Reflecting on Field Studies in Teacher Education: Experiences of Student Teachers in Sweden

Abstract

The aim of this article is to describe how field studies can be useful in teacher education. While participating in a specialty area called Play, learning and development, student teachers collected data about their own and young children's experience and perception of the outdoor environment. They observed, carried out interviews from a questionnaire, took photos, and drew pictures. After their own data collection, they were asked about their experiences of using these methods. The results showed that the student teachers were positive about the involvement of children, teachers, and parents in the data collection process. They also perceived that their knowledge had increased about children's ways of using the outdoor space. They did, however, find the questionnaire difficult to understand; and they thought it was hard to complete the assignment because of the time restraints. The authors conclude that field studies with varied methods are useful in teacher education. The way data were collected added to the student teachers' knowledge about children's outdoor environments and gave young children a chance to be involved.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the three anonymous readers for their critical and helpful comments on an earlier version of this article.