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Research & Policy Benefits of Outdoor Education

By Jasleen Kaur

04 Feb 2021

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Outdoor education activities are known as activities that as a pedagogical strategy places children out of classes and enables learning in a natural environment. These activities are experimental in nature, open-air learning methods based on an interdisciplinary curriculum that require the use of all senses. It is an effective method that helps students to grasp concepts in a better manner and to bear more positive feelings towards both natures and to their friends.

For outdoor education, one highly important thing is, an outdoor environment should be chosen in which students will feel comfortable and thus can gain the necessary attainment. Necessary precautions should be taken for students to participate in activities as well. During this practice, experiential activities are carried out through the use of real objects by using the five senses. Therefore, the students should be well versed in the dangers in order to avoid any mishap.

Let’s see how outdoor education can help your students:

Improves Kinesthetic Skills of your Students

When students are outside in nature, in a garden picking up dried leaves, they not only see those leaves but can also touch them and understand the texture of the same. In another example, when they identify flowers they can also smell them and it adds to the concept of that flower. Therefore, the nature of outdoor education makes it very engaging and students have to use all of their senses. This strengthens the concepts of students.

Helps your Students to Connect with Nature

According to Giusti, Louv, and Sandberg, In the Nordic countries and elsewhere in the world, there is an awakening concern about children’s reduced contact with and understanding of nature. The diminishing direct contact with ‘the more-than-human world’ (‘green-blue areas’, plants, animals, etc.) is associated with deteriorating mental and physical health, as well as reduced emotional affinity towards nature. Outdoor Education bridges that gap between a learner and nature.

Encourages students to be responsible towards Environment

Outdoor education is not only highly experiential but also helps in developing a sense of the environment around us. It appeals to the student’s conscience and encourages them to do better towards the environment. A concept that arises by the amalgamation of outdoor education and conscience towards nature is called ecological restoration education. This strategy has been implemented in a lot of schools in different parts of the world with the help of non-governmental organizations and has targeted specific contextual issues in the environment. As a result, students have learned in a better way and contributed towards the betterment of their environment as well.

Helps your students to understand Teamwork

Nothing speaks, teamwork, and community stewardship like skills that are developed through outdoor activities. Outdoor projects naturally lend themselves to group work. However, in the less controlled setting outside the classroom, students need clearly designated responsibilities a lot of times. When working outdoors, teachers are suggested to regularly assign specific roles to each student in the group. This cooperation and teamwork encourage peer relationships and team problem-solving while students work towards a common goal.

Boosts your students' Academic Performance

Researches show that students who are regularly involved in outdoor education have marked improvements in basic skills and reading. Standardized test scores including ACT also improve with the use of environmental education. One of the key studies, Effects of outdoor education programs for children in California, focused on 255 school children over four primary schools. One group of children were given an outdoor education routine, with a control group for comparison. The study found that children who attended outdoor school raised their test scores by 27%. Another significant finding was that students who attended the program received significantly higher ratings than children who did not participate for areas like self-esteem, conflict resolution, relationship with peers, problem-solving, motivation to learn, behavior in class. Lastly, the outdoors also provide a refreshing new setting - providing a bit of variety to the monotony of the four classroom walls.

About the author

Jasleen Kaur is working in Pratham Education Foundation and works on aspects of Social Marketing of the teacher capacity development portal: Gurushala. Any views expressed are personal.