Gåturer som forskningsmetod med barn

Abstract

During the last decades there is a growing interest in children's experiences of their everyday environments, both in research and pedagogical practices. Research methods that enable children to participate actively in research processes have been developed. One such method is based on walks, in which children guide a researcher in their everyday environments. The present article aims to analyze experiences from such walks. The walks were part of a project where children’s relations to outdoor places, in nature environments and in schoolyards, were explored. 41 children, aged six to eight years, participated in 39 videotaped walks. The children photographed with digital cameras during the walks. The analysis shows that walks enable children to express themselves verbally as well as non-verbally, by telling and demonstrating what can be done in the different places. Embodied experiences are manifested when children interplay with the environment and memories are evoked when they catch sight of objects and places. Furthermore, children are empowered by deciding the route and what they chose to show. The method is useful both for researchers and practitioners in order to know how children experience their everyday environment.