Outdoor Education Research Articles

Let’s Take This Outside: Rethinking Outdoor Education

Several health experts have strongly recommended spending time outdoors for physical and mental well-being. As students progress through the schooling system, they spend less time outdoors. There is an insufficient amount of research on how outdoor learning can benefit students at the university level. There is a consistent stream of research looking at methods of learning and how to create better environments for learning. However, studies on outdoor learning have been few. Outdoor learning, in general, and at the university level, in particular, has numerous advantages for learners when conditions are taken into consideration. In this review, 20 studies were selected. They discuss ways in which outdoor learning in universities can benefit both students and teachers alike. The review concludes that outdoor learning can have various advantages if properly taught.

Building a Dream School: Integration of Alternative Inclusion Natural Schools Education centered on Children With Special Needs Based on the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet

Education in Indonesia is still not fully inclusive for children with special needs. Forest schools and inclusive schools offer alternative approaches that focus on holistic and inclusive learning. This research aims to explore the concept of forest school and inclusive school integration to create an innovative dream school. The research method used was qualitative with an analytic descriptive approach. Data collection involved direct observation as well as literature study from books, documents and reputable journals. After the data is collected and grouped according to the data, data analysis will be carried out by applying an analytical descriptive approach, this is to get a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the phenomenon or concept that is the focus of this research. The results of this study indicate that the integration of forest schools and inclusive schools based on the Al-Quran and Sunnah of the Prophet offers a holistic and inclusive education model. By combining outdoor learning and an inclusive approach, children with special needs can experience a supportive and motivating learning environment, in accordance with the principles of justice and compassion taught in Islam.

Discussing mental health benefits for teachers participating in outdoor education in Canada: a conceptual analysis and future research directions

ABSTRACT Outdoor education (OE) offers significant learning opportunities for students, yet teacher benefits remain underexplored. Teacher stress is causing compassion fatigue, burnout, and attrition, negatively impacting student outcomes. OE settings naturally provide educational, mental wellness, and self-care opportunities for teachers. Our research team, through a Communities of Practice focus group, identified several benefits for teachers engaging in OE. These benefits include enhanced emotional balance, sense of purpose, mental toughness, and physical endurance. Additionally, teacher competency can improve through increased knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors. OE can serve as a vital part of a teacher’s self-care routine, being accessible and offering personal and professional benefits. We recommend further research on teacher experiences in OE to understand the benefits and barriers.

Writing as a method of inquiry about students’ experiences in a New Zealand primary school outdoor education programme

ABSTRACT In Health and Physical Education (HPE) of the New Zealand Curriculum, Outdoor Education (OE) is one of the seven key areas of learning. It has been taught in various forms because it includes a whole range of outdoor adventure activities and leisure pursuits. To better understand/interpret its nature and value in a New Zealand semi-rural primary school, we worked with eight students’ essays on their outdoor experiences to co-construct this paper. Students’ essays and school documents served as our data. Our inquiry linked students’ experiences to the underpinning philosophy of the school and created composite stories of their OE experiences. Students’ writing revealed their emotions, feelings, and the impact of their outdoor experiences during a three-day residential camp. Although this is a small, circumscribed study, the findings illustrate some primary school students’ OE experience and offer pedagogical insight to support the educative purpose of OE. The tangible OE experiences can provide an entry point into students’ affective learning and literacy with learning in other subjects.

Implementasi Outdoor Learning Model Numbered Head Together dalam Meningkatkan Materi Keliling dan Luas Lingkaran

This study aims to describe the implementation of Outdoor Learning using the NumberedHead Together (NHT) model, which can enhance students’ mathematics learningoutcomes on circumference and area of a circle, and to describe the results of students inthe learning process. The research is a Classroom Action Research (CAR) that carriedout in two cycles. Each cycle consists of planning, implementation, observation, andreflection. The research subjects were fourth grade students at SD Muhammadiyah 16Surabaya. The data collection techniques were observation and written tests, while the data analysis techniques involved the results of observation and simple statistics. Thefindings showed that in Cycle I, students’ achievement outcomes reached 62% with anaverage class of 77.75, and increased in Cycle II that reached 85% with an average classof 81.46. Based on the results of the completion and average class scores obtained, it can be concluded that the implementation of Outdoor Learning with the Numbered Head Together (NHT) model is said to be successful if the completion and average class scores increase significantly and make students become more active in discussing with each other to solve problems and understand the material.

