Peer-reviewed research2017–2026 update
‘Watching what they can do on their own is beautiful’: a navigation of shared agency in school-based outdoor environmental education
Outdoor environmental educators described sharing agency with students and place as complex, ongoing work that disrupts the traditional classroom hierarchy. The authors argue it can be a pathway to empowering students as agents of their own learning.
What's new
This phenomenological study interviewed 12 educators who regularly run outdoor environmental education in K–12 settings. It explored their experiences of sharing agency with students and place. Using a whole-part-whole analysis, the researchers identified five themes about how teachers build and curate outdoor learning that creates conditions for students to take an active part. Sharing agency among teachers, students and place was a complex and ongoing process that disrupted the traditional classroom hierarchy.
Why it matters in Aotearoa
The study supports Aotearoa teachers who want students to co-author EOTC learning. It frames place as an active part of that relationship.
Putting it into practice
In your next outdoor unit, plan at least one stage where students decide the direction of the inquiry. Teachers then step back and observe what students can do on their own.
How strong is the evidence
This is a qualitative interview study of 12 educators that captures their lived experience. It did not measure student outcomes.
What to read
The five themes on how teachers create conditions for student agency.