Taking students outside to learn doesn’t have to be complicated and offers advantages for both teachers and students. For phenomena-based science, outdoor learning is a natural fit.
Well before the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers began touting social-emotional and cognitive advantages of outdoor instruction. Now, taking students outside to learn is being explored as an option that engages, motivates, and invites them to make deep connections with the world around them.
Here are 5 reasons to head outside with your students:
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Better behavior. When learning outside, children have improved attitudes. There are fewer discipline problems, and students are more enthused about learning.
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Increased memory. Learning in nature increases memory and attention spans. Children have improved concentration and are more engaged. In science learning, students are more motivated and feel more competent.
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Better testing. Students who learn in their school’s surroundings and communities have higher-level critical-thinking skills and do better on standardized tests.
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Rejuvenated capacity for learning. The benefits of learning in nature continue when students return to an indoor classroom.
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Improved job satisfaction. Teachers who take students outside to learn have better health, well-being, and job satisfaction.
Read more about these benefits of learning outside in the white paper “A Natural Fit: 3-D Science and Outdoor Learning.”
