Positive Impacts of Outdoor Learning
Out-of-classroom and outdoor learning provide numerous opportunities for students to experience an improvement in attitude and behavior, engagement, academic achievement, community involvement, relationships with peers and staff, social skills, multiple aspects of health. It also invigorates teachers and can be used to begin the process of school decolonization. However, several factors can improve the degree to which students receive the benefits of out-of-classroom and outdoor learning including the sooner children are exposed and connected to the natural world (Pretty et al., 2009), the more natural and green the environment experienced (Pretty et al., 2009; Torquati & Ernst, 2013), the larger the quantity of natural green space (Van den Berg et al., 2015), the more consistent and repeated the natural experience (Smith & Sobel, 2010) and the longer the experiences were (Mannion et al., 2015). Thus, for students to experience the full potential of the effects out-of-classroom and outdoor learning, they need to be taken into the natural outdoors as soon as possible, for as many times as possible, and for as long as possible.
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Scroll down to see the Various impacts or click on the headings below:
- Attitude and Behaviour
- Self-Reliance and Self-Concept
- Decolonization
- Holistic Learning
- Student Engagment
- Student Participation and Attendance
- Academic Achievement
- Specific Subject Knowledge
- Deeper Learning
- Community Engagement
- Connection to Nature
- Care for Nature
- Community Improvement
- Community Connection
- Caring Relationships with Peers and Staff
- Belonging
- Social Skills
- Physical Health
- Intellectual Health
- Emotional Health
- Teacher Revitalization
Attitude and Behaviour
Outdoor learning has a direct positive impact on the behavior and attitude of students (Dillon & Dickie, 2012; Dyment, 2005; Sobel, 2013). The improvements in students’ behavior often continue well after the experience and reduced discipline problems in the regular classroom (Dyment, 2005). Scott et al. (2013) illustrated that concerns about student behavior and a potential loss of control by the teacher due to the OL were unfounded. In most cases, the student’s behavior involved in the study improved as a result of participating in outdoor education. They also found that the behavior improvements from OL led to deeper learning and improved cognition. Marginalized and previously difficult students experience significant gains due to outdoor education (Pretty et al., 2009; Ruiz-Gallardo et al., 2013). Fox and Avramidis (2003) found that the more troubled students participated in OL activities, the more their behavior improved. Chawla (2015) noticed that the poorer the behavior of the students, the greater the benefit of exposure to natural green places. She also asserted that exposure to natural settings is even more valuable in preventing them and can be a protective and proactive measure.
Self-Reliance and Self-Concept
The natural environment provides multiple opportunities for students to be self-reliant (Loynes, 2018) which results in increased self-confidence and self-worth (Dillon & Dickie, 2012; Smith & Sobel, 2010). Students participating in outdoor education experience increased freedom to be open with peers and teachers which contributes to improved self-confidence (Breunig et al., 2015). Richmond, Sibthorp, Gookin, Annarella, and Ferri (2018) established that outdoor education has a positive impact on many of the non-cognitive or soft skills including the willingness to persevere, belonging, confidence, and the belief that one can succeed which in turn improves engagement and academic achievement. Many researchers agreed that outdoor experiences improved group cohesion, lessened anxiety, and increased resilience and perseverance (Fox & Avramidis, 2003; Holland, Powell, Thomsen, & Monz, 2018). White (2012) asserted that when done correctly, OL results in increased self-concept which results in a positive change in behavior and can lead to an increase in academic performance and school engagement.
Decolonization of Education
Successful programs in Indigenous education reflect many of the qualities that exist in outdoor education and learning including autonomy, relationships, collaboration, real-life projects and acting on real challenges in the community (Anuik et al., 2010). These qualities of OL represent affordances for the decolonization of education. In outdoor education and learning, there can be a power shift from the teacher to the student (Miller & Twum, 2017) and activities are more likely to be physically and socially active with collaborative problem-solving (Mygind, 2007) which Goulet (2001) described as crucial elements of Indigenous ways of learning along with autonomy and relationships.
