Rediscovering the Potential of Outdoor Learning for Developing 21st Century Competencies

Abstract

In this century characterised by rapid change and unprecedented challenges, most education systems have acknowledged the importance of developing interpersonal and intrapersonal skills alongside technical knowledge. This chapter describes how two approaches to outdoor learning develop these 21st century competencies, through the lens of experiential education. Outdoor Adventure Education is an established pedagogical vehicle for developing psycho-social skills. Learning Outside the Classroom is a rising movement of teaching subject content while simultaneously promoting interpersonal, communication, teamwork, critical thinking, and conflict resolution skills, creativity and connection with nature. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the potential of outdoor environments to foster transformative competencies, and the inherent challenges for integration into regular school experiences.

Does growth in the outdoors stay in the outdoors? The impact of an extended residential and outdoor learning experience on student motivation, engagement and 21st century capabilities

“…Interestingly, students in the focus groups were less effusive about the development of creativity than critical thinking skills during Glengarry, whereas the quantitative data showed a significant increase in the former 1 month after the program but not the latter. There is only minimal evidence in the research literature for OAE improving critical and creative thinking, however this is due to a paucity of research with these outcome variables rather than findings of no change ( Mann et al, 2022a ). While a change in critical thinking may not have been sufficiently large to achieve statistical significance straight after Glengarry, there was a significant increase in perceived critical thinking between the start of Glengarry and 8 months afterward.…”

“…These capabilities have always been important, of course, but recent challenges like automation of lower order tasks, globalization of the workforce, rising mental health issues, climate change and mass migration make them particularly relevant to this century ( Lambert, 2017 ). The emerging economic, educational and social ripples of the COVID-19 pandemic can be added to this list of 21st Century challenges ( Pendergast, 2022 ; Mann et al, 2022a ; Adams and Gray, 2023 ). Anderson and Jefferson (2018) suggested that “the skills which equip young people to engage with the world of work are the same skills that will help them live life to the full as 21st Century citizens” (p. 14).…”

“…The outdoor “ in situ ” environment has been the setting for learning across most of human history ( Nicol and Waite, 2020 ), and the indoor classroom only became the “normal” place of learning with the advent of mass schooling in the 19th Century ( Mann et al, 2021 ). Contemporary outdoor learning has been classified into two forms ( Mann et al, 2022a ): outdoor adventure education (OAE), which utilizes challenge and perceived risk to create cognitive dissonance ( Priest and Gass, 2005 ), and curricular-based learning outside the classroom (LOTC) which incorporates student-led experiential learning principles ( Beames et al, 2012 ). Outdoor learning contexts include: school gardens, school playgrounds, local parks and forests, field trips, residential camps and wilderness trips ( Mann et al, 2022b ).…”

“…School motivation was directly measured in a larger Danish study of 28 primary classes from 18 schools, which found that regular subject-based LOTC across 1 year improved students’ self-reported motivation ( Bølling et al, 2018 ), however there has been little other research into the potential for outdoor learning to boost student motivation and engagement. There is good evidence for OAE and LOTC developing the 21st Century skills of communication and collaboration, and for nature exposure generally to benefit critical and creative thinking, however there is a paucity of research into the potential for outdoor learning experiences to develop these cognitive 21st Century skills ( Mann et al, 2022a ).…”

Linking 21st Century Learning Skills to Outdoor Learning: Exploring the Experiences of Primary School English Language Teachers in Malaysian Private Schools

“…This example illustrates how being in an authentic learning environment can not only be a sensory experience, but enables students to learn how to associate different things with one another. As Mann et al (2022) mention, outdoor learning provides students with experiential and practical learning opportunities which require them to actively learn through direct experience, instead of passively absorbing knowledge which is handed down by teachers. Such a view of passively absorbing knowledge alludes to a 'banking' or transmission model of education where students are regarded as empty receptacles which are to be filled with knowledge by their teachers (Freire, 2005).…”