Examining parent attitudes towards outdoor activities in preschool education according to various variables

Outdoor environments in early childhood education play a critical role in supporting children's holistic development. By offering a natural and unstructured learning setting, they contribute significantly to children's social, emotional, cognitive, physical, and psychological growth. The extent to which outdoor activities are included in the educational programs prepared by preschool teachers is largely influenced by parents' views on the matter. The limited number of studies examining parental attitudes in early childhood education, and the predominance of qualitative data collection methods in existing research, pose challenges to conducting comprehensive investigations in this area. This study was designed within the framework of quantitative research methods using a cross-sectional survey model, aiming to explore parental attitudes toward outdoor activities implemented in preschool institutions in a multidimensional manner. The study population consisted of parents whose children were enrolled in early childhood education programs. The research sample included 372 parents who responded to the "General Information Form" and the "Scale of Parental Attitudes Toward Outdoor Activities in Preschool Education (PAOA-PEE)" via an online survey administered through Google Forms. The scale used in this study, developed by Güçhan-Özgül and Avcı (in press), demonstrated a high level of internal consistency (α = .90). It is a 20-item, four-point Likert-type instrument designed to systematically assess the perceptions, attitudes, and values of parents with children aged 36–72 months regarding outdoor activities in preschool education. The scale comprises two dimensions: the Developmental-Educational dimension (α = .95) and the Physical Environment-Safety dimension (α = .76). In addressing the sub-problems of the research, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Cronbach's Alpha reliability coefficient calculations, and Regression Analysis were conducted. The CFA results indicated that the scale is also valid for a broader sample including children aged 20 to 80 months attending kindergarten or preschool, beyond the originally specified age range. The reliability analyses revealed that the PAOA-PEE scale possesses a high degree of reliability (α = .913). The t-test results from the regression analysis showed that socioeconomic status (SES), time spent in outdoor play areas, duration of outdoor activities outside of school, and the perceived ideal duration of preschool outdoor activities are significant predictors of the total scores on the PAOA-PEE (p < .05). The model's effect size was calculated to be large (Cohen's f² = .293). Considering the limitations of the variables addressed in this study, it is possible that other factors may also influence parents' attitudes. Future research is recommended to investigate the relationship between various other variables and parents' attitudes toward outdoor activities in preschool education. Furthermore, the results of this study indicate that increased parental engagement in outdoor settings is associated with more positive attitudes toward outdoor activities in educational environments. Based on this, encouraging parents to spend more time outdoors with their children outside of school hours may foster more favorable attitudes toward outdoor activities in early childhood education.