Anuik et al. (2010) asserted that a connection to the land is central to most Indigenous ways of knowing and learning. It makes land very important to the process of decolonization (Lowan, 2009). While Indigenous cultures may be different across North America and the world, they share the importance of being connected to the land (Greenwood & Leeuw, 2007; Lowan, 2009). Outdoor education and learning should support growing a connection to place and the land instead of trying to conquer it or viewing it as a challenge to overcome (Lowan, 2009). A healthy future for all living things relies on learning from and being connected to the land (Greenwood & Leeuw, 2007). Outdoor education and learning can provide reconciliation and decolonization opportunities as students participate in land and culture education (Henry, 2014). Lowan (2009) felt that being connected to and being at ease on the land would help foster a sense of need for caring for the land. He contrasted the Western view of being disconnected caretakers of the land with the Indigenous view of being intertwined and part of the land where everything that affects us affects the land and vice versa. An improved connection to the land and understanding and relationship between non-Indigenous and Indigenous groups occurs when outdoor learning incorporates Indigenous knowledge (Kapyrka & Dockstator, 2012). Decolonization and reconciliation should be taking place and is essential in outdoor education and learning (Korteweg & Russell, 2012). |
Holistic Learning
The outdoor environment facilitates the holistic engagement of the learner and connects the participants to the holistic self and health beyond what is possible in the indoor classroom (Ritchie et al., 2015; Walter, 2013). Anuik et al. (2010) asserted that holistic teaching is needed to become a whole or complete person and will “recognize and nature all aspects of the learner in the learning environment - spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical – within a network of social relations where all are connected by mutual respect” (p. 67).
Greenwood and Leeuw (2007) identified that there is “a holistic relationship between Indigenous peoples, their lands, their health and well-being, and the education of Indigenous children” (p. 49) which means that being connected to the land is essential for the health and education of Indigenous students. Scully (2012) indicated that one of the acts of colonialism is keeping alive the idea that people and the land are separate entities and have little or no connection to each other whereas Hare (2012) shared that land-based education strengthens students’ connections and relationships with the land. Outdoor education and learning connect participants with creation including the creator, the land, the community of people and other living things (Ritchie et al., 2015). OL is intended to be situated, and contextual such that it can restore the mutual relationship with the land and serve as a potential way forward to undoing the one size of education fits all approach of colonization (Kapyrka & Dockstator, 2012).
Greenwood and Leeuw (2007) identified that there is “a holistic relationship between Indigenous peoples, their lands, their health and well-being, and the education of Indigenous children” (p. 49) which means that being connected to the land is essential for the health and education of Indigenous students. Scully (2012) indicated that one of the acts of colonialism is keeping alive the idea that people and the land are separate entities and have little or no connection to each other whereas Hare (2012) shared that land-based education strengthens students’ connections and relationships with the land. Outdoor education and learning connect participants with creation including the creator, the land, the community of people and other living things (Ritchie et al., 2015). OL is intended to be situated, and contextual such that it can restore the mutual relationship with the land and serve as a potential way forward to undoing the one size of education fits all approach of colonization (Kapyrka & Dockstator, 2012).
Student Engagement
Ballantyne et al. (2010) expressed that “the experience of learning in the environment provided a sense of immediacy, relevance and emotive engagement that captured the students’ attention and imagination” (p. 59). Lieberman and Hoody (1998) indicated that OL students experienced an increase in their engagement and attendance as they were more involved in making decisions about their learning and could more readily see the connections between subjects. They went on to say that the increase in engagement led to an increased interest in classwork as OL naturally created opportunities for differentiation which allowed students to use their learning styles. Fägerstam (2014) found that OL created a more positive and enjoyable attitude and emotional response to learning which meant that students enjoyed it. Goralnik and Nelson (2017) identified that the increased relationships and trust that resulted from outdoor education and learning led to increased engagement in the learning beyond what was expected.
