Reflection on learning may raise students' awareness of what they're learning in an outdoor setting

Nature schools in Finland offer environmental education programs for students and teachers in an outdoor setting. The programs are designed to promote the aims of the national curriculum in various subjects and to foster an ecologically sustainable future. The instructional approach focuses on student-centered hands-on activities, playful interactions with nature, and student discoveries – an approach typically not found in traditional classroom settings. The aim of this study was to investigate how students view the nature school outdoor learning experience.

Thirty fourth-grade students from two different classes participated in the study. Two researchers, after observing the students during their nature school days in an urban forest, conducted small group interviews with the students. Interview questions focused on what students remembered from the nature school activities, what they thought they learned from the activities, and how they felt about the experience. Students were also asked to share their observations about how learning in natural environments differed from learning in the classroom.  The interviews, which lasted approximately 22 minutes, were recorded and transcribed.

Children indicated that the nature school day was a welcome contribution to their everyday school routines. They generally felt very positive about the nature school experience but weren't always sure about what kind of learning had occurred during the experience. Yet, they called attention to the fact that nature school learning was connected to concrete experiences in nature.  An analysis of the interview data revealed five categories of nature school learning: cognitive learning, affective learning, learning of practical skills, social learning and no learning. Examples of cognitive learning included increased recognition and knowledge of different species. Affective learning included the development of attitudes focusing on the respectful treatment of other organisms. Examples of learning skills included (a) becoming adept in such concrete activities as making a net for catching organisms living in the water and (b) learning new activities and games. An example of social learning was learning to trust each other during activities. Five categories were also identified in relation to how learning in natural environments differed from learning in the classroom: different learning activities, differences in concreteness, different external conditions, different learning topics, and differences in perceived ability to concentrate.

Students seemed to equate learning with cognitive learning. Almost entirely absent from their responses were descriptions of emotional interactions with the natural environment. They did mention littering as an environmentally-related concern, but this was the only environmental aspect of learning that they mentioned. Students' limited references to environmental learning may be due to the fact that matters relating to environmentally sensibility are abstract to young students and that “the values underpinning nature school activities can be difficult to describe to young people.” Engaging students in reflection on what they're learning may be helpful in raising their awareness of outdoor learning. More research on the impact of nature schools is needed, especially research focusing on long-term impacts of the program. Also needed are efforts which inspire teachers to use the outdoors more frequently for instructional activities.