FEATURE: OUTDOOR LEARNING
The nature effect
I
n our first feature this month we look at the importance of outdoor learning, and
hear from Sarah Hollingsworth, Headmistress at Gresham’s Nursery and Pre- Prep, who outlines the school’s philosophy on outdoor learning, and explains some of the benefits that come from it. “Outdoor learning is a very in vogue concept
and, at a time when teachers and parents are concerned about the pressures of formal exams for six- and seven-year olds, it’s hardly surprising. Offering a specialised outdoor education which inspires children to enjoy their learning and which works within schools’ existing structures, it’s easy to see the appeal! “Pupils are able to practise making fire, instead of just learning the theory – and to see what
happens to marshmallows when they are toasted. They are able to describe the seasons in their creative writing projects while really inspecting them – rather than by trying to do so from memory, or through the window. They are able to work in teams to create an enormous artistic sculpture, knowing that just having a go and not worrying about doing something wrong or making a mess is fine – in fact it’s all part of the plan. They are able to create a woodland version of the West End show STOMP, investigating the textures and sound-making qualities of different natural resources while also thinking about the rhythms involved and their own timing as part of a group performance. “Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the
Association of Teachers and Lecturers, recently said: “As we learned from last year’s tests, seven- year olds are too young for formal exams and suffer stress and worry at a time when they’re supposed to be learning to love school and grow in confidence”. “The UK education system also came under fire
recently for its persistent focus on rote learning and memorisation – at the perceived expense of skills-based learning. Andreas Schleicher of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development said that “Britain comes out right on top” in terms of the amount of rote-learning in schools, and that we have “a lot to learn” from countries like China which have more readily embraced a skills-based approach to education. “So, while outdoor learning certainly does offer
young children some physical ‘escapism’ from the pressures of the classroom environment, it also has a lot more to offer besides. It addresses these three key, timely, concerns: developing children’s love of learning; enabling them to grow in confidence; and nurturing skills-based learning.
Developing a love of learning “Outdoor learning should be child-centred and structured by facilitators around observations made in previous sessions with the same group of
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children. Providing a careful balance of structure and flexibility which enables children to follow their natural lines of enquiry to draw a conclusion shows them that their enquiring nature will pay dividends. The breadth of activities on offer and the more naturally stimulating environment of the natural surroundings prompts more questions to be asked and, as children are able to follow their thinking through to its natural conclusion, they experience the joy of enabling their own understanding of something that is real and visible, and that interests them. This tangible experience of gaining knowledge – through discovering it and working it out – develops a genuine love of learning that will stand them in good stead to follow these same routes of enquiry into more complex and less tangible ideas as they mature.
Enabling children’s confidence to grow “This freedom to follow a line of enquiry through also enables children to develop a different type of cognitive skill; by seeing in practice how different ideas might be linked together, or by seeing how one change might bring about another change, helps children to develop higher- order questioning skills. Going beyond simple questions such as ‘what is that?’, children can pose follow up questions such as ‘why is that?’ and then follow their enquiry into other linked areas. Both the language and thinking behind this type of questioning are more complex and, being exposed to different environments and projects and challenges than are available in the classroom context, provide many more opportunities for children to think these thoughts through. The new language and thinking processes developed in order to make progress enables children’s confidence in their intellectual capacity to grow – they know they can attempt, and succeed in, new, difficult challenges.
Nurturing skills-based learning “To have the greatest benefit, outdoor learning
May 2018
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