A Whole-School Approach to Outdoor Learning
A Northern Norway school shows how regular, leadership-backed outdoor learning can become part of school identity, though teachers had few chances to share practice.
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.
Research library
19 items
Expanding curricular outdoor learning: teacher-identified current practices and needs for support in schools in England
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.
Expanding curricular outdoor learning: teacher-identified current practice, barriers and enablers
Expanding outdoor learning depends on school leadership, time, space and support as well as individual teacher skill.
Beneficence as a driving force of continuing change to education outside the classroom: Teachers’ perceptions of a one-year implementation
Interviews with nine Danish teachers suggest that continuing to use EOtC relies on teacher competence, collegial collaboration with a shared vision, and management support.
Student leader perspectives of a place-responsive initiative
Māori senior student leaders valued culture and places of significance as integral to their leadership development through a place-responsive programme linked to a Year 9 festival of learning.
"Being Comfortable with the Uncomfortable": Adolescent Girls' Experiences of an Extended Outdoor Adventure Program
Girls at a school that builds outdoor adventure into its curriculum linked their experiences to relationships, perseverance, enjoyment of nature, leadership, confidence and personal growth.
Creating spaces called hope: the critical leadership role of owner/managers in developing outdoor pedagogies for infants and toddlers
Owner/managers of English early childhood settings can lead outdoor practice for infants and toddlers by creating cultural, physical and reflective spaces for their staff.
Above and Beyond: A Grounded Theory of Aotearoa/New Zealand High School Teachers’ Perspectives on International Study Tours
NZ high school teachers who led international study tours faced expectations and challenges that affected their lives, and found it hard to balance student safety with adolescents' desire for freedom.
How does a primary school organize outdoor swimming and water safety lessons?
A Norwegian primary school's outdoor swimming and water safety week was marked by strong principal support, staff teamwork, experiential learning, challenge by choice and risk awareness.
‘ON MONDAY AFTERNOONS WE GO TO DISCOVER THE WORLD!’: UNDERSTANDING A TRADITIONAL ITALIAN PRIMARY SCHOOL’S ADAPTATION TO A STUDENT-DRIVEN APPROACH TO LEARNING / IL LUNEDÌ POMERIGGIO ANDIAMO A SCOPRIRE IL MONDO: MODIFICAZIONI NELL’APPROCCIO SCOLASTICO TRADIZIONALE A FAVORE DI PERCORSI D’APPRENDIMENTO GUIDATI DAGLI ALUNNI IN UNA SCUOLA PRIMARIA ITALIANA
A six-year case study of a rural Italian primary school highlights the importance of alliances with families and community, pupil voice and mixed-age groups when bringing in learning outside the classroom.
Flourishing EOTC in Aotearoa New Zealand: Challenges and solutions
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.
The role of planning in outdoor adventure decision-making
Expert outdoor leaders' on-the-spot decisions rest on layers of earlier planning, from long-term preparation to the thinking just before a decision, and on carrying out those plans flexibly.
What Went Well? Understanding the Culture of a Long-Term Israeli Environmental Education Primary School Program
A school's environmental education programme has lasted almost two decades thanks to five linked features: leadership and vision, resources, nature connection, community engagement, and tradition.
Beyond decision making for outdoor leaders: Expanding the safety behaviour research agenda
The paper looks at safety behaviour beyond outdoor leaders' decision making, to better understand its complexity.
Connecting to the Good Life through outdoor adventure leadership experiences designed for Indigenous youth
A research collaboration with the Wikwemikong people looked at how a ten-day leadership experience promotes resilience and wellbeing for Indigenous youth.
The application of recognition-primed decision theory to decisions made in an outdoor education context
The paper maps the decisions experienced outdoor leaders make, sorted into logistical, safety, pedagogical, environmental and group dynamics categories.
The multi-dimensionality of group cohesion: A social network analysis of NOLS courses
A network analysis found students' comfort talking with each other is critical for group cohesion, and that teaching meta-skills such as leadership matters.
Nel Noddings' care theory and outdoor education
The article applies the theory of caring to outdoor education, with examples across policies, leadership, relationships and challenge by choice.
Examining naturalistic decision making in outdoor adventure contexts by computer simulation
Computer simulations of field decisions show what information expert leaders look for, and that familiarity with the environment improved decisions and confidence.