Exploring primary children's views and experiences the school ground: The case of a Greek school

Abstract

The present study explores the use of a conventional school ground of a primary school and its potential as a space for creative play and environmental learning. Children's play behavior and views of the school ground are explored, as well as their vision for its improvement. The research constitutes part of a wider school ground project and was carried out in a primary school in Volos city, Greece, during the 2010-2011 schoolyear. Geographical and participatory design methods were used that capture children's experience of space and their will for participation in redesigning their school ground. They included mapping of the physical features of the school ground, children's drawings, interviews with children, and observation and mapping of children's behavior in the school ground. Results indicate that children primarily view their school ground as a space for recreation, play, relaxation, and communication with peers. They mainly emphasize structured, pre-constructed elements, such as the football and basketball grounds, or the kiosk, which they use in both conventional and unconventional ways. However, the participants do not seem to have developed an adequate sense of place and belonging in their school ground environment. The paper presents insights on children's play behavior and views for their school ground, the role of children as participants in the school ground design, and design principles for the improvement of the school ground as they have emerged from the research. © 2013 IJESE.