CHILDREN’S LEARNING ACTIVITIES WITHIN SCHOOL GROUNDS 1

Exploring Primary School Children’s Views and Experiences of Learning Activities

within the School Grounds: A Case Study of a Selected Primary School in Malaysia

Siti Noor Fauziah Abd Rahim

International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuliyyah of Education, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

E-mail Address: sn.fauziah@gmail.com

Abstract
This paper explores the use of nature elements and nature environments within the school
grounds in learning activities and its potentials to strengthen children’s learning and
development in the context of a primary school in Malaysia. Employing a case-study method,
one-to-one interview session was conducted with two informants, an 8 and 9 a year old child
to explore their learning experiences with and in nature, to understand the perceived benefits
acquired through learning activities with and in nature, as well as to discover the contributing
factors of the implementations in school. An analysis of these interviews yields two school
subjects are dominantly associated with learning activities with and in nature namely Physical
Education, and World of Science and Technology (Dunia Sains dan Teknologi). Findings
supported that nature elements and settings within school grounds have potentials to increase
children’s physical fitness, promote social-emotional enrichment, enhance enthusiasm and
independent learning, improve academic performance, empower collaborative learning
between teacher and students, and foster experiential learning through real engagement with
nature elements. According to the informants, contributing factors for the use of nature
elements and nature settings in the school by teachers were first, their function as useful
learning resources for children’s conceptual understanding and task assessment, and secondly
the convenience of using them for physical activity and socialization. Finally, implications of
this study for primary school education in particular were discussed.

Keywords: Malaysia, primary school, school grounds, learning activities, nature

To cite this article:

A Rahim, SN Fauziah, (2016, August). Exploring Primary School Children’s Views and
Experiences of Learning Activities within the School Grounds: A Case Study of a Selected
Primary School in Malaysia. Paper presented at the Proceedings of 2nd Early Childhood Care
& Education International Rendezvous 2016, (ISBN 978-967- 13960-2-5), Langkawi,
MALAYSIA (pp. 1-22). Britenvision PLT.
CHILDREN’S LEARNING ACTIVITIES WITHIN SCHOOL GROUNDS 2

Exploring Primary School Children’s Views and Experiences of Learning Activities

within the School Grounds: A Case Study of a Selected Primary School in Malaysia
As children in their middle childhood steps into primary education, their physical, intellectual,
social and emotional development are enhanced. In terms of cognitive development for
children in middle years, Jean Piaget (1962) categorizes children with the age between 7 and
11 as occupying a concrete operational stage. During this period, children increasingly develop
their intellectual skill in understanding logical, concrete and tangible information. Children at
this stage have the ability to classify or split things into different groups, and to reflect their
interrelationships. At the same time, they are also still struggling to comprehend intangible and
abstract concepts. In addition to that, during this time span, children are able to focus their
attention to various aspects of problems and they are less egocentric (Huitt & Hummel, 2003).

Children learn and make meaning by actively participated in learning activities

(learning by doing, and not by simply memorizing facts), explore their immediate surrounding
(people, peers, environment, and events), and connect the indirect experiences (for example,
watching television, listening to another people, oral narrative, and storytelling) to their prior
existing knowledge (Piaget, 1962; Vygotsky, 1978; Kolb, 1984; Dewey, 1902; Gardner, 1991).
The Malaysian National Education Philosophy (NEP) emphasizes:

“Education in Malaysia is an on-going effort towards further developing the

potential of individuals in a holistic and integrated manner, so as to produce
individuals who are intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and physically
balanced and harmonious based on a firm belief in and devotion to God. Such an
effort is designed to produce Malaysian citizens who are knowledgeable and
competent, who possess high moral standards and who are responsible and
capable of achieving a high level of personal well-being as well as being able to
contribute to the betterment of the family, society and the nation at large”
(Ministry of Education, 2008, p. ix).

