REGEN

REGEN – RE-imagining Gender in Education in Nature
REGEN proposes a novel research approach at the intersection of gender studies and outdoor learning, in partnership with three schools that have long experience in the adoption of in-nature pedagogies with young children.

objectives

REGEN’s general objective is to contribute to a broader understanding of gender dynamics in nature-based education with 2-6 year-old children, as a way of promoting gender inclusive practices and support the work of teachers as researchers in identifying gender-related barriers and inequalities in outdoor learning contexts.

This general objective is supported by the following specific objectives:

SO1 – Conducting a small-scale grounded theory research on gender role dynamics, based on participant observation in different outdoor education settings

SO2 – Collect quantitative and qualitative data through a literature review and a survey addressed to educators on gender roles and stereotypes in education in nature

SO3 – Reach a large number of teachers and pedagogists with the research results, raising awareness and confidence when it comes to decoding gender roles

activities

  • Teacher exchanges in outdoor kindergartens in 3 countries to conduct participant observation and witness how gender roles are deployed during different learning activities
  • A literature review and analysis of surveys sent to nature-based schools and organisations working with young children (to be confronted with the insights drawn from the previous phase)
  • An online conference to present the results, insights, and future outlooks to diverse actor


These activities are backed-up by the following expected results: 

Concrete results

  • a short video documenting the first research stage with the first impressions and hypotheses formulated by the participating teachers
  • a guidelines with best practices for adults accompanying outdoor learning
  • an academic piece summarising key findings and gaps
  • an online platform gathering resources and insights from learners and educators regarding gender-related challenges and opportunities in education about/in nature


Other results

  • promoting exchanges and collaboration among teachers as researchers, with the goal of supporting and legitimising their practices and improving self-evaluation methods towards higher quality education and gender-decoded spaces for young pupils.

duration

01/09/2024 – 31/12/2025
(16 months)

target groups

  • Educators in outdoor pedagogies
  • Kindergarten education stakeholders
  • Gender experts
  • Decision-makers

call

This project is under the Erasmus+ KA210-SCH call

partnerships

KWEEBUS (Belgium)
Edunat Cooperativa (Spain)
CanaleScuola (Italy)
Educare nel Bosco · Pecorile · Reggio Emilia (Italy)
Quality Education in Europe for Sustainable Social Transformation (Belgium)

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

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