things, including humans and different types of environmental systems within the ecological worldview.

The implications in this study involve Kindergarten curriculum and pedagogy. Nature journaling provides an outlet for educators to rethink prescribed curriculum that dictates what and when topics are taught. Linking journaling to the classroom also allows children to make better curriculum connections with nature and the environment (Cormell & Ivey, 2012 ). As an environmental pedagogy, nature journaling emphasizes experience and reconnection with the more-than-human world, and supports children’s holistic, experiential learning in active participation and natural enjoyment (Tsevreni, 2020 ). Therefore, early years educators and practitioners in this new Anthropocene epoch should have the opportunity to use nature journaling to facilitate environmental learning and to deepen relationships with natural world at the micro-and macro-levels. In essence, the central points of Carr and Plevyak ( 2020 ) are to urgently call for us to make significant changes in the way we educate children from going beyond connections with nature to focusing on learning for embracing nature as the venue for Environmental Education. This study recommends that educators organize curriculum to foster interdependence in the context of real-world experiences through a nature journaling approach. Beginning with our youngest populace at school, educators should use a nature journaling approach to sustain relationships with nature and enhance children’s learning and development in environmental and nature education.

is an early childhood educator (ECE) at a Canadian urban elementary school and also a researcher belonging to the Environmental Education Action Research Team, which is run in partnership through the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE, University of Toronto) & the Toronto District School Board (TDSB)’s EcoSchools program. She holds a Master of Education and a Master of Arts; she has her Specialist qualification in Environmental Education. She has been teaching for about 20 years in different diverse educational settings from childcare center and elementary school to university. Her practice is taking learning outside and bringing nature into classroom. She has her research publications related to children’s learning and development and her recent research focuses on nature-based and environmental education in the early years.

Declarations

The author Hongliang Hu states that there is no conflict of interest.

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123 Kindergarten Research Topics & Essay Examples

📝 kindergarten research papers examples, 🎓 simple research topics about kindergarten, 👍 good kindergarten essay topics to write about, 🏆 best kindergarten essay titles, ❓ kindergarten research questions.

