Written by Rebecca Green, Senior Lecturer at Edge Hill University.
Are the terms Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) and Forest Schools used primarily as marketing tools to attract parents to choose a particular educational setting for their child? As someone who firmly believes in the benefits of outdoor learning, I am concerned that if this is the case, it may compromise the quality and value of such learning experiences.
As a classroom practitioner, I started to explore the advantages of Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) when I saw how it benefited children who struggled with traditional, teacher-led, classroom-based learning. Some of the children struggled with behaviour within the classroom while others struggled to link learning and their life experiences to new learning. By focusing on specific groups of children and their unique learning needs, I realised that experiential learning and breaking free from the restrictions of the classroom were crucial in getting children more engaged in the learning process. This approach allowed children to have practical and relevant experiences.t experiences. Using this approach, tasks can be planned to suit the learning needs of the children best. A case study by Friedman et al. (2022) further supports the argument that children with specific learning needs can benefit from the experiential learning that can take place outdoors. Learning objectives can be addressed and the active learning styles that this type of learning promotes suit the learning styles of some children. For children who may struggle to concentrate for extended periods of time in the classroom, taking the learning outside can help by making learning opportunities more meaningful and relatable to the child’s own interests. Also, tasks can be broken into manageable chunks, and the active nature of the lesson can lead to more extended periods of concentration. In practical terms, this can be achieved by allowing children to experience different situations, such as playing in the rain, puddles, crisp autumn leaves, and autumn leaves, and cold winter mornings. They would also observe the changes throughout the seasons, life cycles, etc. These observations could be connected to the learning curriculum and the expected outcomes for the children. For example, in the Early Years, there would be opportunities for assessment of Personal Social and Emotional Development, Physical Development and Communication and Language through one session. Increasingly, books are being published linking learning outdoors to the National Curriculum for each year group. As all teaching professionals are aware not all children learn similarly. While some may thrive in outdoor and less structured environments, others may need the structure and routine of a traditional classroom setting.
Outdoor education comes in various forms, such as the popular Forest Schools approach, which focuses on teaching bushcraft and outdoor skills, see What is Forest School? | Forest School Association for further information on the Forest School approach to learning. It’s important to note that outdoor learning isn’t just about bushcraft, it is about using planned outdoor learning experiences to work towards and meet learning objectives as a practitioner would do in the classroom. Many schools now integrate outdoor learning into their curriculum, carefully planning lessons outside and linking them explicitly to the curriculum. Learning outdoors provides a chance to overcome barriers to learning for children who may feel restricted by the classroom environment or have a specific learning need. It allows children who learn best through hands-on experience to learn and reinforce their understanding, creating stronger knowledge bonds through experiential learning. When learning is taken outside, teachers have the freedom to adapt to the needs and interests of their students. The introduction of accreditations, including the Learning Outside the Classroom Award scheme, highlights the profile of LOtC within education and how its popularity has increased in recent years. As Gray (2018) points out, LOtC is not a new concept, but its significance in the curriculum globally is as vital as ever, especially after the recent global pandemic and the increasing instances of mental health issues in young children.
In 2006, the DfES launched the LOtC manifesto, which started the movement towards promoting the benefits of learning outdoors. A follow-up report by the House of Commons in 2010 (Transforming Education Outside the Classroom) highlighted the benefits of learning outdoors. However, in recent years, there has been a significant push towards outdoor learning for children, and this trend has gained momentum in settings nationwide. Research by Mann J et al. (2022) and Dillon, J. et al. (2022) has supported this transition to outdoor learning by highlighting the academic and social benefits for children. This teaching method became popular during the recent COVID-19 pandemic, and its popularity has continued in the following years. Recent research, including Harvey et al. (2020), indicates the benefits of getting children of all ages outdoors, including mental health and well-being and physical benefits from learning outdoors. This approach to learning is supported by the findings in the Natural Connections Demonstration Project, 2012-2016 final report. This report found that over 90% of students enjoyed outdoor lessons and the vast majority reported they felt happy and healthy in outdoor lessons.
For this approach to learning to be effective, it is crucial that the setting and staff are committed to it rather than simply using it as a marketing tool. For this approach to be successful, settings should invest in both the outdoor environment where learning will take place and staff training to ensure that they are confident and capable of delivering lessons outdoors. In some areas, local open spaces and parks offer safe spaces for settings to hire if they wish to take groups of children for outdoor learning experiences; this does, however, usually come at an additional cost. There are also companies in some areas that offer LOtC experiences, either by visiting the setting or by having the pupils visit the company’s setting. The tight budgets in educational settings raise questions about the feasibility of improving outdoor education. For instance, early years settings would need to consider resources like clothing and outdoor materials as part of the overall costs to offer outdoor learning opportunities. This might be a challenge for some settings, and alternative provisions may need to be considered, or in-school, fundraising/ clothing banks set up to ensure all children have the appropriate clothing. However, there are grants and funding available to help support settings with these costs, including grants from the National Lottery and businesses that operate schemes to help reduce waste and reuse equipment, e.g. the B and Q Community Re-use initiative. It remains to be seen if the increased focus on LOtC will result in investment and ongoing improvement in the provision or if LOtC will fade into the background as new trends and buzzwords take the spotlight. If you are interested in LOtC and would like more information, please visit the following websites: https://www.lotc.org.uk or https://www.outdoor-learning.org.
Bio
Rebecca joined Edge Hill as a lecturer Early Years Education Department. Prior to this appointment Rebecca has worked in primary education for over 20 years undertaking roles in school from class teacher to Deputy Head Teacher and Curriculum Lead. Since 2010, Rebecca has had a particular interest in Learning Outside the Classroom and how the outdoor environment can be used to support the delivery of a high-quality curriculum to support all learners. Over recent years, as part of her role as Senior Mental Health Lead for staff and pupils, this interest has also extended to the physical and mental health benefits that can be gained for students (and staff) by taking learning outside of the classroom.
Bibliography
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