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Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The benefits of outdoor education and guidelines for implementation in an elementary classroom.

Jacqueline Jordan , Butler University

Date of Award

Degree type, degree name.

Honors Thesis

Elementary Education (K-6)

First Advisor

Cathy Hartman

Outdoor education can significantly improve the wellbeing of children, in regards to their mental health, emotional welfare, and physical condition. This thesis will present the existing evidence supporting the benefits of outdoor education, alongside resources and strategies that I have explored to support teachers beginning to take their students outdoors. For the purposes of this thesis, outdoor education is defined as experiential learning that takes place outdoors or focuses on learning about the natural world. The curricular resource portion of the thesis will serve as a guide for educators wanting to implement outdoor education into their classrooms. This will include lesson plans, protocols, student work, and photographs. The curricular resource portion discusses implementing outdoor education into a K-5 general education classroom, but could easily be adapted to fit other settings.

Recommended Citation

Jordan, Jacqueline, "The Benefits of Outdoor Education and Guidelines for Implementation in an Elementary Classroom" (2021). Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection . 571. https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/ugtheses/571

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Outdoor Education and Its Benefits for Diverse Learners

• First Online: 30 July 2023

Cite this chapter

• Stephen T. Schroth 4  

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Alternative Education ((PSAE))

411 Accesses

This chapter examines outdoor education, with a look at its origins in the late nineteenth/early twentieth century in various initiatives such as the camping and scouting movements and as popularized by various institutions such as the National Park Service and the Sierra Club. Growing interest in outdoor education next moved to Europe, where schools in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Scandinavia began the shift to educating children out of the classroom. The distinctions, similarities, and differences between outdoor education, environmental education, sustainability education, and environmental science will be set forth explained. An exploration of some of the successful models of outdoor education currently in use—both those offering an out-of-doors experience and those moving the children almost exclusively outside—will provide some suggestions of what might exist. The benefits for children of outdoor education include increased opportunities for creativity, leadership, critical thinking, and improved group dynamics. Some of the barriers, real and imagined, to outdoor education will be examined, including funding, safety, professional development needs, and resources. Finally, we will look at how outdoor education has benefits for diverse learners (children of color, English language learners [ELLs], and students from low-socioeconomic status [SES] households) that are especially appropriate and tailored to meet their needs.

In Paths Untrodden In paths untrodden, In the growth by margins of pond-waters, Escaped from the life that exhibits itself, From all the standards hitherto publish’d—from the pleasures, profits, conformities, Which too long I was offering to feed my Soul; Clear to me, how, standards not yet publish;d—clear to me that my Soul, That the Soul of the man I speak for, feeds, rejoices in comrades; Here, by myself, away from the clank of the world, Tallying and talk’d to here by tongues aromatic, No longer abash’d—for in this secluded spot I can respond as I would not dare elsewhere, Strong upon me the life that does not exhibit itself, yet contains all the rest, Resolv’d to sing no songs today but those of manly attachment, Projecting them along that substantial life, Bequeathing, hence, types of athletic love, Afternoon, this delicious ninth-mongh, in my forty-first year, I proceed, for all who are, or have been, young men, To tell the secret of my nights and days, To celebrate the need of comrades. (Whitman, 1892/1993)

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Baden-Powell ( 1891 ). It is difficult to overstate Baden-Powell’s influence over scouting and even outdoor education as a whole. Many conceptions that he first brought to the endeavor over a century ago remain extremely significant.

Flavin ( 1996 ). Certainly a great deal of Hahn’s popularity is due to his association with, and promotion by, Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh. This certainly helped make his well known, but Hahn’s ideas resonated with many, from both ends of the political spectrum.

Flavin ( 1996 ). Hahn’s emphasis on the outdoors and hands-on activities, combined with a greater sense of independence for boys that many schools had heretofore offered, resonated with many, especially those weary of the struggles of World War II.

The Duke of Edinburgh Awards remain a unique blend of private support and public endorsement that works so well in the United Kingdom. More information about the awards can be found at https://www.dofe.org/ as well as other websites associated with the awards in other nations.

Croft ( 2019 ). Hahn’s work continues to resonate with many because of its emphasis on how modern life has endangered the development of children through its emphasis on material goods and inactivity associated with a more urban existence.

Flavin ( 1996 ). This emphasis on positive action permeates programs inspired by Hahn’s work.

Flavin ( 1996 ). Hahn’s vision of expeditionary education envisioned these outings as being part of the educational program at a school. In many places, of course, these expeditionary experiences are independent of schools and offered on weekends or during the summer.

