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Why Choose Outdoor Learning

Home Why Choose Outdoor Learning

Why Choose Outdoor Learning?

At Teach Outdoors, we recognise that exciting outdoor experiences can happen anywhere – from a small school playground to a deserted beach, and everywhere in between. By utilising the environments and natural resources available, we have witnessed, first hand, the positive impact that outside learning opportunities provide, including:

Hands-on Learning

The beauty of outdoor learning is that our natural world offers us so many opportunities to provide hands-on learning experiences for children. Outdoor learning might be used to provide active learning experiences to small groups of children who need support in a particular area. A teacher might take out a group of children to carry out an activity on the playground, for example, to help them memorise a particular times table. This opportunity will help them to re-engage with learning and look at the task in a new way.

Research demonstrates this level of engagement too – in a survey conducted by Waite (2016), 92% of participants recorded that natural environments had a positive impact of pupil engagement – fostering a love of learning in a fun and purposeful way.

Making Learning Stick

Alternatively, the outdoor environment might be used to observe real-life phenomena in action. In a lesson on evaporation and condensation, the teacher might set the scene by suggesting the children are stranded on an island and need to source clean water. The children can then be encouraged to make a water still and watch the process of evaporation and condensation.

With the government focus on cognitive load and retrieval practice, it is important that educators provide experiences that will embed learning in long-term memory. In a study conducted by Hamilton (2018), results demonstrated that children were able to recall learning tasks that had taken place in an outdoor setting in much greater detail than tasks that were completed indoors. These memorable experiences really help to deepen understanding and develop enthusiasm amongst children.

Supporting SEND

Children learn in different ways. For children with SEND, learning within the confines of a classroom is often stifling. Outdoor learning provides an opportunity to ‘level the playing field’ for children with SEND, offering scope for inclusive activities and sensory experiences. Learning outside can help us to motivate lower achieving pupils – Hamilton (2018) found that the effect of outdoor learning was particularly apparent for those with learning difficulties – suggesting that the outside environment is much more motivating for them.

Mental Health and Wellbeing

In today’s modern, technology-focused era, children are spending more and more time indoors. By taking the children outdoors and getting in touch with nature, children show a marked improvement in mental wellbeing, mood and confidence. The Natural Connections Project (2016), which focused on supporting schools to deliver high-quality outdoor learning, reported a positive impact on pupil’s health and wellbeing in 92% of cases.

And the impact is long-lasting, too. A 2019 study by Engemann demonstrated that children who were exposed to high levels of green and natural space experience a lower risk of psychiatric disorders, later in life. Opportunities to get out and about for learning are not to be missed.

Physical Health and Wellbeing

Taking learning outside provides an opportunity to be more active. In addition to creating experiences that help learning to become embedded, this also leads to a positive impact on children’s physical health. Fitness, motor skills, balance and coordination can all be improved as a result of outdoor learning. Twohig-Bennett & Jones (2018) reported health benefits including reduced blood pressure and reduced incidence of diabetes as a result of spending time outdoors.

Supporting Academic Achievement

As teachers, we all know the demands of the curriculum and the ever increasing focus on academic achievement. Outdoor learning can help here too. Studies, such as one completed by Harvey (2017) in Scotland primary schools, have indicated that children who learn in an outdoor setting make significantly more progress than those learning in an indoor environment.

Benefits to Pupils

The Natural Connections project collected data on a range of impacts of outdoor learning. Natural Connections schools reported that learning in natural environments had a positive impact on their pupils:

Enjoyment of Lessons

95%

Enjoyment of Lessons: 95%

Engagement with and understanding of nature

94%

Engagement with and understanding of nature: 94%

Social skills

93%

Social skills: 93%

Engagement with learning

92%

Engagement with learning: 92%

Health and wellbeing

92%

Health and wellbeing: 92%

Attainment

57%

Attainment: 57%

Behaviour

85%

Behaviour: 85%

Information gatherd from Natural connections project

Benefits to Teachers

The Natural Connections project also found that outdoor learning can be a powerful vehicle for improving teachers’ job satisfaction, their teaching practice and their skills. Natural Connections project schools reported positive impacts for teachers on their:

Teaching practice

79%

Teaching practice: 79%

Health and wellbeing

72%

Health and wellbeing: 72%

Professional development

69%

Professional development: 69%

Job satisfaction

69%

Job satisfaction: 69%

Research Informed Practice

Our research partner, Gemma Goldenberg, ensures we keep you up to date with the latest research and how this relates to our teaching practice. Here is an example of one of the regular research updates we provide to support our schools.

Ready to see the impact of outdoor learning in your own school? Find out how to become a Teach Outdoors School.

What is a Teach Outdoors School?