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NaturalOutdoorClassrooms:ANationalSurvey
SamuelDennisJr,ChristineKiewra,andAlexandraWellswithphotographsandquotesfromfollow-upinterviewsbyRodDiercks
September2019
FINALREPORT
Photo©NatureExplore
AcknowledgementsTheNationalNaturalOutdoorClassroomStudywasconceivedthroughapartnershipbetweenNatureExplore,TheOutdoorClassroomProject,andtheEnvironmentalDesignLabintheDepartmentofPlanningandLandscapeArchitectureattheUniversityofWisconsin-Madison.SurveyanalysiswasconductedbyAlexandraWells,ManagingDirector,TheEnvironmentalDesignLab.SurveydevelopmentwasajointprojectwithNancyRosenowandChristineKiewraofNatureExploreandtheUniversityofNebraska-Lincoln,EricNelsonandElyssaNelsonoftheOutdoorClassroomProject,andSamuelDennis,Jr.andAlexandraWellsoftheEnvironmentalDesignLab,UniversityofWisconsin-Madison.SurveyimplementationwascontractedthroughtheUniversityofWisconsinSurveyCenter(UWSC).TheUWSCisadepartmentoftheCollegeofLettersandScienceattheUniversityofWisconsin-MadisonandissupportedbytheCollegeandrevenuegeneratedfromcontractualwork.TheUWSCservesthesurveyresearchneedsofUniversityofWisconsinfaculty,staff,andadministration;federal,state,andlocalgovernmentalagenciesandnot-for-profitorganizations.ProfessorNoraCateSchaefferistheFacultyDirectoroftheUWSurveyCenter.VickiJ.LeinservedasProjectDirectoronthisproject.Aresearchadvisorycouncilofnationalexperts(listedonthefollowingpage)wasconvenedatthebeginningoftheprojecttohelpguidedevelopmentofthesurveybyidentifyingareasofneedasidentifiedintheirowndisciplineaswellasexistingresearchthatcouldinformthisproject.Thegroupmetagaininsummer2015todiscusspreliminarysurveyresultsandtoprovideinputoninterpretation.Follow-upideaswereprovidedthroughelectroniccommunications.TargetedindividualinterviewswerecarriedoutbyRodDiercks,ProfessorofEducationatDoaneUniversity.In2017thegroupreviewedadraftofthepreliminaryreportandprovidedsuggestions.ThecoreresearchgroupthenreviewedandapprovedtheFinalReportdocumentandcompleteditinSeptember,2019.
ResearchAdvisoryCouncilAdriánCerezoCaballero,PhDAdjunctAssociateProfessorattheUniversityofMissouriandAssociateDirectorforConservationEducationResearch,St.LouisZooBradleyCorr,DPTMunroeMeyerInstitute,UniversityofNebraskaMedicalCenter,PhysicalTherapistRodDiercks,PhDDoaneUniversity,ProfessorofEducationRobertaGoldberg,PhDTheFrostigCenter,Consultation&EducationDepartmentDirectorJimJohnson,PhDDoaneUniversity,SecondaryMathematicsEducationProfessorMichikoMartin,MSU.S.ForestService,DirectorofConservationEducationChristyMerrick,MEMNorthAmericanAssociationforEnvironmentalEducation,DirectoroftheNaturalStartAllianceChinReginaReyes,PhDZiglerCenterinChildDevelopmentandSocialPolicy,AssociateResearchScientistPaulSimon,MD,MPH DirectoroftheDivisionofChronicDiseaseandInjuryPreventionattheLosAngelesCountyDepartmentofPublicHealthDavidSobel,MEdAntiochUniversityinNewEngland,EducationDepartment,FacultyAndreaFaberTaylor,PhDUniversityofIllinois,Urbana-Champaign,ResearcherandProfessorJulieThomas,PhDUniversityofNebraska-Lincoln,ElementaryScienceTeacherEducation,ResearchProfessor YasminaVinci,MPANationalHeadStartProgram,ExecutiveDirectorSusanAldenWeingardt,MSUSDAForestService,PartnershipLiaisonfortheRockyMountainRegion
ContactInformationChristineKiewraAssistantProfessorofPracticeUniversityofNebraska-LincolnChild,Youth&FamilyStudiesckiewra2@unl.eduResearchAdvisorNatureExplore|DimensionsEducationalResearchFoundationwww.natureexplore.orgEricNelsonDirector,ConsultingandProfessionalDevelopmentOutdoorClassroomProject/ChildEducationalCenter140FoothillBlvd.LaCanada,CA91011eric.nelson@ceconline.orgwww.outdoorclassroomproject.orgSamuelDennis,Jr.,PhDASLAAssociateProfessor&ResearchDirectorTheEnvironmentalDesignLabDepartmentofPlanningandLandscapeArchitectureUniversityofWisconsin–Madison1450LindenDriveMadison,WI53706samuel.dennis@wisc.eduwww.edl.wisc.edu
TableofContents�
1)ExecutiveSummary...................................................................................................1
Background...................................................................................................................................1SurveyObjective...........................................................................................................................1PilotStudy.....................................................................................................................................1SurveyMethodology.....................................................................................................................2KeyFindings..................................................................................................................................2
2)BackgroundandObjectives.......................................................................................3
StudyBackground.........................................................................................................................3PilotStudy(2014)..........................................................................................................................4SurveyObjectives..........................................................................................................................4
3)Methods....................................................................................................................7