Persepsi Siswa Terhadap Problematika dalam Pembelajaran Ips Kelas VIII SMP Negeri 1 Ngunut Tulungagung

Frequent emergence of problems faced by students in social studies learning activities problems experienced by students caused by many factors, both internal and external factors. Social studies learning at the junior secondary level is given or presented in an integrated manner to be more easily understood and learned by students. Because social studies is an integration of several branches of social sciences are simplified. The focus of research in writing this thesis is: (1) What are the problems of students in learning social studies class VIII SMP Negeri 1 Ngunut Tulungagung?, (2) What causes the emergence of problems experienced by students in learning social studies class VIII Smp Negeri 1 Ngunut Tulungagung?, (3)How can teachers overcome the problems experienced by students in social studies class VIII of Smp Negeri 1 Ngunut Tulungagung?. The objectives of the study are: (1) to describe the problems in social learning experienced by students of Grade VIII SMP Negeri 1 Ngunut Tulungagung, (2) to describe the causes of the emergence of problems in social learning experienced by students of Grade VIII SMP Negeri 1 Ngunut Tulungagung, (3) to describe how teachers overcome problems in social learning experienced by students of Grade VIII SMP Negeri 1 Ngunut Tulungagung. This research is categorized in qualitative research. with data collection techniques conducted by observation, interviews, and documentation with the research site at SMP Negeri 1 Ngunut Tulungagung. The subjects in this study were social studies teachers and eighth grade students of SMP Negeri 1 Ngunut Tulungagung. The results showed that: (1) problems experienced by grade VIII students in social studies, namely students who have minimal or less reading interest in social studies subjects. Availability of package books and worksheets for students is limited. The methods and learning media used by class teachers are less varied. The teacher is not in control of the class. (2) the cause of students experiencing problems in social science learning is that students do not have books and worksheets as companion books in social studies learning. Students are allowed to bring cellphones to school. The teacher's voice is less loud and clear when teaching. Many students are crowded during the class learning process. (3) how teachers overcome Student Problems in social studies learning is class management. Variety of learning (methods, media, and tasks). The teacher's attitude is firm. Outdoor learning.

Outdoor learning in urban schools: Effects on 4–5 year old children's noise and physiological stress

Natural outdoor environments reduce physiological stress. But in an urban school context, does outdoor learning still have beneficial effects even where nature exposure is more limited? The current, pre-registered study used wearable devices including heart rate monitors and actigraphs to examine physiological stress in 4–5 year old children across 8 matched indoor and outdoor sessions (N = 76 children, N = 601 sessions in total). Results revealed that children's resting heart rates while seated and listening to a teacher were significantly lower when outside compared to indoors (p < 0.001, d = 0.512). Children also moved more while seated during indoor sessions (p < 0.001, d = 0.546). Despite activities and resources being matched across conditions, outdoor learning sessions were significantly quieter than indoor ones, both when children were seated, listening to a teacher (p = 0.004, d = −0.455) and when actively engaged in play and learning activities (p < 0.001, d = 1.064). There was a significant positive correlation between noise levels and resting heart rate in the indoor condition (r(97) = 0.364, p < 0.001) but not in the outdoor condition. These findings suggest that learning outdoors, even in urban settings, associates with lower physiological stress in children and that this effect may partly be due to reduced noise. The fact that noise associates with resting heart rate indoors but not outdoors may indicate that being outside buffers children against the stressful effects of excess noise.

