Why this matters
Many schools send students away for a few days to a residential nature center. What do students actually take home from that experience? And does what they say on the last day still hold months later, back in class?
What the researchers did
The researchers worked with 336 sixth graders from three schools in one central New Jersey school district. Each class spent four days and three nights at the New Jersey School of Conservation, a center run by a university.
- The sessions: every student did the same ones, including team challenges, a climbing wall or confidence course, a sensory nature walk, and a science session on bears, birds or streams.
- Who taught: visiting schoolteachers taught most sessions, using the center's lesson plans.
- The questions: just before boarding the bus home, and again six months later in class, students wrote short answers to three questions. What was the most meaningful thing you learned? What was most confusing? What would you like to learn more about?
What they found
- Teamwork, confidence and safety stood out first. On the last day, about a third of students named something social as most meaningful. Examples were trusting teammates, working together, or overcoming a fear on the climbing wall. Safety skills came next, such as what to do if you meet a bear or how to use a compass.
- Science and nature lessons grew in meaning over time. Six months later, science, nature and history topics had become the most common answer. They rose from about a quarter of students to about two in five. Social lessons dropped, but one in five students still named them.
- Science topics were also the most confusing, and the confusion lasted. About four in ten students named a science topic as most confusing, both times. The water testing in the water ecology session was one example. Among safety skills, using a compass in the orienteering session caused almost all of the lasting confusion.
- Logistics and unclear teaching left students puzzled for months. About one in five students were confused by where to go, the schedule or the rules, such as why they couldn't sit with friends at meals. Others said an instructor didn't explain things clearly or used words they didn't know. These answers were still there six months later and had slightly increased.
- Students wanted more science, and kept wanting it. Nearly three in four students wanted to learn more about topics such as animals, water life or local history. This barely changed in six months. Many of these answers used words like "fun" and "cool."
What this means for your practice
- Treat the social side as real learning. Teamwork and confidence were what students valued most at first, and many still named them months later. Make these explicit goals, and talk with students about them after a team challenge.
- Plan for what happens after the trip. Students found the science more meaningful as time passed. The researchers suggest that time to reflect and classroom follow-up may explain this, though the study did not test it. Classroom teachers can return to the center's topics back at school. Centers can give visiting teachers ideas to build on.
- Prepare students before they arrive. Confusion about logistics lasted a long time. The researchers suggest three steps: start with a quick walking tour, introduce the sessions in class beforehand, and give students a schedule. Fewer worries about where to be leaves more attention for the lessons.
- Give hard skills more time. The two-hour orienteering session wasn't enough for many students. The researchers suggest a compass introduction before the trip or practice afterward. Look for skills in your own program that might need the same.
- Support whoever is teaching. Visiting teachers taught many sessions after seeing them only once or twice. The researchers suggest pre-trip workshops, sending lesson plans early, and a center contact for questions. They also suggest stating each activity's purpose clearly and inviting questions as soon as students look lost.
- Ask the three questions yourself. They took students little time and showed both what stuck and what confused them. Asking them at the end of your own program can point to sessions that need clearer explanations.
RETURN TO RESIDENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION EERESEARCH COLLECTION
The Bottom Line
The researchers asked 336 sixth graders three short, open questions at the end of a residential stay and again six months later. On the last day, students most often named teamwork, confidence and staying safe outdoors as the most meaningful things they learned. Six months later, science and nature topics had moved to the top. Science topics were also what confused students most. Confusion about schedules, rules and unclear explanations lasted for months. Most students wanted to learn more about science and nature, and that did not change. For educators, the findings show three things. Students value the social side of a residential trip. Learning keeps settling after students go home. Clear explanations and simple logistics free students to focus on the lessons.