SurveyDesign................................................................................................................................7SurveyResponseRate...................................................................................................................9
4)Results.....................................................................................................................11
1.LearningandDevelopment.....................................................................................................112.SupportingChildren’sNeeds...................................................................................................143.Children’sBehaviors...............................................................................................................154.Differing/SpecialNeeds..........................................................................................................175.AttentionRestoration(Children)............................................................................................186.AttentionRestoration(Teacher).............................................................................................197.TeacherSelfEfficacy...............................................................................................................208.DesignFeatures.......................................................................................................................229.Administrators........................................................................................................................25
5)ConclusionsandRecommendations.........................................................................26
LearningandDevelopment.........................................................................................................26DesignFeatures..........................................................................................................................26SupportingAllChildren’sNeeds.................................................................................................26Children’sBehavior.....................................................................................................................27AttentionRestorationforChildrenandAdults...........................................................................27TeacherSelf-Efficacy...................................................................................................................27EducatorTrainingandExperience..............................................................................................27Administrators............................................................................................................................28Recommendations......................................................................................................................28
ListofTables
Table1:NaturalOutdoorClassroomStudyMailingSchedule..................................................................8
Table2:FinalDispositionofWeb-QuestionnaireVisits............................................................................8
Table3:CenterLevelResponsebyNumberofEligibleResponses...........................................................9
Table4:IndividualResponse-QuestionnaireType..................................................................................9
Table5:ParticipatingSitesbyCertification.............................................................................................10
Table6:EducatorTimeSpentSupportingChildren’sDevelopment.......................................................11
Table7:EducatorTimeSpentNoticingChildren’sBehaviors.................................................................16
Table8:EducatorObservationsChildren’sIndoorBehavior...................................................................18
Table9:EducatorPerceptionsofTheirOwnBehavior...........................................................................19
Table10:EducatorSelf-EfficacyforHelpingChildrenintheOutdoorClassroom...................................21
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1)EXECUTIVESUMMARY
BackgroundDimensionsEducationalResearchFoundation,withitsNatureExploreProgram,andChildEducationalCenter,withitsOutdoorClassroomProjectareamongtheorganizationsattheforefrontofthemovementintheUnitedStatestocreatenature-basedlearningenvironmentsinearlychildhoodsettings.Todate,hundredsofnaturaloutdoorclassroomshavebeenbuiltusingtheirevidence-basedguidingprinciples.Moreresearchonhowthesenaturalspacesareaffectingchildren’slearningcaninfluenceeducators,administrators,schooldistrictofficials,andpolicymakerstomakeinformeddecisionsregardingwhereandhowtoinvestresourcesthatenhanceeducationquality.Tosupportthiseffort,amulti-disciplinaryResearchAdvisoryCouncilwascreatedtoprovideguidanceregardingtheemphasisofthisstudy,andtoperiodicallyreviewthedataanalysisandinterpretation.Involvingadvisorsfromavarietyofdisciplines,includingdesign,education,health,andmentalhealthfieldsintheplanningofthestudywillenableustogatherthemostvaluableinformationandthendisseminateitinthemostusefulvenues.Weconvenedthroughin-personandonlinemeetingsandusedelectroniccorrespondencetoshareinformationandideas.ThesurveywasdevelopedbySamuelDennisJrandAlexandraWellsoftheEnvironmentalDesignLabattheUniversityofWisconsin-Madison.
