Purpose
The study explores the importance of children’s sensory experiences through their sense of smell and focuses on how smell can contribute to expanding children’s meaning-making and interaction. The research questions are: 1) How can the sense of smell be developed as a research area within the kindergarten research field? 2) How does participation in an investigation on our sense of smell affect our professional identity as educators and as researchers?
Result
The study shows that adapted activities involving smell experiences can enrich children’s play and learning environment. The children showed increased interest and engagement in activities involving smells, and smell experiences created new opportunities for meaning-making and promoted the children’s sensory-based learning. The study concludes that a sensory and aesthetic approach to smell in kindergarten can produce positive learning effects. The researchers also emphasise the value of collaboration between researchers and educators to develop practice together.
Design
The study is based on an action research method in which the researcher and an pedagogical leader in a kindergarten collaborate closely in order to explore children’s sensory experiences. The kindergarten is from a small town in Norway, where a total of 19 children aged three to six years participated. The children’s sensory experiences related to indoor and outdoor smells in the kindergarten environment were recorded and mapped. The children also participated through smell-based games and through trips where they got to explore different smells. The source data consist of observations, field notes, reflections and smell logs.
References
Kucirkova, N., & Kamola, M. (2023). The significance of children’s olfactory experiences in a Norwegian kindergarten: an olfactory researcher-practitioner collaboration. Educational Action Research, 32(4), 586–605.