''What do children 'see' in nature based education beyond the home-based gate?” was the question addressed in this study involving four young children (3-4 years of age) participating in a home-based education program. Home-based education in New Zealand (often referred to as 'Family Day Care' in many countries) takes place in the home of an Educator who is supervised by a fully qualified early childhood education coordinator. The question framing this research holds special significance for home-based settings as children in these settings regularly engage in weekly outings in the local community.
One goal of this study was to gain a better understanding of children's interpretations of what they saw and experienced during their outings into local landscapes. This understanding could then be used to inform and enhance the work of early childhood teachers.
The four children participating in this study were given digital cameras and invited to take pictures during their outings over a 2-month period. The outings during this time were designed to give the children nature-based experiences. The children were encouraged to take pictures of what they felt had meaning for them and their families. While the children were taught how to use the camera (including how to hold, zoom, and target images), they were not coached on where to direct their gaze.
All of the children's photographs were loaded onto a computer for viewing. One-on-one interviews were then conducted by the children's Educator using the photographs as prompts. The following questions were asked during each of the interviews:
(1) Can you tell me about your photo?
(2) Can you tell me why you took this photo?
(3) What were you thinking about when you took this photo?
(4) Which three photos would you like to share with your family?
The interviews generally took no more than 5–10 minutes and were conducted over an 8-week period. There were 10 interviews across all four children in the project.
Of the 721 photographs taken, 284 depicted landscapes. Most of the images focused on things close to the ground (such as leaves in a puddle, rocks, mud, grass, and stones). Responses during the interviews indicated that each of the children made connections with the landscape in unique ways. The same phenomenon, for example, was 'seen' differently by different children, and their interpretations of what they saw reflected their personal experiences.
In addition to informing Educators about children's nature-related preferences, the images and associated dialogue also provided some insights on how to engage children in more complex dialogues for future learning. One of the conclusions presented by the researcher is that young children have a remarkable capacity to theorize about their world in creative ways. Their interpretations of what they see in nature aren't restricted to the scientific way of knowing or experienced as everyday phenomenon. Children's interpretations of what they see in the natural world tend to be more aesthetic and include symbolic, metaphoric, spiritual and relational ways of knowing.
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