• Early Childhood Education: Studies Review Studies on early childhood education have been conducted in various countries. This paper reviews three studies that were conducted in Germany, Netherlands and the USA.
• Bilingual Education and Preschoolers' Development There are several theories in child development that directly or indirectly discuss the implications of bilingual education and show the importance of bilingual education.
• Engaging the Learner in the Early Years of Schooling The following project report is preparation of education plans for five- year-old Indonesian children who are now growing up in the alien lands of Sydney in Australia.
• Curriculum for Kindergarten Pupils The article presents a mini fitness lesson suitable for kindergarten children, as well as a plan for an interactive family event.
• Developmentally Appropriate Activities for Toddlers The study sample includes a book aimed at developing toddlers’ cognitive skills and gross motor behavior, a go-get interactive game, and a video on learning colors.
• Sloth Sky Preschool: Curriculum Context Sloth Sky Preschool offers center-based care for preschool/kindergarten children as a part of a school. Based on the location, the school is near Penguin Ocean Primary School.
• Special Education for Children of Kindergarten and Third-Grade Levels Special education is designed to address the needs of students with specific disabilities in a very individual manner.
• Literacy Development for Preschoolers The article focuses on the importance of early literacy development in preschoolers and methods that will help teachers in this.
• An Ethical Dilemma With a Child in a Preschool Classroom An ethical dilemma with a child in a preschool classroom stemming from a situation when a child does not want to comply with a particular EC institution’s standard schedule.
• Influence of Teachers’ Attitudes on Student Behavior and Achievement This article is about a study that aims to determine how teacher attitudes affect student behavior and performance in grades kindergarten through fifth.
• How Teacher Attitudes Affect Students' Behavior and Performance in Grades The aim of conducting this study is to determine how teacher attitudes affect student behavior and performance in grades Kindergarten through fifth.
• The Aspects of Purposeful Preschool Program The article argues class management is one of the key components of teaching practice as it can ensure the proper development and academic achievement of preschool children.
• Preschool Teacher Practice Rotation Experience Preschool experience plays a pivotal role in a person’s development, as it lays the foundation for their character
• Using Data in Preschools: Data Collection Data drives every aspect of teaching, especially when there is a need to teach young children. Teachers need to see where the kids are thriving and the gaps that need to be filled.
• Preschooler Education Overview The article "Preschoolers (3-5 years of age)" describes preschoolers' development milestones aged between 3 to 5 and suggests some positive parenting tips.
• "Teaching Strategies for Preschool Educators" Analysis The article focuses on the main teaching strategies used in preschool education. The first strategy is the promotion of early literacy.
• Preschoolers Education and Activities for Children The activities for children should be appropriate for everyone within the class. Preschoolers must be encouraged to play and learn.
• Language Acquisition in Toddlers and Infants Language acquisition in toddlers starts from their communication with the environment. A friendly environment and proper materials allow for simplifying the language learning process
• Importance of the Assessment in Kindergarten and Its Types Assessment in kindergarten is essential in building future generations, building the pupils' strength and giving them the confidence is the joy of a teacher.
• “Investigating Pathways”: Toddler Learning Setups “Investigating Pathways” video examines two toddler learning setups: the blue room and the green room, each using different investigation concepts.
• Infant and Toddler Development and Programming The set of materials presented in this essay provides a beneficial learning process for babies and toddlers because their usage is organized around educational principles of belonging.
• Examination of Books and Interactive Content for Numbers Learning This paper identifies 12 textbooks that teach pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and second-grade children to understand numbers, counting, and sets.
• Integrated Co-Teaching and Impact on Learning Integrated co-teaching (ICT) is an emerging method of teaching students with learning disabilities. This system is implemented in different levels of educational institutions.
• Number Sense and Learning Centers in Preschool To improve Number Sense in preschool, the educator will have to adopt new learning strategies. The expectations of the learning outcomes are shaped by curriculum.
• The Quality of Learning Programs in Preschool Establishments The paper research and summarizes the article "Quality 101: Identifying the core components of a high-quality early childhood program" about high-quality child care programs.
• Visiting a Preschool Class as Reflective Practice This report provides a detailed reflection of the activities, environment, and knowledge obtained during a visit to a preschool class in one of the local public schools.
• Strive Preschool: Using Information Systems in a Preschool The school should start by establishing the necessary roles and activities and using IT budget to buy, maintain, and update software and hardware.
• Special Education Curriculum Issues and Their Solutions in the USA There are many potential improvements that can transform the special education programs across the US to become more efficient, inclusive, and appropriate for the stakeholders.