예비유아교사들이 유아 과학 활동 장면을 떠올리며 그린 그림(drawings)

Objectives The purpose of this study was to analyze the drawings and interviews of pre-service early childhood teachers on early childhood science activities and to orient them on the educational contents and methods to be taught in early childhood science education. Methods For this purpose, 34 students from the Department of Early Childhood Education at a 4-year university located in City A were asked to draw scenes of early childhood science activities during an early childhood science education class, and then interviews were conducted with 9 of them. The content of the drawings drawn by pre-service early childhood teachers was classified according to the content of early childhood science education to examine trends, and the interview data was read repeatedly and categorized based on major keywords and main content. Results In this study, pre-service early childhood teachers’ drawings were analyzed and found that the most common scenes were ‘growing and observing plants’ and ‘raising and observing animals’. But ‘experimenting with the teacher’, ‘doing science in play’, ‘experiencing plants and animals in outdoor learning’ were relatively rare. Through these research results, it was found that pre-service early childhood teachers have biased ideas about early childhood science activities, topics related to ‘animals and plants’, ‘life and the natural environment’, and the types of science activities that take place indoors. The interviews also revealed that pre-service early childhood teachers have negative experiences and feelings related to science, which makes them feel uncomfortable and have difficulty with science. Conclusions These findings suggest that it is necessary for instructors to reflect more diverse contents of science education in early childhood science education courses and to experience science activities directly with pre-service early childhood teachers. In addition, this suggests that there is a need to reduce pre-service early childhood teachers’ indifference to science and their vague fear of science.

“Although I was alone, I always felt accompanied”: the experiences of adolescent girls walking in a forest

ABSTRACT How do adolescent girls interact with nature? Which affordances do they perceive and enact in nature-rich environments? Drawing on outdoor empirical research, which mobilises cultural probes, walking, and semi-structured interviews as key methodological devices, this article provides possible answers to the research questions, as well as further interrogations issued from our analysis. Our research contributes to the field by developing new knowledge on the affordances of nature-rich environments for adolescents, in the context of informal environmental education and outdoor learning experiences. In this study, affordances are understood as ways along which the world comes into presence to human beings, providing contingently relational possibilities for interaction. The findings highlight that these teenagers’ experiences, were potentially transformative, bringing a higher sense of connection with more-than-human realms. They extend knowledge on adolescents’ ways of perceiving and interacting with nature, revealing previously unnoticed affordances, such as listen-ability, the affordances of the weather, and depict-ability.

The making of an outdoor educator: a mixed methods study of identity through voice and discourse

ABSTRACT While research has identified the myriad benefits of outdoor learning, the voice of the outdoor educators (OEs) who play an integral role in developing this programming is often backgrounded, leaving a dearth of information regarding their professional contributions within informal and nonformal educational spaces. To begin to fill this gap, the present study utilises an embedded mixed methods approach to investigate the development of OEs positional identity within the environmental education field. We developed and validated a survey instrument using structural equation modelling (SEM), distributed to 211 OEs. To provide contextual support to the quantitative findings, we conducted interviews with nine OEs across the United States. Results indicate that OEs more strongly identify with their connection to nature than with the scientific community and that OEs share the common goal of supporting learners’ social-emotional development through outdoor learning. The OEs attribute their connection with nature as the driving force for their professional and pedagogical decisions. Our findings uncover that OEs have a strong desire to be a complementary, cross-curricular resource to formal educators to support learners’ development and connection to the biosphere yet feel a lack of recognition and legitimacy within the educational discourse.

Book Review: Outdoor Learning Across the Curriculum: Theory and Guidelines for Practice

Book Review: Outdoor Learning Across the Curriculum: Theory and Guidelines for Practice

STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF DIALOGIC TEACHING FOR IMPROVING SPEAKING SKILLS AT A UNIVERSITY IN WEST JAVA

In the present day, English has become a crucial language that individuals must acquire proficiency in. It has been extensively taught as a second language in many locations throughout the globe for a considerable period of time. In the Indonesian context, the tertiary students seem to still lack of English skills despite prolonged duration of learning English. Therefore, an effective teaching strategy is needed to teach English to tertiary students for the best outcomes possible. An experimental study to investigate whether Dialogic Teaching strategy works well to improve English speaking skills was conducted at a university in West Java. In particular, this study reveals the students’ perceptions of the implementation of Dialogic Teaching in a speaking class through the use of focus group discussion involving six participants of low, medium and high speaking skills in English. A qualitative analysis was conducted and some findings were found, including: (1) students being more motivated when under pressure; (2) students earning confidence boost; (3) students acquiring creativities in presenting ideas; (4) students engaging in a dialogic discussion; (5) students wanting a balanced classroom activity; and (6) students aspiring to have outdoor learning activities.Keywords: Dialogic teaching; Perception; Speaking class; Speaking skills; Tertiary Education;

