Peer-reviewed research2017–2026 update
‘Wow! is that a birch leaf? In the picture it looked totally different’: a pragmatist perspective on deep learning in Norwegian ‘uteskole’
Drawing on Dewey and pupils' experiences of learning outside the classroom, this Norwegian study argues that learning activities support deep learning when they involve both transaction and continuity.
What's new
The study is based on three months of fieldwork in two Norwegian primary schools, using participant observation and qualitative interviews with pupils about their experiences of learning outside the classroom. Pupils' experiences were interpreted using John Dewey's two criteria for educative experience, transaction and continuity, together with the authors' own operationalisation of deep learning. The authors argue that learning activities involving both transaction and continuity can be seen as supporting deep learning.
Why it matters in Aotearoa
This gives teachers in Aotearoa a theoretical basis for making EOTC more than a one-off experience, by connecting it to classroom learning before and after.
Putting it into practice
For each outdoor lesson, plan a link to what came before and to what will follow in the classroom, so that hands-on experience outside connects to ongoing learning.
How strong is the evidence
This is a qualitative study in two schools, with interpretation guided by theory. It makes an argument about deep learning and does not measure learning outcomes.
What to read
The discussion of transaction and continuity as criteria for deep learning.