Date of Award:
5-2013
Document Type:
Dissertation
Degree Name:
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department:
Education
Committee Chair(s)
Martha Whitaker
Committee
Martha Whitaker
Committee
Martha Dever
Committee
James Barta
Committee
Sylvia Read
Committee
Lisa Boyce
Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative, purposeful, bounded case study was to explore the influences that promoted and restricted three women early childhood educators' inclusion of open-ended outdoor learning in a Head Start center. A continued degradation of nature, along with the predominance of women working in the early childhood workforce, led me to the use of the ecofeminist theory for this study. Research methodology included participant interviews, observations, and a study of the site's documents. In the analysis of the data, four themes were identified as promoting or restricting open-ended outdoor learning. These themes included: (a) participant's attitudes, (b) Head Start program requirements, (c) classroom and playground context, and (d) student behavior. Each of the themes included codes that were categorized as promoting or restricting open-ended outdoor learning. Some fell into both categories. Through the use of the ecofeminist lens, a view of the dualistic relationships between (a) teachers and the Head Start program and (b) teachers and their students were identified. These dualisms were found to support the "logic of domination" in which social structures were created to justify the domination of one group over another. These structures have historically been identified as patriarchal and were present at the research site. Children's culture and nature's intrinsic values were considered less valuable than adults' expectations for school readiness. This study provides a view of an ecofeminist early childhood analysis in which limited research is currently available. Further work in this field would aid in the understanding of the dualistic model and its presence in early childhood outdoor learning environments.
Checksum
079bd907fbd3ccea2a1c9cac7b3bf6b4
Recommended Citation
Mackiewicz, Anne K., "An Ecofeminist Perspective on the Influences that Promote and Restrict Three Early Childhood Educators' Inclusion of Open-ended Outdoor Learning" (2013). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 1946.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/1946
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