Activity Types Selection in Kindergarten Outdoor Education

5854 | P a g e M a r c h 3 0 , 2 0 1 5 Activity Types Selection in Kindergarten Outdoor Education 1 Tsai,Yao-Hsu, Hou, Cheng-I, Lo, Chih-Yao, *Liu,Hsin-Ying 1 Dept of Hospitality Management, Chung Hua University, No 707 Sec 2, WuFu Rd, Hsinchu Taiwan 1 happy4golf2007@gmail.com 2 Department of Leisure Management, Yu Da University of Science and Technology, Hsueh-fu Rd., Tanwen Village, Chaochiao Township, Miaoli County, 361 Taiwan cheng@ydu.edu.tw 3 Department of Information Management, Yu Da University of Science and Technology, Hsueh-fu Rd., Tanwen Village, Chaochiao Township, Miaoli County, 361 Taiwan jacklo@ydu.edu.tw 4 Department of Leisure Management, Yu Da University of Science and Technology, Hsueh-fu Rd., Tanwen Village, Chaochiao Township, Miaoli County, 361 Taiwan * hainying0326@hotmail.com ABSTRACT


INTRODUCTION
Preschool education in Taiwan changes from original single teaching material instruction to multi-instructional model.Hence, by different instructional models, children learn and grow with various effects.Research of Lu [1] demonstrated that preschool education in Taiwan is based on kindergartens and it changes from quantitative to qualitative growth.With the influence of development on preschool education research and innovative instruction, Taiwan government is devoted to development of different instructional models.By experiment, it validates the effectiveness, such as discovery learning model, behavioral instruction model, unit design instructional model, experimental model of science education, activity instruction model, etc.
In recent years, the government is devoted to implementation of outdoor education to allow children to learn by direct experience.According to research of Hsieh [2], in actual operation of outdoor education, children experience and feel in reality.By personal experience and interaction, it recognizes various kinds of culture in real life, enhances chlidren's learning efficiency and development and practices instruction by diverse resources in outdoor environment to accomplish the goals of school curriculum.
Based on research of Rivkin [3], students should have direct experience and perception in natural environment.By personal experience, they develop personal cognition and affection.Through different types of sensory stimulus, students have total experience and cognition and learn in relaxing and free environment.[4] found that in this century, new concept of environmental education is thematic learning model.Children are cultivated with responsible attitude and self-consciousness in reality and develop critical and thinking competence.They develop social values by approaching environmental issues and live with interaction and cooperation.

Research of Andrew & Willingham
Topic of this study is to discover outdoor education selection and evaluation factors of kindergartens in Miaoli County regarding preschool education.The research methods are literature review, Modified Delphi Method to find the key factors.

LITERATURE REVIEW
By related literature and research tool review, this study analyzed the common factors of activity selection in outdoor education and research methods.

Common Factors of Activity Selection in Outdoor Education 2.1
The researcher reorganizes the previous data as follows: (see Table 1)

Source Era Content
Wang Wang Jing Ru【5】 (1991) Were the main difficulties encountered in outdoor education, administrative aspects： administration and teachers disagree、complicated document processes、difficulty adjusting lesson；teacher section：increased workload、Both administrative；teacher section： concept deviation、curriculum needs、environmental resources、lack of textbooks、lack of experience、unable to grasp；student management：order is not easy to control、difficult to manage、security responsibilities；transport：transport、financial burden。

Delphi Method 2.2
According to research of Linstone & Turoff [15], when predicting unknown and unexpected cases, RAND Corporation of the U.S. were uncertain due to lack of information.It could not quantify data by sufficient figures and could not have related judgment and prediction.In order to solve the problem, in 1950, it designed Delphi Method.First, it invited the discussion of several experts.By collective opinions and interaction, it reorganized the views, analyzed and inferred the cases.All experts should freely participate in the discussion and thinking.Their views were equally valued and respected.After collecting all opinions, it developed expert consensus, generalized the most important and possible analytical result, and verified its fitness.

Modified Delphi Method 2.3
According to of Murry & Hammons [16], the Delphi Method is to first develop an open-ended questionnaire for expert interview.However, the questionnaire must be based on continuous inquiry of opinions, discussion and generalization, thus it is time consuming and may present conflict of opinions.The progress is difficult to control, and consensus may not be reached.The Modified Delphi Method is not based on open-ended questionnaire, and it collects and generalizes data based on literature review.Expert opinions are used to develop a structural questionnaire.The process is rapid, efficient, and can avoid the conflict.