PENGEMBANGAN MODEL PEMBELAJARAN MIND MAPPING BERBASIS OUTDOOR LEARNING DALAM PEMBELAJARAN MENULIS PUISI

Learning to write poetry is often considered difficult for elementary school students because of the students' lack of motivation, ability to develop ideas and vocabulary. Researchers have developed a learning model that can improve students' ability to write poetry. Learning model “Mind Mapping based on Outdoor Learning” designed to increase student motivation by learning to write fun poetry. The development of the Mind Mapping learning model based on Outdoor Learning was carried out by observing and interviewing learning models carried out in elementary schools in learning to write poetry, analyzing the needs of students and teachers in learning to write poetry, preparing product designs for learning model guides Mind Mapping based on Outdoor Learning. The results of testing the effectiveness of the learning model through the t-test show tcount 4,038 with df 53. The df value is 53 than ttable (0,05:53) is 2,006. tcount &gt; ttable or by looking at the probability value of 0,000 (p &lt; 0,05) then H0 is rejected. This shows that there are significant differences between gain score between the experimental class and the control class. Effect size value (effect size) obtained amounted to 0,62 which means it falls into a category large or high. This shows that the Mind Mapping learning model based on Outdoor Learning can have a high effect on students' ability to write poetry.

How Do Nature-Based Outdoor Learning Environments Affect Preschoolers’ STEAM Concept Formation? A Scoping Review

This scoping review examined the impact of nature-based outdoor learning environments on the formation of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) concepts in preschoolers. Preschool age (3–5 years) is the time when physical interaction with surrounding built environments increases, and spontaneous learning from the environment intensifies—making it an ideal age range to promote nature-based informal learning. An outdoor learning environment can influence STEAM concept formations of preschoolers with an intentional design that offers STEAM learning affordances. Despite the rising interest in early STEAM education, there is still limited literature on how the outdoor environment may influence STEAM learning behaviors of preschoolers (3–5 years old). This scoping review intended to evaluate the existing knowledge regarding the physical factors contributing to STEAM learning affordances in an outdoor environment for children aged three to five. The review included studies from the last twenty years. This scoping review was conducted following the criteria outlined in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). For this scoping review, 843 citations were discovered across four databases (JSTOR, Scopus, EBSCOhost, and Web of Science), ProQuest, and Google Scholar, and 31 articles were considered eligible for inclusion. The paper synthesized those 31 studies to identify the key STEAM learning behaviors of children and STEAM-activity-supportive settings that may positively influence preschoolers’ STEAM concept development.

Environmental and outdoor education in preschool through family camping: the example of Czech Woodcraft in parents’ opinions

The present study focuses on the impact of woodcraft-style family camping on preschool children, using their parents’ perspectives. Although the history and methodology of Woodcraft have been well documented, the theme of family camping has attracted very little research attention, and even fewer studies have targeted the impact of this leisure activity on preschool children. By inquiring about the parents’ experience, the researchers adopted a qualitative approach backed by a phenomenology and hermeneutics-based philosophy for their empirical research. Data was collected through insightful interviews with seven respondents; parents experienced in Woodcraft camping with young children. Interpretative phenomenological analysis, which aims at understanding the uniqueness of one’s experience and the meaning attributed thereto, identified six phenomena describing the fundamental structure of this lifestyle: motivation for family camping; camp life and its principles; outdoor education; education through nature; community; and romanticised experiencing following the Native Americans. Since direct childhood experiences predominantly shape environmental attitudes, this topic should be addressed more in environmental education research.

Early childhood education pre-service teachers’ perception of outdoor learning

Outdoor learning encompasses a wide range of educational activities, from local natural play areas to formal school curriculum classes. Despite growing evidence of its benefits, outdoor learning is still underutilized in Malaysia’s early childhood education system. Hence, this study aims to investigate preservice teachers’ perceptions of the impact of outdoor learning on children’s well-being since future teachers’ perception is the most important indicator in predicting their intention to use it in the future. A quantitative approach was used, and the questionnaire was distributed to 63 pre-service teachers studying at Universiti Selangor, Malaysia. Based on the findings, the majority of respondents agree that outdoor learning benefits children’s well-being, especially their social and psychosocial well-being. Thus, this study provides insight into the significance of outdoor learning on children’s learning experiences and that it should be utilized more frequently in the classroom.

