Abstract:

The article analyses a unique problem which is the form of situated learning of children in an unrestricted environment during summer holidays. It reveals the opportunities for cooperation and learning together with both children and adults in a free environment discovered by children themselves. Diversity of the forms of cooperation-based learning of children is described, manifestation as well as socioeducational meaningfulness of them are revealed.
Results of the qualitative research are presented. The research sample of the population comprised 249 children (10–12 years) who attended the 5th–6th forms of comprehensive education schools. Such age phase of the informants was chosen because children at that age spend increasingly more time in the environment which is unrestricted by adults. A free thematic essay was a research instrument. An empirical basis of the qualitative research consisted of the content analysis of essays “I’m Learning While Not Learning in the Summertime at Home”.
Results of the qualitative research reveal that when conditions for manifestation of the democracy culture are provided, both children and adults become partners and co-workers while creating conditions required for successful, attractive and pleasant learning. While participating in interactions with others (children and adults) in an unrestricted environment, children create the culture of learning which is perceived as a result of an active process of actions and interpretations. Thus, they discover and define physical and social boundaries of relationships which are meaningful to them. Therefore, recognition of the children’s culture means the invitation of adults to talk and cooperate. Maintaining this approach, children’s opinions and attitudes, language, jokes, mood, conflicts and ways to resolve them, group and hierarchical relationships as well as other features of the children’s culture become important.

Keywords:

Cooperation, forms of situated learning of children, unrestricted environment, qualitative research.