The NEP calls for a balanced development of the cognitive, emotional, spiritual, social
and psychomotor capacities through education process. In addition to that, a ubiquitous
Chinese proverb says; “Tell me, I’ll forget; Show me, I’ll remember and involve me, I’ll
understand.” This idea is most significant when reflecting upon the quality of learning
activities that afforded to have potential to positively nurture children’s development including
their intellectual, affective, social as well as physical competencies, dispositions, and interests
in various domain of knowledge (Sheridan, Edwards, Marvin & Knoche, 2009; Miller &
Almon, 2009; Martinez-Beck & Zaslow, 2006; Katz, 1994).
CHILDREN’S LEARNING ACTIVITIES WITHIN SCHOOL GROUNDS 3

Learning Activities with and in Nature

Nature origins such as plants, woods, forests, fields, garden, flowers, snow and streams within
school grounds offer substantial resources in store for children to explore and discover their
environment. Nature elements and landscapes within the school grounds afford a direct contact
to real-life nature experiences (such as conceptual investigation of living and non-living things,
agriculture, horticulture, living and food chains, recycling and many more) and the prospects
are boundless (Johnson, 2000). Learning activities with and in nature move a usual and
confined classroom site to a more open and spacious setting and thus, free learners from the
normal classroom, and make him or her perspectives of the outside world broader (Simkins &
Thwaites, 2008; Dyment, 2005). In addition, exploring nature provide an essential aesthetic
experience that could enhance children’s knowledge of the world that they live in, and improve
their knowledge construction in various domains such as concepts, subject matter, procedures,
and resources (Song, 2010).

Benefits out of learning activities with and by using nature that are accessible and
available within vicinity of school classroom were reported as far-reaching and promising
(Bergen, 2002; Harrington, 2009; Blair, 2009; Munoz, 2009; Charles, Louv, Bodner, Guns &
Stahl, 2009). This was transpired by a study on Children’s Environment and the Role of School
Grounds for Enhancing Environmental Cognition implemented by Malone and Tranter, (2003)
at school grounds of five primary schools in Melbourne and Canberra. These five primary
schools were purposely chosen with special characteristics of its school composition; building,
school compound, natural elements such as native forest, large shrubs, and matured trees.

In this study 50 middle years’ children aged 8-10 participated through interview and
observation. Findings from children’s perceptions of the use of outdoors as their learning
settings in two of the five schools clearly exemplifies two different educational views on the
role and value of school grounds; one as a ‘letting off steam’ while the other one was perceived
as ‘reconnecting with natural space.’ Another study by Randler, IIg and Kern (2005) to
investigate the knowledge enhancement about amphibian species through environmental
conservation activity with living amphibians at schoolyard unto 9 to 11 years old children,
exposed that children who were involved in the activity did better in examination. Four
recommendations made in favour of including conservation activity were to: focus on little
number of species; begin at primary school level; conducted outside the classroom; and,
integrated with classroom instruction.

A handful of research shows that real contact with nature has positive benefits on
children’s development for environmental ethics and values, appreciation for nature and
ownership towards such environments. Fjortoft (2001, 2004) reaffirms that, exposure to a more
nature environment through children’s daily outdoor play ignites children’s interest and
knowledge of nature. Stephens (2007) asserts that children are captivated by nature discovery.
CHILDREN’S LEARNING ACTIVITIES WITHIN SCHOOL GROUNDS 4

Through learning activity in and with nature such as birds-watching, children exercises
their observation skills, attention ability, and reasoning. Not only this activity is enjoyable, but
it also instils children respect and empathy for nature and all living things. Besides the
opportunities for children to develop environmental principles, awareness and nature literacy
through connection with nature, numerous research works on children and play in nature
environments reflected great and stimulating confirmations to children development of
creativity. A study by Anggard (2010) on visits to nature environments program in Swedish
preschools established that nature was used as classroom, home and fairyland. Observations on
children activities showed that children considered nature not only as a classroom where they
treasure and learn about nature and as a home – a comfort place to eat, napping and play, but
they also regard nature as their fairyland where they fulfil their imagination and fantasy.