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Student Participation and Attendance
McInerney et al. (2011) shared that community-based OL meant that students were more likely to come to school and take part and experienced higher academic performance, even more among students who were considered likely to drop out. Outdoor education and learning have been shown to improve attendance and participation by students, especially from those who did not usually participate (Fägerstam, 2014; Sobel, 2013). In a study conducted by Ruiz-Gallardo et al. (2013), students increased their participation which resulted in higher academic success and a decrease in dropout rates. In this study, the at-risk students increased their willingness to go to school as a consequence of outdoor education and learning. Participation in outdoor education and learning has been shown to increase student engagement, participation, satisfaction, and learning enthusiasm (Anuik, Battiste, & George, 2010; Holland et al., 2018; Mannion et al., 2015; OFSTED, 2008; Smith & Sobel, 2010)
Academic Achievement
As a result of participation in outdoor education, Dillon and Dickie (2012) illustrated that students performed better academically in specific subjects like language arts, math, science. Breunig et al. (2015) suggested that OL improves subject learning by being experiential, improving social skills, and providing holistic learning opportunities. Outdoor education and learning have been shown to improve general academic performance and specific student achievement (Beames et al., 2012; Powers, 2004; Skoutajan, 2012; Theobald & Siskar, 2008) and assisting students in demonstrating a “mastery of curriculum standards” (Dyment, 2005, p. 23).
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Subject Specific Knowledge
Lieberman and Hoody (1998) found that outdoor education resulted in positive improvements in several different subject areas. In math, it helped students to gain a deeper understanding and be able to remember more of the skills as they used them to accomplish relevant tasks which increased the likelihood that they would value math. In science, they found that OL allowed students to apply their science knowledge and learning and gain a better understanding of how science is useful. In language arts, they showed that OL resulted in students reading and writing more often and with more complexity and speaking with more confidence and more effectively. Sobel (2013) also shared that OL students are more competent in language arts than their peers that were not. Donovan (2016) described school and classroom work as disconnected from reality to make everything the same and ‘equal' whereas, through place-based practices, students use what they know and the work becomes more complex and structurally better due to the relevance and purpose.
Deeper Learning
Outdoor education and learning leads to enrichment and a more complex understandings and ideas of concepts and places (Ballantyne et al., 2010; Mannion et al., 2015; Zimmerman & Weible, 2017) in addition to supporting ““deep learning - learning at the level of understanding” (Theobald & Siskar, 2008, p. 216). Yamauchi and Purcell (2009) indicated that when learning is rooted in the community and relevance, it is augmented and made more meaningful. Outdoor education and learning lead to improved feelings of academic competence, “self-directed learning” (Holland et al., 2018, p. 208), and an increased ability to apply what is learned in other circumstances. Dillon and Dickie (2012) shared that it helps students to learn and improve a wide range of location and activity specific academic and technical skills like preparing meals. The positive impacts of outdoor education on learning and achievement are particularly evident in students who were previously disengaged, marginalized and struggling, and were considered likely to drop out (Dillon & Dickie, 2012; McInerney et al., 2011; Sobel, 2013).
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Community Engagement
Outdoor education and learning improve the students’ sense of community through the development and increase of relationships between them and the community (Goralnik & Nelson, 2017; Mannion et al., 2015). It helps students to see their place and community from a different perspective and gain new understandings (Zimmerman & Weible, 2017). It improves students’ connections to the community, their respect for the natural world and increases their desire to play a constructive role in society (Sobel, 2013). Gallay, Marckini-Polk, Schroeder, and Flanagan (2016) expressed that OL creates a sense of belonging to the community and thus a sense of responsibility for the community and places whereby the more students contribute to the community, the more they feel connected and identify with the community. This contribution strengthened the involvement of the students in the community and the importance of learning.
Connection to Nature
There is evidence to suggest that it is crucial that students form a connection and a relationship with the natural environment before being asked to take on more substantial climate change and environmental issues (Gallay et al., 2016; Sobel, 2007). Humberstone and Stan (2012) shared that authentic or real relationships between people involve trust and sincerity and when the relationships are authentic, reciprocal, and respectful, it will aid in the holistic development of the learner and that the same holds for our relationship with the land and the natural environment. They found that developing these authentic relationships with the land as soon as possible was more likely to lead to sustainable decisions later. Gray and Martin (2012) emphasized the importance of developing a connection to the natural environment by spending time in it and asserted that
• the human race and our children are spending less and less time outdoors and in natural settings. • Merely knowing about environmental problems does not seem to be enough to do something about them • It is necessary to develop a life-long connection to the natural environment by regularly spending time in the natural outdoors. • It needs to start as young and as soon as possible to develop a caring attitude towards the natural environment. “People will protect what they come to know and value. Belonging to, having a voice in, and taking actions on behalf of a local community are the ways in which we become citizens of a place" (Gallay et al., 2016, p. 171). |
Care for Nature
Holland et al. (2018) shared that participation in outdoor education and learning leads to an increase in the concern and care for the natural environment on the part of students. Personal experience in the outdoors results in students being more interested in environmental care and involving themselves in local matters (Smith & Sobel, 2010). Extended contact with the natural world through outdoor education results in improved awareness of and respect for the environment (Scott et al., 2013; Torquati & Ernst, 2013). Beliefs, attitudes, and actions towards the environment change for the better (Breunig et al., 2015; Potter & Dyment, 2016).
