Outdoor play activities and outdoor environment of early childhood education in Turkey: a qualitative meta-synthesis

Ozturk Y., ÖZER Z.

EARLY CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND CARE, vol.192, no.11, pp.1752-1767, 2022 (SSCI) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 192 Issue: 11
  • Publication Date: 2022
  • Doi Number: 10.1080/03004430.2021.1932865
  • Journal Name: EARLY CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND CARE
  • Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, ASSIA, IBZ Online, International Bibliography of Social Sciences, Child Development & Adolescent Studies, EBSCO Education Source, Education Abstracts, Educational research abstracts (ERA), ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Linguistics & Language Behavior Abstracts, MLA - Modern Language Association Database, Psycinfo
  • Page Numbers: pp.1752-1767
  • Keywords: Early childhood education in Turkey, outdoor play and learning, qualitative meta-synthesis, outdoor activities, early childhood teachers, TEACHERS, CHILDREN
  • Hacettepe University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

The aim of the study is to explore outdoor play activities and outdoor environment of early childhood education in Turkey by presenting findings from a qualitative metasynthesis of research. The data was derived from 20 studies done in Turkey. Content analysis was performed to examine how outdoor play and activities in Turkish preschools were conceptualized and justified by teachers, parents, and children. The result showed three themes: (1) A prominent theme is the main actors of the studies' subjects, namely the teachers, parents, and children. (2) The studies are based on different dimensions of theoretical perspectives which can be grounded in developmental, pedagogical, sociological, and ecological dimensions. (3) Finally, an emerging theme is related to the accessibility of outdoor spaces, the quality, and adequacy of these existing spaces.