Foundational to these benefits brought by connecting with and in nature, one of the
most captivating areas of current research is the impact of nature on general wellbeing (Berman
et al., 2012; Marrero & Carballeira, 2010) and on children in particular (White, 2004; Wells &
Evans, 2003; Wells, 2000). Taylor and Kuo’s (2009) research on the impacts of three different
physical environments (a city park, two well-kept urban settings) on children with Attention
Deficits Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) shows attention performances of 10 children between
the ages of 7 to 12 were reliably enhanced after 20 minutes of individually guided walk in the
park setting compared to the other settings.

Wells and Evans (2003) in their research undertaken on 337 rural children in Grades 3
through 5 (average age =9.2) from small towns in five rural and remote regions in New York
investigated nearby nature as a buffer to children from life’s stress and adversity. Psychological
distress (maternal report), and global self-worth (child self-report) demonstrated that children
whose time spent with nearby nature scored low level of life stress, as compared to those
children with little contact to nearby nature.

The Losing Opportunity for Children to Be In and With Nature

A recent research work conducted to examine media use among a children and teen (2000
participants) in the United States of America showed that people between the ages of 8 and 18
years spend an approximately 6.5 hours per day on electronic gadgets (Rideout, Foehr,
Roberts, 2010; Roberts & Foehr, 2008). A study done in 2002 by Balmford, Clegg, Coulson
and Taylor to quantify 109 UK primary school children aged 4 to 11 on their knowledge of
nature and man-made creatures in TV programme of Pokemon, revealed that in average, 8 year
old children were able to identify characters from Japanese card-trading game (Pokemon such
as, Pikachu, Metapod and Wigglytuff) better than the ability to identify common
neighbourhood plants and insects, like local oak trees. Richard Louv (2008) shared numerous
factors hindering efforts to get back children to the nature. The Nature-Deficit Disorder as
termed by Louv (2008) is not a medical condition, however it refers to the lack and alienation
of nature in the lives of today’s wired and screen generation (Driessnack, 2009). For these
newer generation of children, direct experiences with nature - whether in the home garden, in
CHILDREN’S LEARNING ACTIVITIES WITHIN SCHOOL GROUNDS 5

a neighbour vicinity field or woods, or by the seaside, river or lake – are gradually being
replaced by indirect experience through electronic media and gadgets (Louv, 2008).

Kindergarten and preschool have changed significantly over last two decades where
children are now spending more time being taught and tested on literacy and numeracy
components than they do learning through real-life experience, hands-on activities, play,
social-interactions, self-exploration, exercising their bodies and senses, and using their
imagination (Miller & Almon, 2009; McNeil, 2000; Wood, 2004). The number of kindergarten
and preschool curricular focusing more on improving children academic achievements based
on standardized assessments are on the rise. Educators in this regards, have to follow tightly
outlined syllabus without deviation, and henceforward threatening the favour of children to
experience and learn with nature elements and within green school grounds. Education in
Malaysia is not an exception. They are following the same pattern, where the current and
existing pedagogy and learning approaches in schools (kindergarten and elementary) are
dominantly utilizing the four-walled classroom approach, where only little room were given to
learning activities that takes place with nature elements, and in nature settings. Two subjects
in primary schools that are closely related to the nature setting structure are Physical Education
and Science Education. However, quite frequently, the nature elements and settings are not
utilized appropriately, but employed merely as a condition and symbolic for learning to take
place. In a concept paper, Outdoor Education: An Alternative Approach in Teaching and
Learning Science, Tuan Mastura and Tamby Subahan, (2013) provided a non-formal approach
looking at science education for primary and secondary schools in Malaysia that takes place
outside the classroom. For example, learning in various places like the science centre, public
gardens, wildlife park and museum, and through different mediums such as television and film.
This effort was suggested as an alternative and complementary approach, to improve students’
motivation for learning science education.

A more worrying situation is where day by day, more classrooms are depending in
totality, the use of insidious in-class technologies such as virtual labs on computer, tablets,
smart boards, and other hi-tech gadgets, therefore deserted conscious efforts to nurture the
value of hands-on, outdoor, smell and touch of nature, and face-to-face activities. The passive
sedentary styles of learning may cause greater difficulty for children muscle’s movement and
brain activity, thereby leading to potential negative implications that may contribute to
escalating depression, stress, prevalence of obesity, and other diagnoses in children (Ginsburg,
2007; Williams, Pfeiffer, O’Neill, Dowda, Mclver, Brown & Pate, 2008).

