… high quality, out-of-classroom learning … influenced how children behave and the lifestyle choices they make. It shows the potential not just to change individual lives, but the lives of whole communities. Peacock, 200617
In reading the article from which the above quote came from, I was struck by the idea that not only have I been challenging my thinking and reflecting on my practice all the way through the enquiry process, I’ve also been asking pupils to do the same.
I’ve been examining and acknowledging the assumptions and preconceptions I have to the enquiry, about the enquiry outcome and the focus of it, but I’ve also been asking of pupils that they develop the same ‘reflexivity’. I’ll be more aware of this in future and use it to support pupils’ learning and how they can articulate their thinking and reflection and how that can change over time.
The pupil reflection process on learning I’ve conducted through the use of feedback forms has been insightful. Pupils have been positive and constructively critical and I’ve really been able to see the experience from their point of view. Self-motivation is an all-encompassing initiative mainly through outdoor education which is showing significant improvements in pupils’ resilience not only to failure but also to fear of failure. Outdoor Learning Curriculum and the experiences it offer children promote tolerance and understanding, also respecting other’s opinions.
Implications for my department/school
Once the Teacher Leadership programme is complete, I’ll share my findings with my department and the wider school. There’s a number of different reasons for this: a) suggestions of other ways of approaching teaching through outdoor learning especially at lower school.
b) the use of students’ own ‘wonderings’ to encourage pupil ownership and engaging curiosity c) Encouraging colleagues to consider undertaking the SCEL Teacher Leadership programme.
Wider implications
‘The core values of Curriculum for Excellence resonate with long-standing key concepts of outdoor learning. Challenge, enjoyment, relevance, depth, development of the whole person and an adventurous approach to learning are at the core of outdoor pedagogy’.
I’ve recently had an interesting conversation with one of my colleagues who is a historian and also Lead teacher in outdoor education. I believe school curricula often actively favour a theory-based approach rather than practical work, and fail to identify the benefits of learning in a more appropriate location. School grounds are frequently less than ideal to encourage teachers to use them for educational purposes, even when new schools are designed and built. Further, there has been little formal encouragement to establish and maintain standards of outdoor learning experiences, for example through HMIE school inspections, and outdoor centres are very rarely inspected. All of this is in stark contrast to the very successful approach of Nordic countries where outdoor learning pedagogy is central to formal education and culture throughout, and indeed beyond, the period of statutory schooling. There is a need to raise awareness, increase training opportunities, making sure the design of school grounds supports outdoor learning and inspections.
References
Christie, B., Beames, S., Higgins, P. (2015). Culture, context and critical thinking: Scottish secondary school teachers’ and pupils’ experiences of outdoor learning. British Educational Research Journal.
Education Scotland (2015). How Good is Our School 4? Glasgow: Education Scotland
Higgins, P. & Nicol, R. (2013). Outdoor Education. In T. Bryce & W. Humes, D. Gillies and A. Kennedy (Eds.), Scottish education – fourth edition (pp.620-627). Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press
University of Edinburgh (2016). Outdoor learning and policy development in Scotland. ‘Impact snapshot’ http://www.ed.ac.uk/education/rke/making-a-difference
Your Block 4 posts have given a good overview of what happened with your enquiry, Rachna. You have referred to the students’ enthusiasm for group work and for being outside. Did you also find that their numeracy skills were of a good standard, and do you think the fact they were measuring etc within a real context made them check accuracy?
Hello Mrs Andrew
You are absolutely right in saying that their numeracy skills were of a good standard, and the fact is most of the mathematical skills as measuring etc.are much easier to master in a real situation practically than hypothetical learning in the classroom by imagination.
Hi Rachnna,
Emma and I have asked a very similar question on separate posts (great minds!). I’m glad the numeracy skills have improved but is this documented in some way in your evidence gathering?
Also the comment you make at the end about the loss of outdoor learning in secondary education is an interesting one. I wonder if it is in fact not teachers lack of desire to take children outside but the practical barriers in doing so. For example lack of resources, stricter teaching times. I think primary education probably lends itself slightly more to outdoor education in that teaching time can run over scheduled timetable, IDL is more easily achievable and that there isn’t prescribed ‘exam content’ that needs to be taught.