A Study of the Outdoor Play Groups of Elementary School Students

• Project/Area Number: 09680139
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: 体育学
• Research Institution: Yonezawa Women's College of Yamagata Prefecture
• Principal Investigator: YASAKI Wataru Yonezawa Women's College of Yamagata Prefecture, Department of Socio-information, Associate Professor, 社会情報学科, 助教授 (70211612)
• Project Period (FY): 1997 – 1998
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 1998)
• Budget Amount: ¥1,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000); Fiscal Year 1998: ¥500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000); Fiscal Year 1997: ¥1,100,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000)
• Keywords: Outdoor play group / Peer group / Elementary school student / Membership / Social characteristic of member / 同年齢集団 / 異年齢集団 / 集団構造 / 屋外遊技環境

Research Abstract

The first purpose of this study is to investigate how the outdoor play groups are organised in daily life of elementary students and how long they play in a day. I used a questionnaire survey for 1324 students of 6 elementary schools to collect data. The second purpose of this study is to find out somecommon characters which the outdoor play groups have and to consider them from the viewpoints of revitalisation of organising them. I had obseavation and interview for 20 outdoor play groups to collect data.
In concluding, firstly there was correlationship between play time of outdoor play groups and activity time of the peer group. From the standpoint of socialisation, it is likely to key factor for elder elementary students to play within outdoor play group. But elementary students had a difficulty in organisation of the outdoor play group in school days and in winter because they were so busy in school days and sunset is so early in winter. Secondly it was found through observation and interview that they had some common characters which was structured role, play leader, the different age's member and regular play space nearby members' home.