Research Process 3.1
The research process is as follows: use literature review to identify the dimensions and factors concerned by experts and scholars when selecting activity of outdoor education; semi-open-ended questionnaire is developed to collect the experts' opinions and develop experts' consensus by Modified Delphi Method; reorganize the expert opinions and calculate consistency by AHP to find relative weights (see Figure 1)

Questionnaire survey 3.3
This study adopted Modified Delphi Method questionnaire and AHP expert questionnaire.The first enclosed questionnaire The second closed questionnaire 2) The first-round close-ended questionnaire In this questionnaire, the selection condition of items was determined to be: average mean to be over 3, and CV to be below 0.5.Based on the results of the first-round close-ended questionnaire survey, 5 dimensions and 25 factors were obtained.
3) The second-round close-ended questionnaire The selection condition was: average mean to be over 4, and CV to be below 0.3.Based on the results, there were 4 dimensions and 16 factors.

RESULTS AND ANALYSIS
By literature review, this study analyzed the weights by Modified Delphi Method.

Modified Delphi Method
In the second-round close-ended questionnaire, expert opinions were collected, and this study identified 4 dimensions and 16 factors (see Table 7).
Rung Chung【6】 (1996) Local school teachers in teaching outdoor education Factors that influence: teaching time、economic conditions、security concerns、schools recognized、teacher wishes。 Simmons【7】 (1998) Primary teachers affect outdoor education factor：student safety concerns、courses urgent、no professional knowledge and ability、no outdoor teaching resources、 administrative units are not supported、low teacher wishes、information gaps。 Shie Hung Ru 【2】 (2000) Barriers to the implementation of small outdoor teaching: administrative factors， administrative units opposition、administrative units prevarication、heavy administrative workload、cumbersome administrative procedures；teachers factor，without wishes、 working too heavy、no learning opportunities、no planning capacity、no knowledge、heavy responsibility、no treatment capacity；courses factor，teaching can not be forced、lack of textbooks、unable to meet curriculum、time scheduling difficulties；safety factor，excessive class sizes、difficult to grasp、security concerns；other factors，lack of funds、parents without a will、student skills shortage、lack of transport。 Yu Tzung Han 【8】 (2000) Teachers use the outdoor teaching resource impact factor: factors some students, class size、class Order、student wishes、security considerations；teacher factors section, workload, wishes, attitudes, knowledge；school factors section, policy support, funding； courses factors section, progress, problems, information；teaching resources section, lack of resources, traffic considerations。 M a r c h 3 0 , 2 0 1 5 Lin Jr Huei 【9】 (2000) Select principle outdoor teaching learning activities: available exercises、has a number of goals、elaborate structural materials、diverse activities、students' abilities and needs、with the school curriculum、emphasis on community collaboration to develop independence。 Shiung Shiang Bing Ping 【10】 (2002) Factors affecting the implementation of outdoor education: class size、the safety of students, teachers and professional wishes, local resources, materials, administrative staff support, curriculum, education policy unit。 Jeng Shuen Wan【11】 (2002) Difficulty factor of outdoor education teacher: of students and management control for security reasons, in order to increase the burden on teachers and the lack of professional and administrative aspects of cooperation, environmental resources, knowledge and resources for activities designed to handle the lack of time, lack of funding and lack of transport。 Huang Su Feng【12】 (2002) The value of outdoor education: the students, increase learning fun, cultivate scientific knowledge and ability to enhance the knowledge, conservation optimistic and positive attitude, build interpersonal, prompting physical and mental integrity; teachers, training teachers and emotions, enhancing the teaching profession, improve teaching skills; curriculum, teaching diverse of providing practical experience, adapt urban-rural gap。 Tsai Shu Huei 【13】 (2004)Primary teachers to influence ecotourism outdoor teaching wishes: eco-part tour, site safety, distance, ecology content itinerary; teaching part, professional tour, part of the school curriculum with the degree, teaching depth, with the school environment; the student section, the number of students in grades required costs; teacher part, teacher familiarity。

): Table 2 .
Delphi method to repair a formal list of expert group Delphi method to repair a formal list of expert group Occupational categories Nature of business Number of people Kindergarten As president and principal decision-making levels 1 Business contractors as director, head of 1 Business execution, such as nurses and teachers 3 Public authorities and public and private utility companies Early childhood services contractor personnel 1 AHP expert setting should be based on the condition of Modified Delphi Method to conduct questionnaire survey in related institutions in Miaoli County.

1 .
Modified Delphi Method questionnaire 1) Semi-open-ended questionnaireBased on literature review, a semi-open-ended questionnaire was designed to collect experts' opinions, which were used to develops 6 dimensions and 37 factors (see Figure2).

Fig 2 :
Fig 2:Using the Delphi method of repair formal process

2. AHP expert questionnaire 1 )
Hierarchical frameworkAccording to dimensions and factors analyzed by Modified Delphi Method, the hierarchical framework was developed.2) Questionnaire surveyThis study first obtained dimensions and factors of Modified Delphi Method and designed AHP expert questionnaire.It conducted individual interview on 25 experts and obtains their opinions.The researcher interviewed the qualified experts in institutions, schools, groups and departments related to preschool education in Miaoli County and invited them to fill in questionnaires.