About the project
This project runs from February 2025 to December 2026 and is funded by the Froebel Trust Open Call Research Grant.
Background
This project uses a Froebelian approach involving:
- first-hand experiences of their built environment, and
- unit-block play constructions with a focus on representing large 3D shapes from their urban environment.
This is to address identified research gaps in relation to preschool children’s 3D shape awareness. It is a collaboration between an early childhood researcher, Dr Penny Lawrence, at UCL Institute of Education, and mathematics education researcher, Dr Charis Voutsina, from the University of Southampton.
We investigate the following:
- How young children experience large 3D shapes that form part of their built, urban environment.
- Changes that may occur in young children’s shape awareness when engaged in unit-block play constructions with a focus on representing large 3D shapes from their urban environment.
This focus can bring new connections to Froebelian principles for educators interested in mathematics. Shape can be accessible mathematics in play and symbolic representation of freely available experiences (Gifford 2022), such as the big buildings around us. In this way, the project is innovative in its urban focus as part of children’s lived experiences in their community.
Methodology
The study adopts a qualitative research design in a naturalistic setting in the participant children’s local built environment. We aim to understand 3D shape awareness in the context of their real social and physical world.
The Southampton city centre buildings were the initial prompt for semi-structured block play. The children chose the buildings to focus on with minimum and appropriate involvement from the adult over five consecutive days. The analysis of their choices assesses any changes within this time frame.
The methodological approach is visual and multi-modal. This suits the 3D subject together with the communication abilities and preferences of the three-to four-year-old age group.
Team
Principal Investigator
- Dr Penny Lawrence, UCL Institute of Education
Co-Investigator
- Dr Charis Voutsina, Southampton Education School, The University of Southampton
Contact us
Department of Learning and Leadership
UCL Institute of Education
University College London
20 Bedford Way
London WC1H 0AL
Image: Ali Walker.