Nature relatedness in student teachers, perceived competence and willingness to teach outdoors: an empirical study

Abstract

Despite a drive towards more learning outside the classroom, teachers' confidence to teach outdoors has been identified as a barrier to regular and positive outdoor experiences. Initial Teacher Education (ITE) has been seen as one of the ways to increase teachers' confidence, yet such provision is variable and has not been studied extensively. In this study we explore how a practical outdoor session can increase motivation to teach outdoors. Moreover, using a Self-Determination Theory framework we hypothesise that increased nature relatedness would be associated with higher perceived competence and willingness to teach outdoors. Forty-nine ITE students took part in the outdoor session, and responded to pre-and post-measures of nature relatedness, perceived competence and willingness to teach outdoors. Results suggest a positive correlation between nature relatedness and both perceived competence and willingness to undertake outdoor sessions. Moreover, nature relatedness was significantly higher after the outdoor environmental education session.

What Environmental and Personal Factors Determine the Implementation Intensity of Nature-Based Education in Elementary and Lower-Secondary Schools?

“…Schoolteachers who were more nature-oriented were more likely to spend more time observing nature, discussing ecology and using wild specimens. This finding is in line with a recent study showing that student teachers' nature relatedness and their willingness affect outdoor education [50]. Our results suggest that increasing teachers' emotional affinity towards nature is a way to improve nature-based education.…”

Alienation from Nature and Its Impact on Primary and Pre-primary Education

“…Th e lack of natural contact with nature during childhood and adolescence in the present-day education system is also compensated for by various interventions, such as outdoor education programmes. Th e results of research studies (Barrable & Lakin, 2019;Braun & Dierkes, 2016;Činčera, 2012b;Mullenbach et al, 2018) prove their positive benefi ts both for children and pre-service teachers with an important message, that multi-day programmes have a signifi cantly higher and more persistent impact than shorter ones (Braun & Dierkes, 2016).…”

“…Despite this fact, most of the studies that were analysed are aimed at pre-school children or school pupils, and less often at teachers, who strongly infl uence children and pupils (Barrable & Lakin, 2019;Blatt & Patrick, 2014;Ernst & Tornabene, 2012;Karakaya et al, 2017;Kroufek et al, 2018;Sahin & Alici, 2019). Even fewer papers are aimed at parents (Ahmetoğlu, 2017;Hyun 2005).…”

“…Th ere was also a robust increase in the participants' perceived competence and willingness to teach outdoors, as measured in this study. However, the provision of outdoor education in teacher education programmes in higher education has not been studied widely to date (Barrable & Lakin, 2019).…”

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“…There is substantial evidence in the literature that properly planned and effectively conducted outdoor learning improves students' knowledge and skills in a way that adds value to their daily experiences in the classroom (Rickinson et al, 2004;Higgins & Nicol, 2013;Mannion, Mattu, & Wilson, 2015;Barrable & Lakin, 2020). Outdoor learning encourages children and young people to participate in aesthetic, physical, affective, and cognitive experiences as part of their learning.…”