Purpose of the study

Our children are now continuously losing their opportunity to have direct contact to
nature which may lead to implications not only to their physical ability, but also to their mental
health. To study this phenomena, a study was carried out to understand the use of nature
elements and nature environments within the school grounds in learning activities and its
potential for strengthens children’s learning and development. The study involved two primary
CHILDREN’S LEARNING ACTIVITIES WITHIN SCHOOL GROUNDS 6

school children at one public primary school in Penang, Malaysia. Their views and experiences
in learning activities with and in nature at school, the benefits of this type of learning activities
to children’s learning and development, and the supporting factors of children’s engagement
in relation to learning activities with and in nature at the primary school context were explored.
This study was guided by these following research questions:

1. How are the learning activities with and in nature within the school grounds
implemented as educational practices?
2. To what extent do children benefit from learning activities with and in nature within
the school grounds in relation to their learning and development?
3. What are the contributing factors to children’s engagement in learning activities with
and in nature within the school grounds?

Research design and Methodology

This study employed a case study qualitative research design to allow the researcher to do a
comprehensive account of the phenomenon - the use of nature elements and nature
environments within the school grounds in learning activities in a primary school in Malaysia,
and its potential to support children’s learning and development.

A one-to-one interview session with primary school informants, two children age 8 and
9 years old took place at a home setting. The interview session with them was done one time
at separate intervals and took approximately 40 minutes. A set of semi-structured interview
questions were used as instrument. The interview questions were associated to children’s
experiences with learning activities that took place with and in nature at school, children’s
perceived benefits from learning activities with and in nature, children’s motivation to engage
in this type of learning activities and so forth. The interview sessions were done in the Malay
language, and an MP3 recorder was used to record the sessions. These interviews have been
audio-taped, transcribed, and analysed qualitatively.
Research Question 1:

The children’s experiences and participations in learning activities with and in nature
within the school grounds.

Analysis of children’s experiences and participation in learning activities with and in nature in
school grounds revealed two subjects that were dominantly associated with it. The 8-year old
(standard 2) child picked Physical Education, while the 9-year old (standard 3) child chose two
subjects, Physical Education, and World of Science and Technology (Dunia Sains dan
Teknologi). Their experiences in this particular phenomenon could be described through seven
involvements (Table 1): physical activities and games, competitive sport, freedom in learning,
teachers’ back up plans, school task assessment, hands-on activities and teacher’s
demonstration.
CHILDREN’S LEARNING ACTIVITIES WITHIN SCHOOL GROUNDS 7

Table 1:

Children’s Experiences and Participations in Learning Activities with and in Nature within the School Grounds
Theme
Physical activities and games school field). Various games played during Physical Education including
Competitive sport
Freedom in learning
Teachers’ back up plans
School task assessment
Hands-on activities
Teacher’s demonstration
Description
Children’s involvement in different types of physical activities and games with
friends of the same gender at Laman Koko (Co-Curriculum corner, referred to
handball, rattan loop, skipping rope, football, volleyball, hockey and
badminton.
An occasion during Physical Education where children engage in their chosen
games by rule such as football and volleyball and fuel their commitment
towards their respective teams.
Children’s exercise of autonomous power delegated by teacher during
Physical Education such as deciding the choice of games, its planning and
coordination without teacher’s supervision during the session.
Venue and learning activity replacement during Physical Education session
due to raining. Venue replacement occupy a school main hall whereas learning
activity replacement is music lesson.
School task assessment refers to recording the findings of scientific
experimentations observed during World of Science and Technology session
into activity books.
Manipulation of nature elements such as gardening, catching fish and sorting
earth elements through percolation experimentation in school compounds;
school garden and school fish pond during World of Science and Technology
session.
Teacher’s demonstration through physical coaching specifically for the new
game (i.e. skipping) in Physical Education and through manipulation of nature
elements (i.e. planting a hibiscus tree, observing characteristics of fish and
water percolation experimentation) in World of Science and Technology.