SurveyObjectiveThegoaloftheprojectwastoconductasurveywitheducatorsandadministratorswhoworkwithchildreninnaturaloutdoorclassroomstoexamineeducators’observationsandperceptionsrelatedtosupportingchildren’ssocial,emotional,cognitiveandphysicaldevelopment;educatorperceptionsoftheirownexperiencesintheoutdoorclassroom;andadministrators’perceivedvalueofnaturaloutdoorclassroomsfortheirprograms.Asafollow-uptopilotresearchconductedin2014,thelarger-scaleinitiativestudiedtheefficacyofnature-basedoutdoorclassroomsindeliveringwhole-childlearning,specificallyinsupportingchildren’sinitiative,creativity,skill-development,healthyeating,social-emotionaldevelopmentandenvironmentalstewardship.
PilotStudyApostoccupancystudyconductedbytheEnvironmentalDesignLab(EDL)forNatureExploreandtheOutdoorClassroomProjectexaminedtheextenttowhichnaturaloutdoorclassroomsproducedtheirintendedoutcomes.Findingssupportedexistingtheorieslinkingnature-basedoutdooreducationtopositivelearninganddevelopmentaloutcomes.TheresultsofthepilotwerepublishedinDennis,S.F.,Wells,A.,&Bishop,C.(2014)APost-OccupancyStudyofNature-BasedOutdoorClassroomsinEarlyChildhoodSettings.Children,YouthandEnvironments24(2):35-52.Accessthefullpaperat:http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7721/chilyoutenvi.24.2.0035
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SurveyMethodologyTheUniversityofWisconsinSurveyCentercontacted274sitesthatwerecertifiedorrecognizedbyNatureExplore,TheOutdoorClassroomProject,orboth.Educatorsandadministratorsatthesiteswereinvitedtotakeaweb-basedsurvey.Thesurveyaskededucatorsquestionsrelatedtotheirsupportofchildren’sdevelopment,interests,needs,andattentionrestoration.Questionsabouteducators’perceptionsoftheirownworkincludedself-efficacy,attentionrestoration,andtheimportanceofdesignfeatures,aswellasquestionsaboutexperience,trainingandtimespentintheoutdoorclassroom.Administratorswereaskedaboutstaffappreciation,interestintheprogram,andofficialrecognition.
