Research, reports and guidance on education outside the classroom and outdoor education, with a plain-English summary of each and a link to the original. New items are added every week.
The library began with Education Outside the Classroom: Applied Research Readings 2010–2017(McNatty & Boyes, University of Otago, 2017). Later items were found, summarised and checked with AI assistance using the same method: every reference is checked against the publisher's record, every summary against the published abstract, and only items rated high confidence by two independent relevance checks are published. Summaries are a guide: read the original before citing it.
35 items
Teachers across 25 countries were more likely to embed outdoor play when their needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness were supported.
A settler Australian educator reframes literacy as relationship with Country and proposes storied reflective practice as professional learning for non-Indigenous educators.
Primary science teachers showed significant increases in self-efficacy and outcome expectancy for outdoor education after completing a continuing professional development programme.
In a rural Maine K–12 school that stands out for outdoor learning, key facilitators were building it into the regular school day and curriculum, professional development, long-term planning and links to local culture.
English primary teachers said strong leadership, suitable outdoor spaces, flexibility and ongoing collaborative PLD help them integrate outdoor learning, with support tailored to each school.
Norwegian early childhood educators said supporting children's play in nature depends on their pedagogical, bodily and communicative knowledge, together with flexibility and pedagogical tact.
Interviews with nine Danish teachers suggest that continuing to use EOtC relies on teacher competence, collegial collaboration with a shared vision, and management support.
Partnerships between universities, schools, community gardens and other organisations can help teachers use school gardens well and spread sustainability knowledge to families and the wider community.
English pre-service teachers had few school placement opportunities to practise teaching outdoor adventurous activities, with reliance on residentials and external providers. Generalists lacked preparation.
A review of 25 years of Welsh policy argues that outdoor learning should be mainstream primary practice, supported by professional learning and held to account through school inspection.
A survey of 154 high school teachers found that their barriers to using school outdoor spaces differ from those reported in earlier studies, which have mostly focused on K-8 teachers.
Experienced primary and intermediate teachers in an online community of practice identified a need for accessible outdoor play and learning resources and initiated the idea of a teacher-made website.
Findings from a case study of two early childhood teachers suggest that inquiry-based and place-based teaching in the bush, with First Nations perspectives on plants, can build teachers' botanical knowledge and literacies.
Teachers who experienced real community during an outdoor education residency tried to create similar community for their own students and schools, though they met obstacles.
Wilderness-based professional development boosted teachers' confidence and plans to use experiential methods, but the effect faded over time and confidence did not predict classroom use well.
Canadian elementary teachers named four connected areas that help or hinder outdoor learning: teacher characteristics, systemic factors, culture and the environment. The authors call for systemic support.
Ten weeks of nature-based teaching on placement boosted Turkish preservice early childhood teachers' confidence. The study also names barriers such as family and management attitudes.
US preschool playgrounds scored lowest on challenge, and teachers' average risk tolerance score was 29 out of 100, which points to a need for teacher education about risky play.
A teacher educator describes using walking as a curriculum in an environmental education course, built around taking risks and making connections with nature and with each other.
Croatian early childhood teachers' attitudes to risky play differed by education level. The authors suggest that teacher education shapes attitudes but not the ability to act against restrictive safety procedures.
A practical text on immersive nature play programmes in the early years, covering the benefits of learning in natural spaces, pedagogy, First Nations perspectives, sustainability and risk management.
Student teachers in Scotland preferred hands-on (mastery) experiences of teaching outdoors, and also found watching others teach outdoors useful.
Dutch primary teachers found barriers to teaching in green schoolyards and worked out practical solutions: just start, get training, use real-life experiences and build an outdoor mindset.
Educators who did wilderness-based professional development reported personal and professional outcomes and identified which programme elements made the most difference.