Data Collection Plan Data Source ‘Timeline/Plan for Collection _| Intended Learning/Purpose Professional Timeline: Ongoing throughout | Through the literature, [intend Literature entire semester to learn about my topic, and what's current in the field. [also Plan for Collection: | plan to _| plan to learn from other search for and use professional | researchers’ approaches to data literature to inform my work. | collection and to see how their will search for literature findings may be similar to or through West Chester different than the findings from University’s library data bases, | my study. In addition, | plan to as well as, through web-based _| learn about other early search engines. childhood education programs that provide nature immersion opportunities. Sub-topics for my literature include: multi-age learning, children's interests or attitudes of outside play/learning, and implementing an outdoor classroom/learning environment (nature preschool or forest kindergarten). Program Surveys | Timeline: 10/27-11/11/16 __| The goal of this data is to have additional comparable data Plan for Collection: A survey | regarding components of a will be sent to various early —_| nature immersion program childhood programs that such as duration of time provide extensive nature outside, ages of students served, immersion opportunities. This | number of children served, etc. will be sent by email. a ; Observations Timeline: 10/3-11/11/16. __| Through my observations, I Plan for Collection: During the six-week period, I will conduct daily observations of children in their outdoor environments. Observations will be recorded in written form and through the use ofa tally /checklist form. In addition, daily weather will be recorded including intend to observe and tally ona daily basis the experiences each child has with their outdoor environments including what types of objects they play with, the peers they interact with, and what activities they engage in, ‘The goal is to summarize thistemperature and types of data at the end of the collection precipitation as well as the period by age group (birth-2 ¥%4 time in and out of the outdoor | and 2 ¥%4-5 years old) and experience. amount of time spent outside (0-1, 1-3, and 3+ hours). Child Interviews Timeline: 10/3-11/11/16. The intention of conducting and recording informal interviews Plan for Collection: During the | with the children and recording six-week period, I will conduct | any child-initiated interactions informal interviews with each _| is to gain insight regarding each child who can verbally child’s perceptions and communicate. These interviews | attitudes toward their outdoor may be spontaneous or environment. This data willbe | planned throughout the time __ | compared at the end of the data | period. In addition, child- collection across age groups initiated interactions with the and amount of time spent teacher/researcher will be outside. recorded if it relates toa child's perceptions and attitudes relating to their outdoor environment. Researcher Journal | Timeline: 10/3-11/11/16. The purpose for the researcher journal is to allow time for Plan for Collection: During the | reflection on what observations six-week period, I will reflect | 1am making, as well as, to think upon the action research * about interventions if process, as well as, the necessary. It will aid in the observations [have andthe _| action research process by experiences children are providing discussion points to having, I will also use The Great | think about and reflect on. Outdoors by Mary S. Rivkin and Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv to provide some points of reflection. Family Surveys Timeline: 10/3-10/7/16 and _| The first survey will gain insight 11/7-11/11/16 regarding the outdoor experiences children have at Plan for Collection: Two home. In addition, the survey family surveys will be will examine each parent's conducted: one at the perceptions and attitudes beginning and end of the data _| toward outdoor experiences,collection period. This surveys will be paper-based and returned to the researcher before the end of the collection period. play and learning to see if there is a correlation with their child’s perceptions and attitudes. The second parent survey will ask families to evaluate their experiences, as well as, their child's experiences during this, six-week nature immersion study, Using that information, parents will determine to what extent they would like to see nature immersion implemented in their child’s family childcare setting. Family Education Sessions/Discussion Timeline: 10/3-11/11/16. Plan for Collection: Starting in week 2, each main topic of the first family survey will be discussed through a closed, secret Facebook page that is exclusively for the families of the family childcare program. ‘The intention of these parent discussions is to provide opportunity for parent education regarding each main topic in the parent survey. It will provided families with an opportunity to become more knowledgeable regarding the topic. This will serve as an. intervention. In addition, discussion may clear up any confusion regarding the wording of any particular question. In particular, focus will be on any question that received of undecided, disagree or strongly disagree from any one parent. Discussion will serve as a source of data collection, Family Logs ‘Timeline: 10/3-11/11/16 Plan for Collection: Families will be send home a form dail ‘The goal is similar to the child- initiated interactions between child/teacher, which is to capture the children’sto record child-initiated comments their child may make regarding his/her experiences, perceptions and attitudes relating to their outdoor environments, both at home and school. It will also provide a space to record nature-related experiences the child may have at home with family. experiences, perceptions, and attitudes regarding their outdoor environments, both at home and school, and to see if it changes over the data collection period with increased time spent outside. Staff Survey ‘Timeline: 11/11/16 Plan for Collection: The teacher/director will take a Outdoor Classroom Staff Perception Survey from Erie M. Nelson's Cultivating Outdoor Classrooms. The purpose of this survey is to better understand the teacher/director’s perception of her outdoor classroom and experiences. | | | |