• Lesson Plan for Pre-Kindergarteners Learning activities have to be divided into relevant categories to help the educator pick a small number of developmental milestones and focus on individual elements of learning.
• A Fire Safety Class Held in a Preschool The paper states that the case illustrates a fire safety class held in a preschool. Children were taught the basics of emergency case information.
• Froebel’s Kindergarten Philosophy Friedrich Froebel is a renowned philosopher whose influence on childhood education is evident in the contemporary world.
• Planning and Teaching in a Preschool Setting The teacher's job is to plan learning activities that begin with the development of learning objectives and continue through implementation and evaluation in a preschool setting.
• Physical Development in Florida Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program The observed Pre-K program had an emphasis on physical development, which incorporated elements of math, reading, music, and arts.
• Lesson Plans for Preschool and Second Grade During the math lesson, it is necessary to observe whether children show increased use of part-whole skills, and division of things into smaller objects.
• Preschool Education in China and Japan Preschool education in China serves several purposes, from child care to educational preparation. Meanwhile, the Japanese preschool system is more directed toward socialization.
• Education System: Building a Class The learning process aims to develop professional skills and develop tolerance and create a picture of the world.
• Importance of Research-Based Curriculum The Fireflies is both a developmentally appropriate and engaging curriculum that allows the teacher to promote learning through play and help children.
• Literacy in Elementary Schools After COVID-19 Pandemic The level of literacy the students of kindergartens and first three grades of elementary schools possess is lower than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The Preschool Program's Design Analysis This paper aims to design a preschool daycare program for children aged three to five and discuss the activities to enhance their social, emotional, physical, and cognitive skills.
• Early Childhood Education in India Today's preschool education system in India is designed so that parents can rest assured of their children who have been trained in such groups.
• Social-Emotional Skills Program for Preschoolers During the early 21st century, it was reported that the ability to regulate behaviors and emotions could be seen as the fundamental skills showcasing a child’s school readiness.
• Comparison of the Two Early Childhood Educational Institutions in Hong Kong This paper examines the educational and administrative management aspects of two kindergartens in Hong Kong: HKYWCA Athena and The Salvation Army Shui Chuen O Kindergarten.
• Research in the Field of Childhood Literacy This paper contains an annotated bibliography of the two articles devoted to the topics of childhood literacy and education.
• Social-Emotional Skill Program to Enhance Learning in Preschoolers This research studies the relationship between three variables, the learners' socio-emotional skills and their academic and behavioral outcomes in pre-schoolers.
• Me and Others: Observation of Preschool Children This paper analyzes the video “Me and others”, which shows an experiment on suggestibility performed with preschool children (5 years old).
• “The Kindergarten Program”: Visible Learning in Early Childhood Education Visible learning is particularly significant since children learn from experience and should be exposed to real-life situations.
• Interventions and Letter & Sound Recognition Students who experience difficulties in recognizing letters and sounds in words and reading face challenges in writing and isolation of alphabetical sounds.
• Dyslexia in Young Children: Developmental Language Disorder ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, depression, anorexia, Tourette's, and bipolar are among those conditions that have various symptoms.
• Early Childhood Education Programs Comparison Relying on the two videos on Early Childhood Education Programs, this paper compares various programs that are critical for the proper development of children.
• Preschool Activity: Introducing Multicultural Awareness The world is a place of many cultures and nations, which is why it is essential to introduce multicultural awareness to children.
• The Lingua Globe Educational Toy The Lingua Globe toy represents a globe that features multiple buttons corresponding to different countries. The toy addresses primarily the linguistic aspect of development.
• Early Childhood Education: Pedagogical Skills Understanding each child as a unique individual with their own psychological characteristics and structure of thinking seems to be a necessary competence of any children's teacher.
• Positive Behaviour Support Framework in Preschool The School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support framework promotes acceptable behavior expectations for children in schools to facilitate a safe learning culture.
• The Overall Expectations in the Kindergarten Program The documentation The Overall Expectations in the Kindergarten Program supports the idea that the cup-stacking activity addresses the two overall expectation frames.
• Mutual Storytelling in the Baby's Edcuation Communicating with your child is an essential aspect of learning because from a very early age, children try to copy the behavior of adults.
• The Montessori Method and Its Benefits The Montessori Method of education is an influential teaching method to ensure that students are equipped with the best practical skills in the learning process.
