Sharing Good Practice
THE VALUE OF OUTDOOR LEARNING
BY ANITA FOSTER
The outdoors provides opportunities for experiential learning and develops key skills and competencies. It’ s also fun and memorable.
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Outdoor Learning isn’ t a subject or topic; it’ s a powerful way of teaching” 1.
After 25 years teaching outside the classroom, I absolutely agree. At a time when we are increasingly concerned about the physical and emotional well-being of our children and young people, and worried about whether they leave education with the skills and competencies they need for the future, outdoor learning brings a range of benefits which are now widely evidenced, acknowledged and accepted.
The use of outside spaces for teaching is not a new idea and has been part of pedagogical discussions since the 1960’ s. Outside spaces can engage pupils in ways classrooms cannot. They have different boundaries, resources, stimuli and opportunities, and enable teachers and pupils to employ and experience different teaching and learning styles. It can deliver the curriculum through creative, contextual activities which not only raise attainment, but also support the development of the whole child, increasing confidence and self-esteem, enhancing social and practical skills, and developing core competencies such as communication, problem solving, leadership, resilience
and teamwork. Increasingly schools across the globe are realising the potential and opportunities that learning outside the classroom has to offer and are looking to explore and develop such opportunities.
Natural Connections1, a 4-year demonstration project led by the University of Plymouth in the UK, aimed to explore and evidence the impact of learning in the natural environment. The positive impact on children was clear, with 92 % of pupils saying they enjoyed their lessons outside, and 89 % agreeing they felt happy and healthy during lessons
Being outside brings with it a sense of awe and wonder outdoors. Perhaps more unexpected, was the impact for teachers, reporting improved professional development, practice, performance, and health and well-being. Wilderness Schooling2 demonstrated that primary aged children participating in a 6-day outdoor learning programme( spread over 6 weeks), made significantly greater academic progress than an equivalent control group. Curriculum wise, this programme focussed on Literacy, Maths and Science, but key to its success was the ability to make cross-curricular links, to make learning contextual and applied, and to support the development of core skills and
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