Spirituality may play an important role in a child's daily life, yet the personae and perspective of the spiritual child have customarily not received much attention. This study explored how photography outdoors can be used to encourage and nurture a child's spiritual development.
Twenty preschool children (age 3-5) and 14 early childhood teacher education students participated in this exploratory study which was conducted at a child development lab school in the Midwest (U.S.). The adult participants assisted the children in using tablets to take pictures of the outdoor environment. Using the tablets allowed the children to be active participants in the research process. The children were encouraged to take photos of the outdoor environment that were meaningful and purposeful to them. The early childhood student educators observed children's behaviors during the process and asked open-ended questions regarding the photographs. They also engaged in active listening. At the conclusion of the activity, the early childhood student educators documented conversations with the children. They then reflected on and identified a variety of themes representing the personae of the spiritual child.
The children's high level of engagement throughout the activity gave the student educators rich opportunities to listen to children's ideas, feelings and thought processes. The photos taken by the children during their explorations of nature “encouraged descriptive conversations and connections about their world.” Themes representing the personae of the spiritual child identified through this process included the spiritual child as “a dramatist filled with wonder," “a naturist and visionary seeing beauty in life,” “a creative artist,” and “an awakener of transformative learning.” Related insights gained by the early childhood student educators included the realization that children's spiritual discoveries “could become a springboard for later learning and teachable spiritual moments.”
This exploratory study demonstrated how technology can be used with young children to support meaningful learning and to provide insights into different aspects of a child's vision of the world. The process also provided insights into the spiritual domain of the young child which included experiences of joy, happiness, and awe.
Research Partner