Introduction
Education is a field and a collection of processes that are constantly evolving to meet the criteria presented by the ever-changing world. With the development of new approaches towards student engagement, interactive learning, and ethics, it is also necessary to gradually transform the way educational institutions work with their students. The facilitation of learning during early age and its continuation into adulthood remains one of the core facts of learning, one that must be mastered in order to make sure the future generations are able to find employment and work within an increasingly complex society. In this process, the inclusion and consideration of new teaching models become a necessity, as the traditional teaching environment has its own limitations in terms of learning quality. One of the complex approaches and methods towards improving the field is choosing to embrace the inclusion of non-classroom environments into the educational process. As a whole, the inclusion of learning outside the classroom can be considered a movement in educational circles, one that combines a variety of practices towards achieving the same goal. This work, then, exists as a way to summarise the information presented by the current body of literature in regards to outside learning, its effectiveness, and its uses in the educational sphere.
The overview will first establish some differences between traditional learning and learning outside of the classroom as a way to better distinguish the concepts discussed. Then, the specific definitions of achievement as it relates to academic prowess and learning must be brought up. In the main section of the paper, the professed and researched benefits of an outside teaching experience will be discussed, along with their proponents and researchers. The work aims to show that outdoor learning, when used correctly, has great potential towards improving the children’s educational experience as a whole, including their confidence, enthusiasm during learning, and comprehension. The review primarily concerns younger children, however, the implications of outside learning have the potential to be beneficial to older teenagers as well. The main assertion of the work is that outdoor learning and the incorporation of more open approaches to early education is extremely beneficial to the development of young children, their ability to find academic achievement while developing relevant social and interpersonal skills. Such a conclusion is supported by a large variety of evidence, including practical applications of various types of non-standard education.
Achievement and the improvement of Learning, Review of Existing Literature
This work will use the term achievement as one of the primary metrics towards understanding the effectiveness of various teaching modes. Therefore, it might be necessary to provide further context into how the word is used in this context and the implications it carries for the educational sphere. As defined by the dictionary, achievement refers to something being done successfully, especially using one’s skills or efforts (Oxford University Press). However, it is necessary to further expand this definition to match the criteria set by the topic of the discussion. In academic circles, it is a measure that helps to determine how successfully an individual is able to meet their long and short-term educational goals (Novo & Calixto, 2009). The goals in question can be either set by the student themselves or by the institution. Generally, levels of academic achievement and success are important metrics to consider in discussions regarding education and can be an effective way to discuss the effectiveness of educational programs. Therefore, consideration for achievement as a measurement of students’ ability to fulfill the expectations of the education system and their personal academic aspirations becomes the key definition of the term. However, there also exists another term connected with achievement, which is attainment. For educators, the two have a similar but uniquely distinct meaning. Academic attainment, then, refers to the highest level of education a person has managed to obtain, in addition to an array of other academic competencies (Novo & Calixto, 2009). While achievement is used to describe and measure more incremental parts of the education system, academic attainment focuses on a broader determinant for success. The former metric is especially important to discuss in relation to early-life education, as the quality of teaching of children has a considerable impact on their future academic success. As shown in the review made by Cortázar et al. (2019), levels of early education academic achievement correlate strongly with further school outcomes and the effectiveness of education as a whole. It is important to consider students’ educational achievements as one of the primary indicators for teaching success. As such, the perfection of early education methods is a necessary part of improving the quality of education as a whole. By allowing children to reach higher limits of both academic achievement and attainment, the education system can significantly improve their outcomes later in life.
Learning Spaces and the Outdoors
In education, especially early on, a variety of factors play a role in how children come to conceptualize learning. Educators work to provide their students with an enriching experience that ideally acts as a way to both provide children with the necessary knowledge, skills, and social competencies to seek self-fulfillment and work within society. In this process, the role of teaching itself is undoubtedly considered to be one of the most important ones, however, there are also other concerns that must be tackled. In particular, the role of the learning environment itself is one that needs attention. Traditionally, teachers operate in classrooms and other educational facilities within a confined space, one which lends itself to an organized and structured rhythm. However, such a space can also be seen as restrictive and inflexible, only allowing a certain set of competencies to be developed in children. Imms et al. (2016) note that the traditional classroom environment can often be limiting to the possible range of experiences children can partake in, leaving a large room for improvement in terms of educational organization. The author further elaborates that classrooms are intellectually boring to students, unengaging, and uncomfortable. Other sources on the matter also indicate that the teaching profession has continuously strived to shift away from the established classroom structure instead of adopting various methods for improving student engagement and morale (Earp, 2019). Taking into consideration such evidence, it becomes apparent that a structural change in the way children are taught is necessary.
A number of programs have been developed in an effort to break from the traditional structure of the educational presentation and offer students an opportunity to gain knowledge and skills in a way structurally different from a normal classroom. Most of such efforts are aimed at helping children develop a diverse set of skills, emotions, and competencies, ones that will aid them in understanding the world, interacting with others, and managing their lives in the future. In particular, the role of the outdoors in the facilitation of various personal, social, and academic competencies in children should be considered. For this assertion, data provided by such sources as Gelblum can be useful. The article on the subject states that the practice has the ability to make children more attentive, engaged, motivated, and disciplined. Research by Cheng et al. (2012) has shown that children are more likely to be interested in learning about nature when they have a point of contact with it or have better exposure to nature. The study has developed a “connection to nature” index, which was used to gauge children’s attitudes towards the subject, including feelings of enjoyment, connection and empathy (Cheng et al., 2012). The results of the investigation provide insight into how young learners interact with the natural world. Such findings suggest that exposure to the outdoors is likely to make kids more interested in learning about it and more receptive to particular types of knowledge. On a similar note, it has also been found that a closer connection to nature has the potential to help them develop environmentally-conscious behaviors. Collado et al. (2013) state that the outdoors is highly underutilized in its educational capacity. The author further explains that the exposure to the outdoor space and positive experiences within it have a direct connection to pro-environmental action. With the increased importance that comes to be placed on environmental awareness in today’s society, the ability of children to become more familiar with the topic is ubiquitously good.
