How Pre-Teenage Schoolboys Experience ‘Insideness’ at their Outdoor Places

Abstract

This study compares descriptions made by 12-year-old boys of two outdoor environments: their inner-city school grounds and one other significant outdoor place of their choice. These descriptions are interpreted through the analytical lens of ‘insideness’ of place, to discover the impact of each place’s affordances. It is found that the affordances of the ‘other’ place inform how school grounds can be designed to provide a more diverse range of affordances and richer learning environments.

The physical environment of the study site is typical of many inner-city schools: hard playing surfaces bordered by tall steel fences and enclosed by brick walls of the school buildings. This research documents fifteen boys’ experiences of their 125-year-old school and one other special outdoor place, to highlight the relative qualities of ‘insideness’ of each. The investigation uses a qualitative methodology, including environmental autobiographies (drawings, maps, self-portraits and a recount of a memorable experience) and one-on-one interviews. Each boy provided a written and drawn description of each place and of themselves in those places. They were then interviewed to clarify and gain a deeper understanding of their narratives.

‘Insideness’ is the degree to which a person identifies with a place, and the extent to which they feel as though they belong to it. Here, ‘insideness’ is considered a ‘multi-faceted gradient’, rather than simply a linear continuum operating between polar opposites of inside and outside. The research findings show the ‘insideness’ experienced by the boys at school is limited due to the limited affordances offered. School is a place of repetition, routine, common experiences, subdued feelings and limited affective relationship. In contrast, a richer and more varied sense of ‘insideness of place’ was described at their ‘other’ places due to their many and varied affordances. ‘Other’ places are places of spontaneity, varied experiences, heightened feelings and complex affective relationship.