Laurel Donison

Lecturer

Phone:
Email: ldonison@uwo.ca

Laurel Donison is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Childhood and Youth Studies at Brock University. She received her Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education at the University of British Columbia and BEd in Primary- Junior at Lakehead University. She is an Early Childhood Educator and Outdoor Educator who has worked in a variety of different settings with young children. Her research interests include, outdoor learning and play, exploring children’s perspectives and experiences on various topics and arts-based methods. Grounded in Posthumanism and New Materialism theory, her PhD research focuses on children’s outdoor experiences in a child care center in a lower income neighbourhood in the Greater Toronto Area.

Teaching

CYS 1025 – Introduction to Childhood and Youth Studies
CYS 2221 – International Children’s Rights
CYS 3311 – Research Methodologies with Children
CYS 3355 – Rights-based Community Engagement with Children and Youth
CYS 3356 – Child and Youth Climate Activism

Research

Current Projects

Project team member, In-depth exploration of outdoor learning: A case study of a school-level approach Social Science Insight Development Grant

External Involvement/Links

Outdoor Educator/Early Years Team Peel District School Board
Canadian Association for Research in Early Childhood Board Member
Canadian Sociological Association: Child and Youth Cluster Committee Member
Child Rights Academic Network Member
Outdoor Play Canada Member
Reconceptualizing Early Childhood Education Member

Selected Publications

Harwood, D., Barratt, J., Donison, L., & Frizelle, C. (2024). “I could list one million benefits!” Exploring Perceptions & Practices of Outdoor Play in the YMCA from a Bioecological Perspective" Springer Nature.

Donison, L., & Halsall, T. (2023). ‘I’d rather learn outside because nature can teach you so many more things than being inside’: Outdoor learning experiences of young children and educators. Journal of Childhood, Education & Society, 4(3), 373–390. https://doi.org/10.37291/2717638X.202343281

Donison, L., & R. Raby. (2023) “I Can Definitely Find Ways to Entertain Myself. Like Listening to Music, I Listen to a Lot of Music”: Children’s Musical Assemblages during COVID-19.” Journal of Childhood Studies.

Donison, L., Raby, R., Waboso, N., Sheppard, L., Grossman, K., Harding, E., & Myatt, H. (2023). ‘I’m going to call my friend to join us': connections and challenges in online video interviews with children during COVID-19, Children's Geographies, DOI: 10.1080/14733285.2023.2253176

Nwakerendu, K., Donison, L., Raby, R., Harding, E., Grossman, K., Myatt, H., & Sheppard, L. (2022). We can play tag with a stick". Children's knowledge, experiences, feelings and creative thinking during the COVID-19 pandemic. Children & Society.

Raby, R., Nwakerendu, K., Donison, L., Harding, E., Grossman, K., Myatt, H., & Sheppard, L. (2021). SCHOOL IS CLOSED! Opportunity, challenge, and inequality in the early days of the pandemic. Journal of Teaching and Learning, 15(2), 40-59. https://doi.org/10.22329/jtl.v15i2.671

Avender, P., Burbee, C., Donison, L., Liska, K., & McDougall, P. (2021) The Many Layers of Co-construction: Work Integrated Learning at Northern Lights College. ECEBC Journal The Early Childhood Educator, 36 (3).