Community Improvement
Outdoor education and learning have a positive impact on a community’s health as the members of the community develop a connection to the school as the school becomes more involved in the community in a type of feedback loop (Sobel, 2013). These improvements to the community can be environmental, social, and economic (Powers, 2004). Place-based education allows student learning to have an impact on the environmental and social health of the locales that students live in (Gruenewald, 2003).
Community Connection
McInerney et al. (2011) found that students who participated in community-based OL grew their social and community connections which in turn improved their chances of getting a job. Yamauchi and Purcell (2009) reported that it increased a student’s “circle of caring adults” (p. 173) who helped and supported the students. When consistent opportunities for OL were provided to students in the community, there were improvements in how the students viewed adults and in how the adults of the community viewed the students (Powers, 2004). Community-based learning pedagogies like OL encourages members of the community to become more engaged in the school and with students and provide supports and resources that may not otherwise be available to a school by itself including personnel and facilities (Powers, 2004).
Caring Relationships With Peers and Staff
Quay, Dickinson, and Nettleton (2002) stressed that caring and peer relationships are essential to the development of the whole person and provide support for individual students’ need for belonging. They pointed out that social relationships, of which caring plays a large role, are important to a student’s higher and deeper learning and holistic development. Quay et al. (2002) observed that outdoor education and learning provides an opportunity to care for others and the environment and further develop relationships with peers and teachers. They understood that the OL experience provided more opportunities to care than were available in the regular classroom environment which led to close friendships forming. Outdoor education and learning increases collaboration, group cohesion and helps to develop positive relationships between the students and each other (Fox & Avramidis, 2003; Gilbertson et al., 2006; White, 2012). OL can also lead to improved learning, and a more flexible and open relationship between staff and students (Maynard et al., 2013a; Scott et al., 2013). Fägerstam (2014) found that participation in OL activities promotes an improvement in students’ relationships with both peers and staff.
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Belonging
Taking part in OL improves feelings of belonging and being part of a group (Breunig et al., 2015). It can lead to an increased “sense of companionship, belonging, and shared respect” (Conlon et al., 2018, p. 360). Richmond et al. (2018) found that outdoor education and learning had a significant positive impact on “social connectedness” (p. 41). They observed increased belonging and connections between students as a result of the shared OL experience. The support that participants in their study received from their fellows made the challenge a cooperative one and being away from all the distractions of their usual context and family allowed the new social connections to develop. Richmond et al. (2018) identified that the relationships and connections developed during the OL experience transferred over and continued at school.
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Social Skills
OL activities can foster increased trust among participants (Conlon et al., 2018). White (2012) shared that mediated OL lead to improved trust between participants and an increase in social skills which resulted in improved social-emotional learning, engagement, and school performance. He defined mediated OL as occurring when a facilitator guides and assists the learners in reflecting on the experience and unpacking the learnings. Outdoor learning, in nature, improves social skills and relationships and reduces or even eliminates bullying (Strife, 2010). Students work more effectively together and experience positive social growth as a result of OL (Mannion et al., 2015; Smith & Sobel, 2010; Potter & Dyment, 2016). Harun and Salamuddin (2013) indicated that OL experiences created improvements in many "soft skills" (p. 20) that are typically difficult to teach and measure and included teamwork, confidence, leadership ability, and time management skills. Gains in caring, tolerance, group awareness, communication skills, caring, and self-control have all been attributed to participation in outdoor education and learning experiences (Dillon & Dickie, 2012; Holland et al., (2018)
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Physical Health
Outdoor education and learning allow students to explore the real natural world and move around which contributes to improved physical development and health (Maynard et al., 2013b). There is lots of support for the belief that being outdoors is naturally physical (Fromel et al., 2017; Godbey, 2009; Vries et al., 2011). Vries et al. (2011) pointed out that since physical activity is necessary to experience or utilize many aspects of a natural environment, the natural environment ends up encouraging physical activity in a kind of feedback loop. Since natural environments are more appealing than non-natural environments, there is a large body of research that supports the relationship between increased physical activity and fitness to the availability of natural parks and outdoor areas. (Coombes, Jones, & Hillsdon, 2010; Dustin, Bricker, & Schwab, 2009; Vries et al., 2011). Fromel et al. (2017) highlighted that physical activity in the outdoors makes it easier for children to be involved in a healthy lifestyle, can have a positive impact on the benefits of physical activity, and can readily be done by schools. Children are far more likely to be active when outdoors in a natural setting and physical activity is a big factor in reducing obesity and therefore, outdoor recreation acts as a preventive measure for many health ills since it is natural to be active when outdoors (Godbey, 2009).
