Rooted in nature: pre-service teachers’ development of nature-based pedagogical insights through a forest school field experience

Abstract

ABSTRACT Outdoor education programs, such as Forest School, have physical, social-emotional, and academic benefits for children, and teachers trained in nature-based pedagogy are more likely to provide outdoor education opportunities for their students. Incorporating outdoor field experiences in teacher preparation may teach new teachers how to implement nature-based programming. However, little is known about how outdoor field experiences affect pre-service teacher development. Grounded in self-efficacy theory , this mixed-methods study examined how participating in a 12-week outdoor field experience contributed to pre-service teachers’ (N = 9) development. Participants completed weekly journals reflecting on their observations, experiences, challenges, and growth in students and themselves. Qualitative analysis of participants’ journal entries showed perceived growth in their ability to support children’s social-emotional and academic development, and effectively collaborate with families and professionals. Quantitative results showed mean increases in participants’ knowledge of nature-based pedagogy and teacher self-efficacy.