eprintid: 10000298
rev_number: 31
eprint_status: archive
userid: 587
source: pure
dir: disk0/00/00/02/98
datestamp: 2009-05-01 14:59:20
lastmod: 2017-12-07 21:02:10
status_changed: 2009-05-01 14:59:20
type: article
metadata_visibility: show
item_issues_count: 0
creators_name: Tomkins, Stephen
creators_name: Tunnicliffe, Sue Dale
creators_id: 
creators_id: s.tunnicliffe@ioe.ac.uk
title: Nature tables: Discovering Children's interest in natural objects
ispublished: pub
divisions: B14
keywords: Nature; Natural; Observation; Children; Knowledge
abstract: Primary school pupils in the UK today may be less familiar with natural objects, less exposed to formal natural history teaching and have less time given to school-based observation and discussion of natural objects. This study of children’s responses to a ‘Nature Table’ of displayed natural objects was designed to assess pupils’ knowledge of those objects, the sources of their knowledge and the phenomenological nature of those children’s interest in items which they selected to talk about or to photograph. Children in the study were drawn from the first year of formal schooling (age 5-6) and the fifth year of formal schooling (age 9-10). Responses have been recorded and analysed using a simple systemic network. Results show that pupils are attracted most towards items with: an animate or novel nature or appearance, or for which they have some prior familiarity. Items are also attractive if they have aesthetic attributes, which display some responsiveness to the child or engage with the child’s previous experience, or elicit affective feeling. The present study reveals a greater home-based, rather than school-based, source for much of this experience and suggests how the criteria for teachers selecting natural objects for learning in school might be improved.
date: 2007
date_type: published
oa_status: green
language: eng
primo: open
primo_central: open_green
full_text_status: public
publication: Journal of Biological Education
volume: 41
pagerange: 150-151
pages: 2
refereed: TRUE
issn: 0021-9266
citation:        Tomkins, Stephen;    Tunnicliffe, Sue Dale;      (2007)    Nature tables: Discovering Children's interest in natural objects.                   Journal of Biological Education , 41    pp. 150-151.          Green open access   
 
document_url: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10000298/1/Tunnicliffe2007Nature150.pdf