Outdoor mindfulness practices in pre-school education : Perceptions of Greek pre-school teachers

The aim of this study is to investigate Greek pre-school teachers’ perceptions about outdoor mindfulness practices. Mindfulness and place-based education are the main theories this study is based on. In this qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight Greek pre-school teachers and afterwards, the research data were analyzed by using Thematic Analysis. The results show that Greek pre-school teachers perceive the concept of outdoor mindfulness as a process of observation, awareness and connection. According to the pre-school teachers, by participating in outdoor mindfulness practices children can connect to their inner selves, to the other individuals and to the natural environment. Moreover, the participants show a positive attitude towards future systematic introduction of outdoor mindfulness in their lessons. Finally, this study gives space to Greek pre-school teachers so that they can express their own thoughts, understandings and suggestions on outdoor mindfulness practices. Starting from their perceptions on the topic an important step can be made for the further practice of outdoor mindfulness in pre-school education