The CLOTC and Beames, Higgins and Nicol (2012) suggest it can be viewed in four geographical zones;The school grounds ,The locality 3. Day Excursions (visit to different town, place or Informal Learning Settings e.g. museums etc. 4. Residential visits
Robin Hammerton HMI “Learning outside the classroom had positive benefits for all groups of young people, including those underachieving or not sufficiently motivated by mainstream provision.” (2011)
When they took part in outdoor learning children:
· “Performed significantly better on achievement tests”
· And pupils “expressed high interest and well-being and low anger, anxiety, and boredom”
(Maller C in Dillon, 2010)
UK research has also shown that there is also a “disparity in children’s access to high quality natural environments. All children benefit from opportunities provided by access to outdoor space but these benefits are not equally distributed. Whilst children have universal rights and needs, poverty places severe limits upon the extent to which they can be recognised”
Thomas and Thompson, (2004) A child’s place: why environment matters to children
“ We have created a Pupil Premium, intended to raise the attainment of children from low-income families. This could be used to give fairer access to nature for pupils from deprived backgrounds, for example funding school trips to experience the natural environment. It will be for schools to decide how best to use the Premium for the benefit of their pupils…”
DEFRA (2013) The Natural Choice: Securing the Value of Nature
“When planned and implemented well, learning outside the classroom contributed significantly to raising standards and improving pupils’ personal, social and emotional development.”
Learning outside the classroom can also help to combat under-achievement…”
OFSTED 2008
· First-hand experiences…can help to make subjects more vivid and interesting for pupils and enhance their understanding OFSTED
· “high quality, out-of-classroom learning … influenced how children behave and the lifestyle choices they make. It shows the potential […] not just to change individual lives, but the lives of whole communities”... Peacock, 200617
· the Teaching and Learning Research Programme (TLRP)19 concluded as one of its ten principles for effective teaching and learning that learning in informal contexts „such as learning out of school, should be recognised as at least as significant as formal learning and should therefore be valued and appropriately utilised in formal processes‟.
· By far the greatest proportion of research findings focus on the impact of LINE on participants‟ knowledge and understanding. Specifically, students perform better in reading, mathematics, science and social studies and show greater motivation for studying science. (Dickie. I, Ozdemiroglu. E, and Phang V:2012)
· Environmental-based education makes other school subjects rich and relevant and gets apathetic students excited about learning. Dickie. I, Ozdemiroglu. E,...