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.
6 items
Interviews with Canadian children and educators, plus a geographical scan with policymakers, point to the interconnected support and buy-in needed at policy, administrator and educator levels for outdoor learning to benefit children.
A Northern Ireland Assembly research paper sets out the benefits of outdoor education, the barriers to it, potential lessons from elsewhere, and the key issues to address to embed outdoor learning in schools and other settings in Northern Ireland.
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.
An updated Natural England evidence briefing reports a substantial body of evidence supporting a positive association between engagement with the natural environment and a diverse range of learning processes and outcomes, including educational, social, developmental and health outcomes.
A solutions-focused article for teachers and school leaders that draws on a recent large-scale New Zealand study to offer realistic, sustainable ways to manage common EOTC challenges.
Australian policy increasingly requires natural outdoor spaces in early childhood and schools, yet how these environments shape learning is still under-researched.