Outdoor Learning in the Curriculum
Robbie Nicol Moray House School of Education The University of Edinburgh January 2013
[email protected] www.education.ed.ac.uk/outdoored/
Just Being There! The restorative environments – Kaplan and Kaplan. Heath and Well-Being Agenda informed by Psychologicalevolutionary theory. The morale significance of presence.
Is “Green” Good For You? Biophilia (E.O. Wilson) Sunlight and vitamin D Recovery from stress
Catharine Ward Thompson Objective measure of the relationship between green spaces and stress based on cortisol levels http://www.openspace.eca.ac.uk/r esearchteam_cthompson.php
Being Outdoors is Good
Looking Ahead What future do we envision for our work?
Outdoor Experiences are Special BUT…. • Nature-based experiences may be good for us BUT • In what ways are they good for the planet? • The emerging concept of Environmental Sustainability
Some Propositions • The ecological, economic and social environment of our planet will change considerably in the 21st century • The education systems of the world will have to adapt to prepare young people for an uncertain future • YP will need to be prepared in terms of knowledge and skills, critical awareness, attitudes, personal and social qualities, and above all the capacity to continue to learn.
What will we need to teach? 1 How do the ecological systems of the Earth function? 2 How are we personally tied into these systems in our lives? 3 How can we make changes (individually and collectively) in order to lessen our impact upon these systems?
Why Outdoor Education? • Being in ‘the environment’ and experiencing natural processes • BECAUSE WE ARE ALREADY THERE – IMMERSED.
Impact of outdoor learning on attitudes to sustainability & global citizenship • Sustainable behaviours depend on an empathy and an ethic of care towards the environment • Teachers and pupils need to develop their ecological literacy and gain a sound understanding of key ecological principles to help them understand the impact of their actions and manage their behaviour • Direct hands-on experiences in nature helps students develop a sense of place and connection to the local area and the wider world around them Christie & Higgins 2012
Policy issues (Scotland)
A Curriculum for Excellence • Values:‘wisdom, compassion, integrity and justice’ • The four‘capacities’(‘successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors, responsible citizens’) • Educational principles to pervade teaching • Subject areas must address these • Progression from 3 – 18
Learning and Teaching Scotland, 2005
A framework for learning outdoors “The journey through education for any child in Scotland must include opportunities for a series of planned, quality outdoor learning experiences.” Learning & Teaching Scotland 2010 p. 5
Education Scotland Outdoor Learning Officer in 26 of 32 Local Authorities (December 2012)
Learning For Sustainability (One Planet Schools) Brings together sustainable development education, global citizenship and outdoor learning.
One Planet Schools
(ESD, GC, OL)
UN University Regional Centre of Expertise in ESD
General Teaching Council – Professional Standards (Values, Leadership, Sustainability)
Other Ministerial Advisory Groups
Learning for Sustainability
(Scottish Studies, Modern Languages, Science)
Intended to make “an essential contribution to building the values, attitudes, knowledge, skills and confidence needed to engage positively with the challenges our society and the world face.”
“This is a Scotland where learners are educated through their landscape and understand their environment, culture and heritage; where they develop a sense of place and belonging to their local, national and global community, and have a deep connection to the natural world. Here, learners will understand the significance of their choices, now and in the future.”
“Our intention is to ensure that learning relating to sustainable development, global citizenship and outdoor learning is experienced in a transformative way by every learner in every school across Scotland.”
“Learning for sustainability is not intended to replace what schools are already doing but to build on it by providing a linking thread...”
“In line with the new GTCS Professional Standards, every practitioner, school and education leader should demonstrate learning for sustainability in their practice”
Future Worries • Maintaining the momentum • There is no room for complacency • The Outdoor Learning/Education question • Save our Centres! • Open new ones?
The Devolution Question • Does England Need Devolution?
http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=j92Tk4xnPb8 • At the Council of Outdoor Educators of Ontario annual conference (2012), members were asked to finish the statement: Outdoor Education is...
Outdoor Learning in the Curriculum
Robbie Nicol Moray House School of Education The University of Edinburgh January 2013
[email protected] www.education.ed.ac.uk/outdoored/