Aside from discussing the importance of interacting with nature, it is also necessary to highlight how novel and flexible ways of teaching work in tandem with outdoor education in helping children develop. Speaking on the validity and effectiveness of non-traditional educational approaches, some specific solutions can be examined. Among such practices, the Montessori method can be noted as an effective tool for improving learning. As a non-traditional approach towards education, it seeks to replace a standard classroom experience with a creatively-driven, hands-on initiative. The method is based on treating the student body not as a collective but as a group of individuals, each with their own problems, skills and competencies. Montessori education works to promote active understanding and interaction between students and their environment (Learning Theories, 2019). Furthermore, this approach towards early education is highly flexible, using its key guidelines as a way to let teachers and childcare professionals construct their own suitable environments for learning. Research and evaluation into the success of this method have been limited, but the existing literature review notes it to be effective in promoting both cognitive and social development of children (Marshall, 2017). Author has reached this conclusion after examining the effectiveness and consequences of applying the Montessori method, as it was covered in relevant educational sources. However, Marshall (2017) notes that the flexible nature of the method can significantly decrease its effectiveness, as its adaptations are usually less “faithful to its creator’s principles” (Marshall, 2017). Therefore, the exact success and effectiveness of the Montessori solution depend mostly on the competencies of educators.
Other solutions towards introducing different environments to education include such programs as the Forest School (Knight, S., 2011). This specific education delivery style demonstrates a fusion between a more traditional learning environment and an outdoors-focused approach. Students are encouraged and made to visit various natural locations, helping them develop skills and learn. The use of forests and the woods is then taken to help children build independence and understand themselves to be a part of nature, which increasingly becomes harder with the advancement of society (Knight, 2013). Work that combines natural spaces and education establishes a sense of connection and community between both individuals and their place in the world while also helping to provide a more varied learning environment.
One of the notable conclusions made by proponents of outside education is its capacity to simulate carried styles of learning, including the visual, auditory, reading or kinaesthetic (Constable, 2014). In the face of this data, however, one should note that the existence of learning styles as a concept and their effect on education has continuously been put into question by research (Dekker et al., 2012). Currently, no reputable sources indicate that students are able to attain better academic success by adhering to their “preferred” style of learning. Although the existence of teaching styles is highly doubtful, the presented conclusions still have important implications on the effectiveness of outside learning. In particular, it means that a non-traditional environment is able to support a variety of teaching models, using visual, auditory and kinetic approaches towards making its learning more approachable, comprehensive and varied. The incorporation of different types of data helps children to retain information better and remember more of what is being discussed.
There are also additional considerations that can be noted in regards to novel methods for children’s education. One of the facets of this discussion rarely brought up is the need to promote environmental consciousness and understanding in younger generations. With the effects of the climate crisis slowly becoming more severe, the role of individuals in the fight towards supporting and conserving the environment becomes bigger. While the personal contribution of a student may be small, the comprehensive change in how generations of children see and interact with the environment plays a vital role in supporting the planet. Environmental organizations such as The Rainforest Alliance (2014) emphasize the need to teach children about nature conservation and other practices. In terms of mental impact, learning in traditional classrooms has been shown to be detrimental to the wellbeing and confidence of students. The emotional and psychological impact of education is crucial in helping children develop and making sure they are able to perform in an academic capacity. The traditional classroom environment has been called boring and restrictive before in this paper, as compared to the outdoors. Outdoor learning has been shown in research, such as Beames et al. (2012), to boost the concentration of children and their capacity to focus on a task. An outside environment has a more positive impact on children’s psyche and their ability to succeed (Barnes and Sharp 2004). Emotional intelligence and the ability to interact with others are also improved in such an environment, as said by Knight (2013). The more free space for learning allows students to express their feelings and emotions more freely, as well as connect with others on a deeper level.
Conclusion
Traditional methods of learning have become obsolete with the discovery and establishment of children’s needs in education. Classic classroom organization is restrictive towards childhood learning and discouraging to the process of self-actualization, which is especially vital during earlier years of growth. Educators and scholars throughout the world have seen the opportunity presented in this discrepancy. Many strides have been made over the years to change the way children’s learning is organized, striving to improve the quality of the process. Therefore, a significant move towards the integration of the outdoors into the learning environment is noticeable, using a variety of different methods to achieve this goal. As a whole, the promotion of outside education is beneficial to both the teaching professionals and their subjects. Studies and practice have shown that the introduction of nature to children is formative towards their attentiveness, worldview, academic capabilities and attitudes towards the environment. Teachers are able to better help children adapt to the needs of the modern world, as well as prepare them for interacting with each other and the society they live in. It is possible to help young kids to be capable of learning, while also increasing their capacity to concentrate on tasks, confidence, interpersonal skills and self-expression. The adoption of various methods towards incorporating the outdoors into teaching is useful and effective in transforming how education is performed on an institutional level, and a number of approaches similar to the Montessori Method have shown to be effective. The integration of forest environments, as shown by forest schools and other types of biomes, helps to provide children with unique experiences and stimulation. The overview created throughout this paper seeks to relay the effectiveness of outdoor learning as a whole and promote its use in early education.
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