Research Question 2:
The benefits of learning activities with and in nature in the school grounds to children’s
learning and development.

Findings revealed six benefits (Table 2) of learning activities nature in the school grounds to
children’s learning and development as described by the informants. Benefits included increase
in physical fitness; promotes social-emotional enrichment; enhances enthusiasm and
independent learning; improves academic performances; empower collaborative learning
between teacher and students; and fosters experiential learning.
CHILDREN’S LEARNING ACTIVITIES WITHIN SCHOOL GROUNDS 8

Table 2:

Benefits of Learning Activities with and in Nature in School Grounds to Children’s Learning and Development
Theme
Increases physical fitness
Promotes social-emotional
enrichment
Enhances enthusiasm and
independent learning
Improves academic
performances
Empower collaborative
learning between teacher and
students
Fosters experiential learning
Descriptions
An opportunity to exercise physical body and be active through vigorous
participations during Physical Education sessions.
Socialization with friends through team sport such as handball in Physical
Education and negotiation of some disputes and reconciles among friends
during group activities in both subjects, Physical Education and World of
Science and Technology lesson.
The feeling of joyfulness when children were outside of classroom and
doing learning activities with friends. Children also working out their
freedom of choice such as in coordinating and playing different types of
game of their likings during Physical Education. In World of Science and
Technology lesson, teacher provision of basic information to group
activities, relevant tools needed and check the end results of children’s
scientific explorations in school garden gives children more room for
independent learning.
The improvement of academic performances with and in nature are through
children’s task completion, acquisition of scientific knowledge and rote-
learning in both subjects.
Collaboration between children and teacher as well as peers in undertaking
learning session in Physical Education (i.e., selecting games to play,
coordinating the group members and nominating referee) whilst in World of
Science and Technology through teacher’s demonstration (i.e., to plant
hibiscus, to observe characteristics of a fish) and group activities in a small
group of 5 members in World of Science and Technology and could reach
to bigger number of friends with the same gender in Physical Education.
Children experienced a direct engagement with living and non-living nature
elements that have been incorporated into learning activities especially
during World of Science and Technology. Children got to familiarize
themselves with nature elements available in their school garden such as
plant, soils, dirt, fish, water and school field. Through direct participation in
learning activities with using nature elements, children foster meaningful
understanding on several concepts through observation, team-work and
teacher’s demonstrations.

Research Question 3:

The contributing factors to children’s engagement in learning activities with and in

nature within the school grounds

The perception of children toward reasons for learning activities carried out with and in nature
within school grounds by their teachers were investigated. Findings described children opinion
in this regards as familiarization to nature elements through hands-on learning, academic task
completion through experimentation, exercise physical body and collaboration occasion with
teachers and classmates. Table 3 indicated the descriptions of each contributing factor.
CHILDREN’S LEARNING ACTIVITIES WITHIN SCHOOL GROUNDS 9

Table 3:

Contributing Factors to Children’s Engagement in Learning Activities with and in Nature within the School
Grounds
Theme
Familiarization to nature elements grounds by themselves. Available nature elements within school grounds
through hands-on learning,
Academic task completion
through experimentations
Exercise physical body
Collaboration occasion between
children and teachers and peers
Descriptions
Children linked learning activities which had been implemented in school
gardens with and in nature as to give them first-hand experiences by doing
activities themselves and observing nature features accessible within school
include; plant (a hibiscus seed), earth elements (school field, soil, sand,
suspended solids in water and plant fertilizer), fish (Catfish, and Climbing
Perch fish) and water (fish pond, and water use to water a plant and for water
and soil experimentation).
Children observed the reason of learning activities which took place outside
of normal classroom for their academic task completion through recording
the findings of their experimentations with nature elements (i.e., fish, plant,
sand) in their working book.
Children associated the opportunity to participate in learning activities
within school grounds such as Physical Education for them to exercise their
physical body.
School grounds including school field, school garden and school pond also
were described as a socialization setting for collaboration occasion between
children with teachers and peers while doing learning activities with nature
elements.

