Risky-play at school. Facilitating risk perception and competence in young children

Abstract

Recent research indicates that risk competence and perception can be improved through the learning environment. The project 'Riscki' examined how risk perception and risk competence in young children between three and eight years of age can be observed and measured within the classroom and school context. An intensive package of risky-play activities was administered over a three-month period to two classes (four- and six-year-olds) and two age-matched classes served as controls. Before and after the intervention period, quantitative and qualitative aspects of risk competence were evaluated in all children by: (1) a change detection paradigm; (2) teacher ratings; and (3) independent observer's qualitative ratings. The results showed that risk perception and competence in young children can be improved through an intensive offer of risky-play activities at school. Moreover, the risk detection test and observational questionnaires are promising instruments to measure risk competence.

Keywords:

• early childhood
• risky play
• risk perception
• risk competence
• learning

Acknowledgements

This project was funded as practice-based scientific research project (PWO) by the UC Leuven-Limburg. The authors would like to thank the primary and pre-primary schools involved, in particular the staff, teachers and children from the H. Hartinstituut Heverlee; The students and collaborators from UC Limburg-Leuven, KU Leuven and UC Thomas More Antwerp that were involved in this project; and the collaborators from the Flemish Institute of Health Promotion and Prevention of Illness (VIGEZ), Belgium.

Notes

1 All children participated in small groups (five children) activities where different skills and behaviours needed to be observed. Video observation is a time-consuming procedure as for each of the participating children the situation needed to be evaluated several times. As the objective of the present study was to observe differences between children of varying skill level, a group of five best and five worst performing children on the risk perception pre-test were selected a priori.

Additional information

Funding

This project was funded as practice-based scientific research project (PWO) by the UC Leuven-Limburg.