KeyFindingsEducatorsMosteducatorsfeltthatinthenaturaloutdoorclassroom:
• theysupportedchildren’slearninganddevelopmentinalldomainswiththemostfrequentbeingcreativityandimaginationandsocialemotionaldevelopment;
• theycouldobservechildren’sinterests/needsmorethanonatraditionalplayground;• childrenwithidentifiedspecialneedsweremoreengagedintheoutdoorclassroomthan
indoors;• theysawpositiveorappropriatedevelopmentalbehaviorsinchildren;• theynoticedrestorativeaspectstochildren’sbehaviorwhenreturningindoors;• theythemselvesfeltrefreshedandpatientandthereforebetterabletorespondtochildren’s
need;• theyfeltincreasedeffectivenessintheirworkastheywereabletoadjustactivitiestothe
appropriatelevelforchildrenandmoreabletocalmupsetchildren.AdministratorsAdministratorsatprogramswithnaturaloutdoorclassrooms(includingearlychildhoodeducationsettings,elementaryschools,andpublicsettingssuchaslibrariesandnaturecenters)feltthathavingacertifiedorotherwiseofficiallyrecognizednaturaloutdoorclassroomaddedvaluetotheireducationalprogram,by:
• increasinginterestinthecenteranditsprograms;• offeringofficialrecognitionthataninformaloutdoorclassroomcouldnot;and• increasingstaffsatisfaction.
SupplementalInterviewsandPhotographsRodDiercksfromDoaneUniversitytraveledtoseveralNatureExploreandOutdoorClassroomsitestotakephotographsofthenaturaloutdoorclassroomswhiletheywerebeingusedandinterviewedstaffmembers.HefollowedtheinterviewprotocoldevelopedattheUniversityofWisconsinandusedintheinitialPilotStudy.Quotationsandsomeofthephotosinthisreportarefromthoseinterviews.Pseudonymshavebeenusedtoprotecttheprivacyofprogramsandchildren.
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2)BACKGROUNDANDOBJECTIVES
StudyBackgroundDimensionsEducationalResearchFoundation,withitsNatureExploreProgramandChildEducationalCenter,withitsOutdoorClassroomProjectareamongtheorganizationsattheforefrontofthemovementtocreatenature-basedlearningenvironmentsinearlychildhoodandothereducationalsettings.Todate,hundredsofnaturaloutdoorclassroomshavebeenbuiltusingtheirevidence-basedguidingprinciples.
NatureExplorebeganresearch-basedprogramofDimensionsEducationalResearchFoundation,anon-profitorganizationbasedinLincoln,Nebraska.Theprogramfocusesonsupportingchildren'sengagementwiththenaturalworldthroughtheintegrationofnatureandtheoutdoorsintodailylearning.NatureExplorehasbeenconsulting,researching,providingeducatorworkshops,anddesigningresearch-basednaturaloutdoorclassroomsnationallyandinternationallysince1998.Asofthiswriting,thereareover450CertifiedNatureExploreclassroomsatschools,earlychildhoodprograms,libraries,museums,naturecentersandothereducationalsitesaroundtheworld.NatureExploreCertifiedclassroomsmustcomplywithspecificrequirementstoreceivecertification,includingfollowingtheresearch-baseddesignguidelines,annualmaintenance,staffdevelopment,andfamilyinvolvement.TheOutdoorClassroomProjectisaninitiativeoftheChildEducationalCenter,anonprofitchildcareprogramaffiliatedwiththeCaliforniaInstituteofTechnologyandtheNASAJetPropulsionLaboratoryinLaCañada,California.Theinitiative'spremiseisbasedontheassertionthatchildrenarelearningeverywhereandallthetime,andthereforeneedabroadvarietyoflearningexperiencesandopportunitiesinnaturaloutdoorsettingsaswellasindoors.TheOutdoorClassroomProjectwascreatedin2003,basedon35yearsoffield-testedexperienceandearlychildhoodresearch.Sinceitsinception,theprojecthasrecognizedover60educationcentersasOutdoorClassrooms,manyofwhichalsoserveasdemonstrationsites.Toberecognized,classroomsmustagreetomaintainstandardsthatshowanongoingcommitmenttotheprinciplesoftheOutdoorClassroomProject.Bothinitiativesarebasedonthedesignofoutdoorspacesthatincludedevelopmentallyappropriatelearningopportunities,child-initiatedexperiences,open-endedplaysettings,andtheimportanceofeducators’rolesinsupportinglearning.ThecertifiedNatureExploreclassroomsarebasedonevidence-basedguidingdesignprinciplesaswell.Thetwoorganizationshaveastronginterestinresearchandhavecollaboratedonseveralresearchinitiativesthatexaminethepositiveimpactsofnaturaloutdoorclassroomsonchildhealthanddevelopment.