Discussions

Insights on children’s experiences and views of learning activities with and in nature
within school grounds implemented in educational practices

Findings indicated that the informants primarily associated their experience in learning
activities with and in nature within school grounds with Physical Education and World of
Science and Technology (Dunia Sains dan Teknologi) subjects. Their experience in both
subjects were described through seven participations: physical activities and games;
competitive sport; independent learning; teachers’ back up plans; school task assessment;
hands-on activities; and teacher’s demonstration.

Majority of instructional time in Physical Education classes in school field was

allocated to a variety of games such as handball, rattan loop, skipping rope, football, volleyball,
hockey, and badminton. A culture of games appears to be the most dominant force in this
setting. Children were reported to play with their friends of the same gender at the school field.
They played the games they like, freely choose their teammates, and appointed a referee among
their classmates for such games. However, despite of being in direct contact with nature in the
school field, the informants did not seemed to have developed an adequate sense of belonging
towards school environment and the love of nature.
CHILDREN’S LEARNING ACTIVITIES WITHIN SCHOOL GROUNDS 10

On the other hand, in World of Science and Technology (Dunia Sains dan Teknologi)
lesson, the use of nature elements and nature settings were explained by school task assessment,
hands-on activities and teacher’s demonstration through manipulation of nature elements. In
relation to knowledge on nature elements, data analysis found that children did acquire
satisfactory knowledge of it through the ability to explain the living and non-living concepts
and procedures involved in scientific experimentations conducted at the school garden and
school pond. Findings also suggested that, World of Science and Technology (Dunia Sains dan
Teknologi) lesson at school grounds managed to boost children’s interest in science. However,
it was still far from nurturing active citizens that could see the intangible values in nature. The
study too, found that the informants enjoyed learning activities with and in nature because it is
alive, primal and beautiful.

To produce scientifically literate as well as environmentally friendly citizen, Physical

Education and Science and Technology Education teachers need a creative approach to
teaching and learning, capitalizing on nature and nature environment. This is essential in order
to translate understanding of subject knowledge as well as environmental issue into better
applications and to nurture compassionate towards living and non-living nature and
surroundings. Also, frequent implementation of it will create familiarity and will allow children
to be motivated for these exceptional occasions.

Insights of the benefits learning activities with and in nature in school grounds to
children’s learning and development

Findings from the present study revealed six benefits of learning activities involving nature in
the school grounds to children’s learning and development. The six benefits were the increases
physical fitness; promotion of social-emotional enrichment; enhances enthusiasm and
independent learning; improved academic performances; empowerment of collaborative
learning between teacher and students; and fosters experiential learning. The research
established interesting and valuable benefits of learning activities with and in nature within
school grounds to children’s learning and development, supported by a number of past studies
by different researchers. The present study reiterates that the learning activities with the
incorporation of nature elements in several nature settings such as the field, the pond, and the
garden within the school grounds provided the informants with opportunities to experience
different types of learning activities and approaches that included independent, experiential,
hands-on, and collaborative learning.

Insights of the contributing factors to children’s engagement in learning activities with

and in nature within the school grounds

Children stated the familiarization to nature elements through hands-on learning, academic task
completion through experimentation, exercise physical body and collaboration occasion with
teachers and classmate as the perceived contributing factors of their engagement with and in
nature.
CHILDREN’S LEARNING ACTIVITIES WITHIN SCHOOL GROUNDS 11

Considering these reasons, it can be said that contributing factors of children’s engagement
in relation to learning activities with and in nature in school grounds are represented by two
understandings of the afforded qualities of nature to children learning and development; firstly as
a useful resources to assist children conceptual understanding and task assessment and secondly,
as an convenient arena for physical activity and socialization. The evidence suggested a promising
way of looking at this provision to be utilized and manipulated in learning practices.

