Peer-reviewed researchEONZ research brief
Development and validation of the School Contexts of Outdoor Learning (SCOOL) scale
An 18-item scale measures barriers and enablers of outdoor learning at teacher, school and education-system level.
What's new
The 18-item SCOOL scale measures outdoor-learning barriers and enablers across three levels: individual teachers, the school environment and the wider education system. It was developed through five studies involving 862 UK teachers and demonstrated strong reliability. The scale and dataset are openly available.
Why it matters in Aotearoa
It recognises that capability is influenced by leadership, systems, resources, autonomy and policy, as well as individual competence. This gives New Zealand evaluators a way to look beyond workshop attendance or teacher confidence.
Putting it into practice
Look through the scale items when designing an evaluation of professional learning, and consider which could be adapted for your context.
How strong is the evidence
Peer-reviewed scale development with 862 UK teachers and strong reliability. It has not been validated in Aotearoa, including for cultural, place-responsive and mātauranga Māori dimensions.
What to read
The full paper, and inspect the scale