Outdoor education during the Covid-19 crisis: an analysis of the situation in the Czech Republic

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic and its associated limitations represent one of the greatest challenges of our age. This is also true of the constraints on education and schooling. Closed schools have brought about a strong attachment of students to screens of electronic devices. Many teachers have been looking for ways to change this situation, and one way to make such a change is through outdoor education. This paper presents the results of an analysis of the implementation of distance learning during the closure of primary schools in the Ústí nad Labem region of the Czech Republic. Using a sample of teachers (N = 152) from a representative number of primary schools, it reflects on their experience with distance learning and emphasises the possible inclusion of outdoor learning elements. It also explores teachers' perceptions of the benefits and barriers to outdoor learning. Distance learning was very challenging for teachers, who often limited themselves to core curriculum and neglected the cultivating role of the school. For many teachers, distance learning was also a way to enhance their teaching skills and deepen their collaboration with colleagues. Teachers who had already had experience of outdoor learning before the school closure were more likely to incorporate it in distance learning. They also perceived outdoor education more positively and did not see its obstacles as insurmountable. For a positive shift, it was sufficient to implement outdoor learning only a few times per term. Therefore, in order to incorporate elements of outdoor learning into distance learning more frequently, it is advisable to implement this educational approach regularly in traditional teaching, to get to know it and to gain confidence in its implementation.