Implications of the Study

Since this was a case study rooted in the tradition of naturalistic inquiry, it was not intended to
be generalized with other investigations. Rather, it was conducted to explore in detail about the
concern associated with the use of nature elements and nature environments within the school
grounds in learning activities, and its potential to strengthen children’s learning and
development in the context of a public primary school under the Malaysian Ministry of
Education. Findings of this study was directed to build on, and to provide additional inputs to
existing research works that have been conducted in the areas of outdoor learning education,
science education, physical education, environmental education, social constructivism,
experiential learning and middle childhood education.

Though there were extensive body of research in the area of learning activities in school
grounds, this study provided a comprehensive explanation on the of use of nature elements and
nature environments within the school grounds in learning activities from the perspectives of
an 8 and a 9 year old child. Explanations included the records of curriculum and syllabus
practices in school which integrated learning with and in nature, the outcomes of this activity
to children’s learning and development, and motivations it offered for children’s involvement
in this activity.

This study enabled the researcher to closely examine the phenomena within a specific
context, i.e., a public primary school in Penang, Malaysia. Findings of this study provided
possible practical strategies on the value of nature-based learning activities for teaching and
learning purposes, and the possibilities of integrating hands-on activities with nature elements
locally available, into syllabuses across primary education curriculum.

From the interview with two informants, and the interview transcription in verbatim,
this study revealed five implications for practice. The implications were the intervention to
pedagogical approaches; the calls for harnessing children’s experiences and abilities through
incorporating nature elements in educational practices; legitimation of nature space within the
school grounds as principal classroom and learning context; the possibility of integration to
more dynamic assessment and evaluation; and a revisit to teacher training curriculum.
CHILDREN’S LEARNING ACTIVITIES WITHIN SCHOOL GROUNDS 12

Conclusion and Recommendation

Childhood experiences are very vital for human development. Middle childhood –aged-school
child is the time when children starts to experience tremendous changes from young child into
a more matured child from all domains of his wellbeing. This transition offers children a much
deeper pool of cognitive, physical, emotional, spiritual and social experiences with new
settings, new people, new knowledge and new atmospheres. Middle childhood and activities
carried out in schools gives children the occasions to develop their skills and interests in
extensive domains of knowledge, to nurture their understanding about people around them, as
well as to foster appreciation towards their nature and environment. For most of children, this
is a constructive and positive period of growth in which with the appropriate exposure of
experiences and guidance, they develop productive possession in themselves, compassionate,
optimistic and confidence that they can correspond, react and lead their future worlds.

This study served the account of an 8 and a 9 year old child on the use of nature elements
and nature environments within the school grounds in learning activities and its potential for
strengthens children’s learning and development in the context of a public primary school in
Malaysia. This study, described qualitatively the observations, benefits gained as well as
supporting factors of this phenomena from children’s perspectives. Most importantly, the study
informed the essential benefits to get the most out of the rich potentials of school compounds
for children to develop sense of belonging, feeling of attachment, and awareness towards nature
are lost when they were not used productively as an educational resources and outdoor
classroom setting.

Therefore, several suggestions were outlined for teachers, parents, administrators as

well as respected bodies to understand this situation better, and to work together towards
betterment. As far as education for primary children is concerned, teachers and future educators
could consider nature elements and nature spaces accessible within school grounds for their
educational practices. Teachers could envision it through bringing children back to their nature
by organizing more learning activities with nature elements, outdoor adventures, field study in
nature, educational trips to zoo and botanical garden, nature walk, and play using nature
elements. Teachers need to be creative in incorporating nature elements and environments
which are reachable and safe for their educational practices. Nature is authentic and has
extensive potential to provide experience-based learning compared to usual indoor classroom
(Dahlgren et al., 2007). In this regards, events such as playing outside, greening doings,
sporting, countryside stroll, and educational visits offer a varied range for children and relevant
for them. Through these activities children are able to naturally discover their abilities, learn
and acquaint with different things with nominal assistance from their teachers. Through these
activities, children will benefit significantly in terms of cognitive, physical, emotional, and
well-being.
CHILDREN’S LEARNING ACTIVITIES WITHIN SCHOOL GROUNDS 13

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