A comprehensive bibliometric analysis of current trends in outdoor and informal learning for science education

A comprehensive bibliometric analysis of current trends in outdoor and informal learning for science education

Menjelajahi Geografi melalui Pembelajaran Berbasis Proyek: Integrasi Pengukuran dan Pemetaan dalam Pembuatan Maket

Project-based learning has been implemented at Karangturi High School in Geography teaching for 10th-grade students, covering basic geography concepts and basic mapping materials. This project involves collaboration with the Physics subject in the measurement material. The focal point of this project is the creation of a school garden scale model, starting with direct field measurements as part of outdoor learning implementation. The dimensions of the garden are then calculated using a predetermined scale, and the garden model is constructed accordingly. This approach not only introduces basic geography concepts and basic mapping but also integrates physics concepts in measurement and scale. Through this project, students not only learn theory but also apply it directly in real-world contexts, enhancing their understanding of geography concepts and practical skills such as measurement and model making. Research findings indicate that this project-based learning in Geography is effective in improving students' understanding of basic geography concepts, basic mapping, and measurement, as well as enhancing their engagement and learning motivation. Practical implications of this research suggest that project-based learning approaches can be beneficial strategies in enhancing the effectiveness of Geography education in high schools, by integrating various subjects and encouraging active student engagement through engaging and relevant learning experiences.

Augmenting sixth graders’ science process skills and learning outcomes on plant breeding materials using the outdoor learning method at SDN 23 Pulubala Gorontalo district

This class action research explores how to augment sixth graders’ science process skills and learning outcomes on plant breeding materials using the outdoor learning method at SDN 23 Pulubala Gorontalo District. It was class action research. 15 students, eight males and seven females, acted as subjects. Data analysis results and discussion led us to conclusions that (1) students who demonstrated science process skills with a Good category after using the outdoor learning method in Cycle I increased by number in Cycle II, from eight (48%) to 14 (93%). In other words, the increase involved six students (40%), (2) students who achieved learning outcomes with a completeness category after using the outdoor learning method in Cycle I also increased by number in Cycle II, from seven (48%) to 13 (88%). The increase hence involved six students (40%), and (3) the number of students attained a good category after using the outdoor learning method in Cycle I increased by number in Cycle II, from 7 (47%) to 13 (88%). The increase thus involved six students (72%).

Social farming and educational needs: how kindergarten farms could fill a gap

Kindergarten farms are educational initiatives aiming to reinforce or even create relationships between nature and future generations involving them in agricultural settings. They take the form of Outdoor Education (OE), intending to enhance the outdoor environment in its various configurations, from an educational perspective. From the agricultural side, these activities are included in social farming (SF), represents a union between the educative sphere and the agriculture world and offering added farm revenue with a multifunctional view. In Italy, these educational services within the farms (‘Agrinidi’ and ‘Agriasili’) have grown recently, contributing to the educational system where services are marginally available or lacking. This study has focused on the families' needs concerning early childhood services in support of work–life balance; it also investigated their attitudes and interest in OE and in a structured educational service within a farm. To achieve such an aim, a literature study about OE and the educational initiatives within the farm in Italy was carried out. This was followed by an online questionnaire, carried out with 510 resident of a region of Italy (Umbria). The findings indicate high interest in educational services organized in both nature and farms. The statistical and econometric analysis of a subsample of 161 respondents having children under 6 years old has underlined that the attitudes towards OE are affected by specific socio-demographic variables: income and educational levels. In this respect, older participants having a high degree of education and benefiting from a high economic status showed the highest level of preference for OE services. In the conclusions, we underline that developing educational services "Agriasili" and "Agrinidi" can contribute to strengthening the synergy between agriculture and the education sector. They carry out social functions for the creation of collective well-being. They represent a diversification of farm business and a response to citizens' needs for early childhood education in nature; moreover, they push implementation of policies encouraging the birth of these services in rural and peri-urban areas where they are lacking or crowded.