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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