Author/s:
Sarivaara, Erika*
University of Lapland, Finland (Erika.Sarivaara@ulapland.fi)
Uusiautti, Satu
University of Lapland, Finland (Satu.Uusiautti@ulapland.fi)
Abstract:
In Finland, new curriculum and new teaching guidelines have placed new demands on schools and learning requirements. This article discusses outdoor education and organized learning in out-of-school setting. Thematic inquiry based learning is a significant method in outdoor learning because it brings pupils and teachers outside of the traditional classroom. Therefore, we discuss how outdoor education has been defined and why outdoor education should be an important element of education at all schools according to the scholarly research. Outdoor education has been found to increase student’s psychological and physical well-being, and students have been found to perform and learn better in applied environments. The pedagogical concepts that underlie related teaching concepts are also discussed, and a review of the relevant literature is performed. In conclusion, we highlight some of the main benefits of outdoor education as out-of-school learning such as for well-being, self-capability and experimental learning experiences and moreover, its applications for the pupils in the 21st century.
Keywords: outdoor education; out-of-school learning; learning environment; environmental education; place-based education
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5861/ijrse.2017.1828
*Corresponding Author