Journal of Education and Human Development

Inside We Learn, outside We Explore the World – Children’s Perception of a Weekly Outdoor Day in German Primary Schools
Christian Armbrüster, Robert Gräfe, Marius Harring, Sarah Sahrakhiz, Daniela Schenk, Matthias D. Witte

Abstract
The observable new attention for space in social and educational sciences since the 1990s (spatial turn) exhibits an increasing focus on the spatial constitution of children’s learning and living spaces. In particular, the classroom as a learning environment is of relative importance, but the discourse about the socio-spatial opening of school also brings extracurricular educational facilities into focus. Two perspectives, however, remain largely neglected: 1) The children’s point of view concerning lessons at extracurricular learning places and 2) The analysis of the children’s practices of appropriation of the (outdoor) school space. The present article uses approaches of spatial and activity theory as well as group conversations with primary school children as an empirical basis in order to shed light on this topic by analyzing the children’s practices of appropriating space during regular instruction at extracurricular learning places in the German outdoor school (Drau ßenschule).

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/jehd.v5n2a12