Teaching in the outdoor setting

The benefits of teaching in an outside space are spoken of anecdotally far and wide. Putting aside the logistics of moving beyond the classroom and into the outdoor setting, most teachers speak favourably of the impact on the children - their enthusiasm grows, they are often more meaningfully engaged, there are positive changes in behaviour and pupil-pupil and pupil-teacher relationships. But what do these changes mean in terms of impact upon learning? If there are such changes, how can teachers best respond to them to ensure their teaching strategies are best suited for effective practice in the outdoor setting? What opportunities are there for teachers to make more of teaching in the outdoor setting? This chapter will explore these key questions and offer support for developing both teaching and learning in the outdoors. It will begin by defining what we mean by the 'outdoor setting', before looking at areas of the science curriculum that can be easily linked with teaching outdoors. We also consider the role that the Forest School can play in supporting primary science and offer a case study from research, which highlights how practice can be developed to support children's learning.