There are many positive effects on physical activity in the natural outdoors (Beams et al., 2012). Thompson Coon et al. (2011) indicated that physical activity in natural outdoor spaces leads to multiple other benefits like positive mood, relaxation, and social connectedness which potentially could lead to the activities being more likely to continue as compared to other forms of physical activities that may be less enjoyable and more onerous. Dustin et al. (2009) agreed that being outside makes it more likely that someone will be physically active and point out that the health benefit is reciprocal in that the more time we spend outside being active, the less time we are engaged in activities that perhaps damage the natural world like driving a car. Nielsen and Hansen (2007) demonstrated a link between natural spaces in neighborhoods as a way of counteracting inactivity which implied that the greener the neighborhood, the more active and less obese the residents. Since physical activity in an outdoor natural environment is more pleasurable, it is more likely to be sustained and repeated making the cumulative health benefit greater than physical activity indoors (Dustin et al., 2009). |
Intellectual Health
Outdoor learning in natural environments leads to better attention and focus and an improvement in cognitive functioning (Strife, 2010, Torquati & Ernst, 2013). Berman et al. (2008) found that there was a statistically significant improvement in cognition for groups that experienced nature and groups that viewed nature as compared to groups that did not and concluded that exposure to nature is reasonably consistent in its positive effect on cognition. Quibell, Charlton, and Law (2017) found in their study that students who received the six days of outdoor learning experienced a significant improvement in reading, writing, and math achievement than the group that received the regular education experience. Learning in nature has lots of different things that can be utilized in learning and encourages students to make more complex and broader decisions that positively impact their intellectual health (Quibell et al., 2017).
Emotional Health
Research has shown that exposure to and contact with natural surrounding can have a positive effect on a person’s mood (Fugen & Breitenbecher, 2017, Zelenski & Nisbet, 2014, Passmore & Howell, 2014). Fügen and Breitenbecher (2017) share evidence that supports the idea that being active in the natural outdoors positively affects mood, energy levels, and a person’s ability to focus. In their research, Fügen and Breitenbecher (2017) found that those who were active or rested in an outdoor natural environment experienced higher energy levels, less tiredness, and a small increase in mood as compared to those who did so in an indoor environment. Zelenski and Nisbet (2014) indicated that being exposed to nature increases a person's pleasant mood and their research found that being connected to nature was a "significant predictor of most happiness indicators" (p. 10) and that it continued to be an independent predictor even when taking into account other strong predictors of happiness. Outdoor education and learning lead to increased “mental restoration” (Holland et al., 2018, p. 210) including less stress, personal satisfaction, autonomy, and enjoyment.
teacher Revitalization
There is also evidence to support the notion that outdoor learning and education activities and projects have a positive impact on teachers (Smith & Sobel, 2010). Dyment (2005) found that OL resulted in teachers who were happier and more motivated and “found renewed enthusiasm” (p. 24) for teaching, developed “more rich and positive relationships with their students” (p. 24) and were more willing “to use innovative teaching strategies” (p. 24). A kind of feedback loop is created with teachers becoming more enthusiastic and engaged leading to better teacher-student relationships and increased student engagement which results in increased teacher engagement and so on (Lieberman & Hoody, 1998). Maynard et al. (2013a) found that teachers were happier and more relaxed due to outdoor education as compared to classroom teaching. A healthier and more enjoyable work environment and an increase in teacher fulfillment all occurred as a result of outdoor education and learning (Powers, 2004; Ruiz-Gallardo et al., 2013).
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