Determination of pre-school's outdoor environment quality with teacher's perceptions and using of outdoors in pre-schools

The purpose of this research is to evaluate the outdoor quality level in preschools and the duration of outdoor using in terms of various variables, to examine the relationship between outdoors' quality and teachers' outdoor using and to determine teachers' perceptions of outdoor environments and outdoor using of teachers in preschools with high, medium and low outdoor quality. The research was designed as mixed methods. Sequential explanatory design was used as a mixed method strategy. The data were obtained from 36 kindergartens and 76 teachers for quantitative part and interviewed with 15 teachers for qualitative part of the study. For the quantitative part of the study, "Preschool Outdoor Environment Measurement Scale", was used to evaluate the outdoor quality of preschools after adaptation into Turkish by the researcher. For the qualitative part interviews and observation forms were developed which were developed by the researcher to measure teachers' perceptions about outdoor environments and outdoor using. The results indicated that outdoor quality level of preschools in "physical environment", "interactions" and "teacher role" is higher than "play and learning settings" and "program". The results revealed that teacher perceptions of the quality of outdoor environment are mostly inadequate and funding is the most important barrier that preventing quality. According to the results the outdoor quality level of preschools that depends on government was better than private preschools. It was found that the outdoor quality level of the schools with lower socio-economic group is more inadequate than higher and middle socio-economic groups. It was disclosed that demographic information of the teachers has an effect on the sub-dimensions of "interactions", "program" and "teacher role" of outdoor quality. The results indicated that there is a positive correlation between the variety of activities that are preferred in the outdoors and the sub-dimensions of "play and learning settings", "interactions", "program" and "teacher role" of outdoor quality. In the results, while the "physical environment quality" of preschools affects the duration of outdoor using in negative way, it was seen that the "program quality" affected in positive way. Although importance of outdoor environments on healthy development and effective learning of children was accepted by all teachers; outdoors were preferred mostly by preschools with higher outdoor quality, in all weather. It was disclosed that teachers' perceptions on outdoor environments in preschools were more positive in preschools with higher outdoor quality. It was found that most of teachers use outside every day and 31- 60 minutes in good weather conditions. The results revealed that teachers stated mostly adverse weather conditions and lack of physical equipment as barriers for using outdoor environments.