Wilderness Schooling: A controlled trial of the impact of an outdoor education programme on attainment outcomes in primary school pupils

Abstract

Gaps in education attainment between high and low achieving children in the primary school years are frequently evidenced in educational reports. Linked to social disadvantage, these gaps have detrimental long-term effects on learning. There is a need to close the gap in attainment by addressing barriers to learning and offering alternative contexts for education. There is increasing evidence for beneficial impacts of education delivered outdoors, yet most programmes are un-structured, and evidence is anecdotal and lacks experimental rigour. In addition, there is a wealth of socialemotional outcomes reported yet little in the way of educational attainment outcomes. The current study explores the educational impact of a structured curriculum-based outdoor learning programme for primary school children: 'Wilderness Schooling'. A matched-groups design: Wilderness Schooling (n=223) and conventional schooling (n=217), was used to compare attainment data in English reading, English writing and maths, collected at three time-points: Pre-(T1) and postintervention (T2) and at a 6-week follow up (T3). Data show that children in the Wilderness Schooling group significantly improved their attainment in all three subjects compared to controls. Trajectories of impact indicated attainment continued to increase from baseline in the following weeks after the intervention concluded. These results allow the case to be made for the core curriculum to be conducted outdoors to improve children's learning. However, it is important to consider that there are likely to be various components of the intervention that could form a theory of change essential to reported outcomes.

Learning while playing: Children's Forest School experiences in the UK

“…() argue further that engagement in these types of learning environments might have a positive impact on children's educational attainment and motivation to learn, and this is supported by the work of Quibell et al . (). Whilst academic attainment is not a distinct aim of outdoor learning initiatives like FS, and this was not something this study set out to explore, recognising the potential links between experiential and situated outdoor learning and the wider issues of academic attainment could act as a ‘buy‐in’ for schools who are required to evidence the worth of such programmes (Quibell et al ., ).…”

“…(). Whilst academic attainment is not a distinct aim of outdoor learning initiatives like FS, and this was not something this study set out to explore, recognising the potential links between experiential and situated outdoor learning and the wider issues of academic attainment could act as a ‘buy‐in’ for schools who are required to evidence the worth of such programmes (Quibell et al ., ). This study contributes to these debates by demonstrating the worth of providing children with opportunities to learn outside of the classroom and to engage in novel forms of experiential learning alongside more traditional classroom learning as a means of not only extending creative cognitive skill development, but also providing children with the opportunity to question their own learning and understanding of their worth through autonomous investigation.…”

“…Further, when learning is taken beyond the classroom, the structures which define work and play also become distorted, and children may not recognise their activity to be of educational value (Waite, 2007;Waite & Davis, 2007). Yet, a recent study by Quibell et al (2017), which explored the impact of an informal outdoor learning approach-Wilderness Schooling-on attainment in core curriculum areas, demonstrated the positive impact of learning outside of the classroom on children's attainment in numeracy and literacy. Thus, tensions exist in the ways teachers and their pupils conceptualise learning in different educational spaces which traverse the formal/informal divide, particularly when alternative approaches are drawn into the mainstream.…”

“…Similarly, the relationship between risky outdoor play and children's health has indicated that play which includes an element of danger benefits children's emotional resilience, social functioning and physical health and wellbeing (Brussoni et al, 2015). Further, outdoor play buffers against poor social, emotional and physical outcomes (Isenberg & Quisenberry, 1988;Little & Wyver, 2008;Stone & Faulkner, 2014), and performs a beneficial role in children's learning (Maynard & Waters, 2007;Dowdell et al, 2011;Quibell et al, 2017).…”

Rethinking learning? Challenging and accommodating neoliberal educational agenda in the integration of Forest School into mainstream educational settings

“…Introduced to the UK from Scandinavia in the 1990s, Forest School provides an opportunity for children to engage in supported risky play in an inclusive environment and aims to foster development beyond academic skills alone (O'Brien & Murray, ). Research into outdoor learning suggests that it supports academic achievement and the development of confidence, self‐esteem, and independence (Coates & Pimlott‐Wilson, ); Maynard, ; Quibell et al., ), positively influencing children's attitudes to outdoor play and environmental awareness (Ridgers et al., ; Waite et al., 2016a). Fostering a positive attitude to the environment and a connection with nature, Forest School is a form of outdoor learning which is removed from the physical and pedagogical constraints of the mainstream classroom (Harris, ).…”