Wild pedagogies and young children through the mosaic approach
Wild pedagogies supported children’s agency and relationships with place
This Canadian study explored Wild Pedagogies—an approach to outdoor learning which accounts for nature as teacher and the interconnectedness of people, places, landscapes, and more-than-human beings. To do so, the author collected multiple forms of data as children (age 5-7) engaged in self-guided, school-based, outdoor learning experiences and then interpreted those experiences through a Wild Pedagogies perspective. Two research questions organized the study: What do young children’s documentation of their experiences of chosen outdoor activities reveal about the nature of their outdoor learning? What do young children’s experiences of chosen outdoor activities reveal about their perspectives on outdoor learning? The study focused on children’s relationships with sticks to offer insights into children’s tactile experiences, agency, and relationships with Place.
This qualitative study collected data while children engaged in chosen outdoor activities in their secret forest spot, which was five minutes from their school. Data included observations, observed conversations, field notes, and GoPro videos created by participating children. The goal was to observe and document the range of outdoor activities the children chose and to record those experiences over time. To analyze these multiple forms of data, the researcher identified instances where children’s experiences resonated with touchstones of Wild Pedagogy: nature as (co)teacher; complexity, the unknown, and spontaneity; locating the wild; time and practice; socio-cultural change; building alliances and the human community.
This paper highlighted three of these themes in the data: nature as (co)teacher; complexity, the unknown, and spontaneity; and time and practice. The children used sticks in both physical and symbolic ways. From a Wild Pedagogies perspective, the sticks were agentic, more-than-human co-teachers as children used them in their secret spot. The open-ended experiences also allowed children to engage nature in physical, hands-on, tactile ways that represent meaningful engagements with nature from a Wild Pedagogies perspective. Young children’s use of sticks also revealed their agency and called into question psychological understandings of age-based child development. Sticks and the forest also served as dynamic settings for children to connect with Place and form emotional and ethical connections with the environment.
These findings highlight how Wild Pedagogies fostered young children’s agency, recognized nature as a co-teacher, and helped participants connect to Place. The study also underscores the value of self-chosen, tactile experiences in nature to foster children’s agency, connection to nature, and ethical relationships with the environment.
Citation
Beattie, E. A., Scott, S., Adler, D., (2025). Wild pedagogies and young children through the mosaic approach. Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 41,
