Getting Out of the Classroom and Into Nature: A Systematic Review of Nature-Specific Outdoor Learning on School Children's Learning and Development

Abstract

Background:The value of natural environments for developing children's self-identity and social skills has been known for some time, and more recently the potential of nature-specific (i.e., excluding built environments) outdoor learning for achieving academic outcomes has been explored. Connecting children with natural spaces has been shown to benefit their physical and mental health; however, the utility of nature-specific outdoor environments as a setting for curricular and non-curricular learning has yet to be clearly established. Our aim was to undertake a narrative synthesis of international evidence of nature-specific outdoor learning and its benefits for personal and social development, wellbeing and academic progress.MethodsThis systematic review searched publications between 2000 and 2020 in nine academic databases for evidence of socio-emotional and academic benefits of nature-specific outdoor learning in school-aged educational settings, using concise search criteria registered with PROSPERO. The total search results of 17,886 records were initially screened by title, and then two reviewers made blind reviews of the title and abstract of 1,019 records.Results147 original research studies meeting the criteria were identified. Learning settings ranged across outdoor adventure education, school gardens, field trips, and traditional school subjects taught in natural environments. Study characteristics were summarized, and risk-of-bias tools assessed quality of research as generally moderate, although with a wide range. The reported benefits of learning in natural outdoor settings include: increased student engagement and ownership of their learning, some evidence of academic improvement, development of social and collaborative skills, and improved self-concept factors.ConclusionsNature-specific outdoor learning has measurable socio-emotional, academic and wellbeing benefits, and should be incorporated into every child's school experience with reference to their local context. Teacher pre-service and in-service education needs to include a focus on how natural settings can be used effectively for learning. Further research is needed to clarify the conditions under which specific forms of outdoor learning are most efficacious for various target outcomes. It is recommended that future studies measuring outdoor learning adopt established methodologies to improve the quality of research in this field.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=153171.

When are you taking us outside? An exploratory study of the integration of the outdoors in preschool and primary education in Quebec

“…Benefits associated with outdoor activities in children are now well established in scientific literature (Mann et al, 2022;McCormick, 2017;Schneller et al, 2017). Particularly, being outdoors would provide benefits not only for physical, psychological, and social health, but also for the practice pf physical activity, and for the educational success of children (5-17 years).…”

Choose Your Own Adventure: Promoting Social and Emotional Development Through Outdoor Learning

“…School-based OL is a teaching practice that is gaining worldwide attention (Waite, 2020 ). The research base supporting the potential for the pedagogy and practice of OL to improve developmental outcomes for children is growing steadily (Becker et al, 2017 ; Gustafsson et al, 2012 ; Mann et al, 2021 , 2022 ; Mygind et al, 2019 ). From udeskoles in Denmark (Barfod et al, 2016 ) to Forest Schools in the United Kingdom (Austin et al, 2015 ), educators are embracing the outdoor classroom despite its continued marginalization from traditional, mainstream approaches to teaching and learning (Mann et al, 2021 ; Marchant et al, 2019 ).…”

“…Outdoor learning offers as a viable context within which SEL can be implemented and supported (Lohr et al, 2020 ). Especially given the potential for OL to yield benefits to children’s social and emotional development (Becker et al, 2017 ; Mann et al, 2021 , 2022 ; Miller et al, 2021 ; Mygind et al, 2019 ), this strategy presents as a promising avenue of research attention; however, little research has fully explored the potential of this pairing in the primary school context.…”

“…In their cross-sectional survey of 50 South Australian educators, respondents reported many social and emotional benefits of OL including mental health (98%), well-being (90%), social development (90%), and emotional development (88%) (Miller et al, 2022 ). Clearly, social and emotional development is emerging as a perceived benefit of OL (Becker et al, 2017 ; Burke et al, 2021 ; Kuo et al, 2019 ; Mann et al, 2021 , 2022 ; Marchant et al, 2019 ; Miller et al, 2022 ; Mygind et al, 2019 ) but more research is needed to understand if and how primary school educators perceive OL as promoting students’ healthy social and emotional development (Miller et al, 2022 ). Much of the research conducted thus far has explored the benefits of OL through the lens of science or environmental education (e.g., Detweiller et al, 2015 ), or physical education and fitness (Pagels et al, 2014 ).…”

“…Meeting the needs of the whole child has garnered significant attention (e.g., Lewallen et al, 2015 ; Noddings, 2005 ); however, the challenges educators face in achieving this end are also recognized (Ladson-Billings, 2011 ). Outdoor learning (OL) is a pedagogical approach that is being increasingly recognized as beneficial for children’s developmental health and well-being (Becker et al, 2017 ; Gustafsson et al, 2012 ; Mann et al, 2021 , 2022 ; Mygind et al, 2019 ). Researchers are beginning to explore the benefits of OL for children’s social and emotional development, and how it may be employed to support social and emotional learning (SEL; Lohr et al, 2020 ).…”