Outdoor learning takes place across Irish education, from preschools to outdoor centers. Yet it often sits at the edge of teaching rather than at its center. This review asks what Irish research shows about outdoor learning in practice and what would help it improve.
The researchers searched for published research on outdoor learning in Ireland from 2012 to 2023 and found 13 studies that met their criteria. The studies covered early years, primary and special education, teacher training, environmental programs and state-funded outdoor education centers. The researchers combined the findings into themes and recommendations.
What they found:
- Learners were active and engaged. Every study reported active, engaged learning. Learners were involved emotionally as well as physically.
- The biggest gains were in attitudes and social skills. Studies reported changes in learners' attitudes and growth in social skills, including among young people with special educational needs. The researchers conclude that outdoor learning has its strongest effect on feelings and attitudes, not just physical skills.
- Connection to place matters. Several studies reported the importance of learning connected to local places. By contrast, one study of state-funded outdoor centers found many sessions followed fixed scripts. They offered thrills with few links to the curriculum and little attention to the natural setting.
- Outdoor learning connects subjects. Several studies found that outdoor learning created chances to link learning across different subjects.
- Many educators lack confidence. Teachers and early years staff in several studies were unsure about taking their teaching outdoors. Knowing how to teach well outside was a common gap.
- Reflection helps, but support for it is thin. Reflecting on teaching, for example by keeping a journal, featured in several studies. Early years staff, however, were not paid for time away from children to do it.
- Programs are rarely evaluated. Few outdoor programs were evaluated in a structured way. That leaves educators with little evidence of what works best.
What this means for your practice
The ideas below are the researchers' recommendations, drawn from the findings above.
- Aim for growth, not just activity. Because the clearest gains were in attitudes and social skills, the researchers suggest focusing on how learners feel, cope and work together, not only on physical challenge.
- Give place a bigger role. The researchers recommend that policies and curricula give local places a central role in outdoor learning. They argue this would make outdoor activities more relevant across the curriculum.
- Make use of links across subjects. Several studies found outdoor learning connected different subjects. The researchers recommend promoting these links, and say this would make the most difference to educators' daily work.
- Train educators where they teach. Because many educators lacked confidence, the researchers suggest holding training in educators' own settings, such as school grounds, early years settings or local parks. One study in the review, of primary teacher training, highlighted training in schools with children present, where trainers explained their thinking as they demonstrated activities.
- Make time to reflect. The researchers recommend that schools and organizations value reflective practice, such as journaling about teaching, and give staff time for it.
- Evaluate programs. The researchers call for structured evaluation across the sector. They argue it would capture good practice, improve teaching and show what programs achieve.
The Bottom Line
The researchers reviewed 13 Irish studies of outdoor learning and combined their findings into directions for educators and policymakers. Every study reported active, engaged learning outdoors. The strongest gains were in learners' attitudes, confidence and social skills rather than physical skills. Many teachers and early years staff lacked confidence teaching outside, and outdoor programs were rarely evaluated in a structured way. The researchers recommend focusing outdoor learning on how learners grow, giving local places a bigger role, and making more of links across subjects. They also call for training educators in their own settings and giving them time to reflect on their teaching. For educators, the review offers a clear set of priorities for making outdoor learning more purposeful.