Peer-reviewed research2017–2026 update
The sustained value teachers place on outdoor learning
English primary teachers kept valuing outdoor learning from 1995 to 2017 despite curriculum reform and performativity pressures. They used their own space as curriculum makers to keep it going.
What's new
This study compares data from English primary school teachers gathered in 1995 and in 2017, a period of curriculum and governance reform. That period brought more emphasis on a prescribed curriculum, metrics and performativity, along with decreased expertise. Even so, the data show teachers' strong and lasting aspirations and values for developing outdoor learning. Teachers used their autonomous space as curriculum makers to create different practices, and their 'personality of change' made room for this non-mandatory area.
Why it matters in Aotearoa
Outdoor learning in Aotearoa can also come under pressure from other priorities. The study shows how teachers can protect and develop it through their own curriculum decisions.
Putting it into practice
Identify where you have flexibility in your curriculum planning, and deliberately build outdoor learning into that space.
How strong is the evidence
The study compares teacher data from two points in time in England. The abstract gives no sample sizes or details about method.
What to read
The discussion of teachers as curriculum makers and their strategies for change.