See Harvey ( 1999 ). As interest in the outdoors has increased, the work of institutions such as NOLS have served to make such experiences available to an increasingly larger group of children.

Harvey ( 1999 ). These principles have become well known and are seen as the “gold standard” of desired behaviors by those in the field.

NOLS publishes a number of works that may be of use to those seeking to initiate an outdoor education program held in the wilderness, including those by Trantham and Wells ( 2018 ), Schimelphenig ( 2016 ).

Cree and Robb ( 2021 ), Worroll and Houghton ( 2018 ). Forest schools have a certain way of encouraging children to interact with the outdoors and are most common in the United States in the form of PreK programs, and occasionally Kindergarten. Although quite popular at the moment, these principles could easily be used with older children.

See, for example, Minnucci and Teachout ( 2018 ). Much like “outdoor education,” the term forest school has no precise meaning, but instead is a series of plans and programs put together to meet the needs of a particular school community.

See, for example, Christenson ( 2020 ), Delpit ( 2005 ), Ladson-Billings ( 2022 ), Miner ( 2013 ), Schroth and Helfer ( 2018 ). The backgrounds of many diverse learners are different than those of children from other households. Different does not mean less than or better than, but teachers must expect that children from diverse backgrounds will come to the classroom with experiences that are different than those of other learners.

Delpit ( 2005 ), Miner ( 2013 ). These differences may also cause a different response by parents of diverse learners to school initiatives and new programs.

Schroth and Helfer ( 2018 ).

Baden-Powell, R. S. (1891). Reconnaissance and scouting . William Clowes and Sons.

Google Scholar  

Christenson, L. A. (2020). Strength in diversity: A positive approach to teaching dual language learners in in early childhood . Gryphon House.

Cree, J., & Robb, M. (2021). The essential guide to forest school and nature pedagogy . A David Fulton Book/Routledge.

Book   Google Scholar  

Croft, S. (2019). Reconnect and renew: Can the principles of Kurt Hahn and Rudolf Steiner be applied to recovery from addiction? The Highgrove.

Delpit, L. (2005). Other people’s children: Cultural conflict in the classroom . The New Press.

Flavin, M. (1996). Kurt Hahn’s schools & legacy: To discover you can be more and do more than you believed . Middle Atlantic Press.

Harvey, M. (1999). The National Outdoor Leadership School’s wilderness guide: The classic handbook, revised and updated . A Firestone Book.

Ladson-Billings, G. (2022). The dream-keepers: Successful teachers of African American children (3rd ed.). Jossey-Bass.

Miner, B. J. (2013). Lessons from the heartland: A turbulent half-century of public education in an iconic American city . The New Press.

Minnucci, E., & Teachout, M. (2018). A forest days handbook: Program design for school days outside . Green Writers Press.

Schimelphenig, T. (2016). NOLS wilderness medicine (6th ed.). Stackpole Books.

Schroth, S. T., & Helfer, J. A. (2018). Developing teacher diversity in early childhood and elementary education: The REACH program approach . Palgrave Macmillan.

Trantham, G., & Wells, D. (2018). NOLS wilderness navigation (3rd ed.). Stackpole Books.

Whitman, W. (1892/1993). Leaves of grass: The first edition of 1855 + the death bed edition of 1892 . Modern Library.

Worroll, J., & Houghton, P. (2018). A year of forest school: Outdoor play and skill-building fun for every season . Watkins Publishing.

Further Readings

Delpit, L. (2006). Other people’s children: Cultural conflicts in the classroom (2nd ed.). The New Press.

Ladson-Billings, G. (1922). The Dreamkeepers: Successful teaching of African American children (3rd ed.). Jossey-Bass.

Schroth, S. T., & Helfer, J. A. (2018). Developing teacher diversity in early childhood and elementary education: The REACH project approach . Palgrave Macmillan.

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Department of Early Childhood Education, Towson University, Towson, MD, USA

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Schroth, S.T. (2023). Outdoor Education and Its Benefits for Diverse Learners. In: Outdoor Education. Palgrave Studies in Alternative Education. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35422-9_4

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Published : 30 July 2023

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Home > ETDS > UGETD > ENVS Undergraduate Theses > 57

Environmental Studies Electronic Thesis Collection

Can exposure to outdoor education impact the decisions that university of vermont students make throughout and beyond college.

Beatrix Roxane Berry , The University of Vermont Follow

Date of Award

Document type.

