“ZA PROGIEM”. Educational values of children's learning outdoors

Abstract

The article presents the “ZA PROGIEM” – wyprawy odkrywców educational project implemented from August 2018 to July 2019 at the Institute of Pedagogy of the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin. The project was to develop key competences of students through development and teaching tasks implemented in four-person peer groups. The project consisted of two six-hour cycles of educational tasks: “Present, past and future of the tree” and “Scent trackers”. Problem-based tasks were carried out in various educational areas, in diverse natural, social and cultural contexts. The beneficiaries of the workshops were students of grades I–III, in 8 groups (7 from the rural environment, 1 from the urban environment), each consisting of 12 people. The research used the participant observation method and the document analysis method. The project confirmed that environmental education conducted outdoors is an important element of upbringing, increases children's perceptiveness and creates emotional connection to the nature.