• Expanding Existing Programs and Services in Preschool The expansion of the existing program and service in preschool is a good project which needs to be implemented in the West Bronx neighborhood.
• DIBELS: The Cognitive Foundations of Reading and Its Acquisition DIBELS is a literacy assessment program that helps identify and offer assistance to lagging students. The key tests in the DIBELS program are the LNF, ISF, PSF, and NWF tests.
• Early Childhood Education Aspects Early childhood is considered the most crucial time of child development because it is a period of fast physical and mental development.
• Family Partnerships to Help Needy Preschooler Students Family and parent partnerships are essential to ensuring that students build strong relationships that can help in boosting their success.
• Educational Assistant: Roles and Responsibilities Educational assistants monitor and record learners' needs, strengths, behavior, and achievements during their time in school and report crucial incidents.
• Should Pre-K Be Made Available to All Children? Preparing children for elementary school can benefit them because preschool improves their cognitive abilities and gets them used to a regimented schedule.
• A Description of the Student Observation The paper includes a description of the setting, including one's first impressions, suitability for children, and the school environment and atmosphere.
• English Language Learners and Kindergarten Entry Age: Achievement and Social-emotional Effects
• Preschool and Kindergarten Best Practice Curriculum
• Language Acquisition and Expected Developmental Differences for Children of Preschool, Kindergarten, and Primary Ages
• The Lesson Plan Created for Kindergarten Students Based on Next Generation
• The Need for Universal All Day Pre Kindergarten
• Intervention and Theoretical Paper Kindergarten Age
• The Literacy Improvement Program for Pre Kindergarten
• Teacher Quality and Learning Outcomes in Kindergarten
• Kindergarten Children’s Attachment Security, Inhibitory Control, and the Internalization of Rules of Conduct
• Getting Mom Ready for Kindergarten
• Developmental Differences That Can Be Expected in Language Acquisition for Preschool, Kindergarten and Primary Aged Children
• The Challenges Facing Kindergarten Teachers for Deal With Children Whom English Is an Additional Language
• Team Work, Connection and Cooperation Among Two Institutions – School and Kindergarten
• Shared Book Reading Promotes Not Only Language Development, but Also Grapheme Awareness in German Kindergarten Children
• Factors Affecting the School Readiness of Public Kindergarten Pupils in Lanao Del Sur I–B
• High-Quality Pre Kindergarten Classroom Look Like
• The Kindergarten Attendance Allowance in Hungary
• Using Kindergarten Number Sense To Predict Calculation Fluency in Second Grade
• The Full Day Kindergarten Program
• Kindergarten Enrollment and the Intergenerational Transmission of Education
• Procedures for Sampling Texts and Tasks in Kindergarten Through Eighth Grade
• Relationship Between Kindergarten Organizational Climate and Teacher Burnout
• Parents and Kindergarten Decisions To Be Made
• Kindergarten and Education Expansion Programme Analysis
• Kindergarten for All: Long-run Effects of a Universal Intervention
• Teacher Interview and Observation of a Kindergarten Math
• Learning Activity That Has Been Designed for the Kindergarten
• Investigation Into Developed Sabis Curriculum in Kindergarten
• Teaching Young Children and Becoming a Kindergarten Teacher
• Residential Mobility Across Early Childhood and Children’s Kindergarten Readiness
• Young Children’s Developmental Ecologies and Kindergarten Readiness
• Kindergarten and Child Primary Education
• Technology and the Classroom Starting With Kindergarten
• Kindergarten Through Sixth Grade Writing Effectiveness Instruction
• Children and Home Reading Before Kindergarten
• Early Kindergarten, Maternal Labor Supply, and Children’s Outcomes: Evidence From Italy
• Physical and Technological Resources in Kindergarten
• Full-Day Kindergarten Versus Half Day Kindergarten Reading Achievement
• Efficiency and Fair Access in Kindergarten Allocation Policy Design
• Student Engagement and Student Motivation in a Reading Classroom for the Kindergarten Level
• Why Is Partnership Between Parents and Kindergarten Teachers Necessary?
• What Is the Relationship Between Kindergarten and Primary School Teacher?
• How Does the Developed Sabis Curriculum Affect Children in Kindergarten?
• Why Should Foreign Language Teaching Begin in Kindergarten?
• How Non-native Speaking Children Learn the Chinese Language in Kindergarten
• Does Delaying Kindergarten Entrance Give Children a Head Start?
• What Is the Difference Between Elementary School and Kindergarten?
• Can Universal Pre-kindergarten Programs Improve Population Health and Longevity?
• What Are Free Kindergarten Educational Programs?
• Sharing Responsibility: What They Didn’t Teach You in Kindergarten?
• Why Do Kindergarten Teachers Need To Have at Least a Basic Degree?
• What Is the Relationship of Environmental Instability and the Behavior of Children in the Classroom in Kindergarten?
• What Do Kindergarten Teachers and University Professors Have in Common?
• Do Kindergarten Students Need Computer Science Classes?
• Why Does the Montana School System Require Sex Education for Kindergarten?
• How Do Preschool Programs Improve Literacy and Achievement?
• What Are the Duties of Kindergarten Teachers?
• How and Why Does Age at Kindergarten Entry Matter?
• What Is the Importance of Full-Day Kindergarten?
• How Do Kindergarten Prep Skills Contribute to Academic Achievement?

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ChalkyPapers . "123 Kindergarten Research Topics & Essay Examples." May 25, 2024. https://chalkypapers.com/topics/kindergarten-research-topics/.