LEARNING TO LEARN
Outdoor education experiences can usually be categorised in one of three ways :
• Lessons that take place in an outdoor environment but where the content is not linked to the environment in which it is being taught .
• Fieldwork experiences where the learning is directly linked to the taught environment .
• Outdoor adventurous education trips where the ‘ learning ’ may be intangible benefits / soft skills .
The English Outdoor Council ( no date ) outlines four main benefits of outdoor education experiences ( below ). Each will be explored in this article .
Background Planned
The benefits of , and barriers to , outdoor education experiences .
Elen Steadman Teacher of Geography & ITL Research Fellow .
“ The enjoyment of scenery employs the mind without fatigue and yet exercises it ; tranquilises it and yet enlivens it ; and thus , through the influence of the mind over the body gives the effect of refreshing rest and reinvigoration to the whole system .”
Frederick Law Olmsted ( 1865 ), cited by Hill ( 2023 ).
The above quote highlights the importance of outdoor experiences , and , whilst a sentiment from over 150 years ago , is still very relevant in the present day . As a Geography teacher and outdoor activities enthusiast I have been exposed to various outdoor education experiences during my own education and my career as a teacher . These experiences undoubtedly benefitted me , but just how important are outdoor learning experiences and what impacts do they have on students ?
Bonus
Wider
The four main benefits of outdoor education experiences .
The research :
The UK is not known for its outdoor education provision . Schools may regularly conduct fieldwork and adventurous education trips , but there is often a lack of lessons taking place in an outdoor environment ( except for Forest Schools , which are popular for primary aged pupils ). Outdoor education is gaining momentum in the UK context ( Goldenberg , 2020 ), but given the lack of lessons in an outdoor environment , it is unsurprising that there are only 58 studies based on outdoor education experiences and outcomes from a UK context , which is a small evidence base , with only a few studies across each type of educational establishment and age range . Most studies focus on outdoor adventurous type of interventions and the development of character attributes , as opposed to the impact on academic studies , though there are a few studies that do address this . Of those that have assessed educational academic outcomes , most focus on primary schools , and KS1 in particular , and there is little research done in the secondary context and KS5 especially ( Fiennes et al ., 2015 ). Despite this , the research does indicate that there are positive health impacts due to access to the natural environment across all age ranges and socio-economic groups ( Hunt et al ., 2016 ).
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