What does the research say about
Outdoor Learning?

A Review of Research on Outdoor Learning
by Mark Rickinson et al. Field Studies Council, 2004.

This review brought together the findings from 150 studies in the period 1993-2003 and included most kinds of Outdoor Learning.

Key findings

The impact of fieldwork and visits

Substantial evidence exists to indicate that fieldwork, properly conceived, adequately planned, well taught and effectively followed up, offers learners opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills in ways that add value to their everyday experiences in the classroom.
Specifically, fieldwork can have a positive impact on long-term memory due to the memorable nature of the fieldwork setting. Effective fieldwork, and residential experience in particular, can lead to individual growth and improvements in social skills. More importantly, there can be reinforcement between the affective and the cognitive, with each influencing the other and providing a bridge to higher order learning.
See original document for more points and more detail.

The impact of outdoor adventure activities

Strong evidence of the benefits of outdoor adventure education is provided by two meta-analyses of previous research. Looking across a wide range of outcome measures, these studies identify not only positive effects in the short term, but also continued gains in the long term. However, within these broad trends, there can be considerable variation between different kinds of programmes, and different types of outcomes.
There is substantial research evidence to suggest that outdoor adventure programmes can impact positively on young people's:

- attitudes, beliefs and self-perceptions - examples of outcomes include independence, confidence, self-esteem, locus of control, self-efficacy, personal effectiveness and coping strategies
- interpersonal and social skills - such as social effectiveness, communication skills, group cohesion and teamwork
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The impact of school grounds/community projects

School grounds/community projects have the capacity to link with most curriculum areas. Two specific examples of benefits stemming from this are positive gains in science process skills and improved understanding of design and technology-related issues.
In the affective domain, the most important impacts of learning in school grounds/community settings include greater confidence, renewed pride in community, stronger motivation toward learning, and greater sense of belonging and responsibility
See original document for more points and more detail.

The full summary also includes:

What is Outdoor Learning?