Undergraduate Thesis

First Advisor

Jessica Strolin

Second Advisor

Simon Jorgenson

Third Advisor

Zachary Ispa-Landa

University of Vermont, outdoor education, impact, place-based education, wilderness education, experiential education

Outdoor education takes many forms such as wilderness education, adventure-based outdoor education, experiential education, and place-based education. These experiences can last several days, several weeks, several months, and sometimes more than a year. Outdoor education is implemented at many age groups from kindergarten through college level (Deringer & Wiggins, 2018; Djonko-Moore et al., 2018; Quibell, 2017; Taff et al., 2016; Uhls et al., 2014). Studies researching the impacts of outdoor education on students, show that the impact is positive and helps to improve self-confidence, relationships, problem-solving skills, moral development, and connection to nature (Collins et al., 2016; Cooley et al., 2016; Lowenstein & Smith, 2017; Roberts, 2018; Tan & Atencio, 2016). This research thesis will aim to understand the impact that outdoor education has had on the decisions that college students at the University of Vermont have made, are making, and will make in the future. The questionnaire that will be used to gather information will attempt to understand the relationship between the type of outdoor education, the duration of the experience, and the decisions, such as jobs, major, and favorite activities, that students make. In the future, this research could be used to show the effect that outdoor education has had on students and how it differs depending on how long the experience or which type of experience the student had.

Recommended Citation

Berry, Beatrix Roxane, "Can Exposure to Outdoor Education Impact the Decisions that University of Vermont Students Make Throughout and Beyond College?" (2019). Environmental Studies Electronic Thesis Collection . 57. https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/envstheses/57

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• Research in Outdoor Education

About this Journal

Research in Outdoor Education (ROE), the official journal of the Coalition for Education in the Outdoors ( http://www.outdooredcoalition.org ), is a peer-reviewed, scholarly journal seeking to support and further outdoor education and its goals, including personal growth and moral development, team building and cooperation, outdoor knowledge and skill development, environmental awareness, education and enrichment, and research that directly supports systematic assessment and/or evidence-based advances in outdoor education. The Journal is intended to appeal to researchers, practitioners, teachers and post-secondary students through the exploration and discussion of diverse perspectives on the theoretical, empirical, and practical aspects of outdoor education in its broadest sense.

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Available issues, table of contents.

• Volume 17, 2019
• Volume 16, 2018
• Volume 15, 2017
• Volume 14, 2016
• Volume 13, 2015
• Volume 12, 2014
• Volume 11, 2012
• Volume 10, 2010

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• Editorial Board -- Volume 17, 2019
• Editorial Board -- Volume 16, 2018
• Editorial Board -- Volume 15, 2017
• Editorial Board -- Volume 14, 2016

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Outdoor Education: A Synthesis

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Education is a very broad subject for it has many ramifications. We know that we can educate ourselves in countless subjects. We can be educated in biology, literature, behavior, good manners, etc. Nevertheless, we could say that basically we can be educated in two main areas: academic and social. On the one hand, academic education is traditionally restricted to organized institutions such as schools. Social education, on the other hand, can take place anywhere: at the school, home, work site, etc. But, regardless of the source, education implies some, learning on our part. In other words, we have to learn to educate ourselves. The process of Learning, however, can be easy, difficult, boring, or fun. It depends on the circumstances or setting that surrounds the learning. That&#39;s why most people&#39;strive as much as they can to have the proper learning environment, especially if we are young. Unfortunately, when we are young and we feel the urge to know everything and be all ove...

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There can often be confusion among practitioners about the relationship between outdoor education and outdoor recreation and how they relate to personal and social development. This article provides an overview of the relationship of both fields. Consequently, it is important for practitioners to understand and as an eye opener about the roots and its notions. The discussion hopefully will enlighten the issues of sceptical perception for both groups of practitioners’ due to lack of understanding the notion, method, fundamental theoretical and objectives of each field.

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This article explores some of the benefits of outdoor education and examines some of the historical approaches taken to outdoor education, with an emphasis on current trends in the field. Specifically, fostering environmental stewardship through connections to the outdoors, incorporating Indigenous perspectives into practice, and place-based education are discussed. Natural links between these trends are explored, and areas of possible tension between these approaches are examined. The value of outdoor education lies in the multitude of benefits it provides to those who participate. Outdoor education has historically been adventure-based education, with a focus on individual health and personal growth through camping and survival skills. However, recent trends in outdoor education are shifting the focus away from individual health and wellness goals to fostering environmental stewardship through connections to the outdoors. Another current trend is incorporating Indigenous perspecti...

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