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PilotStudy(2014)ApostoccupancystudyconductedbytheEDLwithNatureExploreandtheOutdoorClassroomProjectexaminedtheextenttowhichnaturaloutdoorclassroomsproducedtheirintendedoutcomes.Thestudygatheredpost-occupancydataforelevenclassroomsitesusingsemi-structuredtelephoneinterviews.Overall,ourfindingsprovidedstrongsupportsforexistingtheorieslinkingnature-basedoutdooreducationtopositivelearninganddevelopmentaloutcomes,includingenhancedimaginativeplay,increasedphysicalandmentalwell-being,andheightenedenvironmentalstewardship.Theoutdoorclassroomenvironmentsdescribedmostfavorablyininterviewswerethosethat:(1)maximizedchoices,(2)providedmanydistinctspacesatallscales,butespeciallychild-sizedones,(3)embeddedplayaffordanceswithinpathwaysandborders,(4)encouragedspatialevolutioninresponsetochangingconditions,and(5)supportedongoingstakeholderengagement,especiallywithfamilies.PilotStudyFindings:
• Thisstudyconfirmedthecrucialrolenature-basedsettingsplayinsupportingpositivelearningoutcomesforchildren.
• Teachersnotedpositivebehavioraloutcomesforchildrenaftertheinstallationoftheoutdoorclassroom.Thiswasattributedtochildrenconnectingwithlivingthingsandparticipatinginfull-bodiedlearning.
• Teachersreportedthefollowingbehaviorinchildren:morerelaxed,happier,lessimpulsive,morefocused,moreengaged,cooperative,nurturingandmorecreative.Thiswascomparedwithchildreninindoorclassroomsorontraditionalplaygrounds.
• Outdoorclassroomssupportedcurriculargoalsandhelpedextendengagementintotheindoorclassrooms.
• Teachersreportedincreasedtimespentplayingandlearningoutdoors(uptoseveralmorehoursperday).
• ThepositiveperformanceofdefinedspaceswithintheNatureExploreOutdoorClassroomswasoverwhelming.Itwasattributedtothemanychoicesinmaterials,settings,andplayaffordances;andtheprovisionofawidevarietyofsmall,child-scaledsettings.
• Thenumberandvarietyofwell-definedspaceswaslinkedtolongerexploration,fewernegativebehaviors,andmorecooperativeplay.
SurveyObjectivesThegoalofthissurveywastofurtherexplorethepilotstudyoutcomesonalargerscale.Throughanationalsurveyofeducatorsandadministratorswhoworkwithchildreninnaturaloutdoorclassrooms,wewantedtolearnmoreabouttheirperceptionsoftheeducationalvalueofthosespaces.Thesurveywasdesignedtoevaluate:
• educators’observationsandperceptionsofchildren’sexperiencesinthenaturaloutdoorclassroom;
• educators’perceptionsoftheirownexperiencesinthenaturaloutdoorclassroom;and,• administrators’perceptionsofthevalueofnaturaloutdoorclassroomsfortheirprograms.
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Thequestionnaireaskededucatorsquestionsaboutthefollowingareas:
• timespentsupportingchildren’ssocial-emotional,cognitive,andphysicaldevelopment;• timespentobservingchildren’sinterestsandneeds;• thefrequencywithwhichtheyobservedchildrenengaginginsocial-emotional,cognitive,and
physicallearningexperiences;• observationsofchildren’sattentionrestorationwhentheyreturnedtotheclassroomafter
timespentinthenaturaloutdoorclassroom;and,• perceptionsabouttheirownteachingeffectivenessinthenaturaloutdoorclassroom.
ThepilotstudyandpreviousDimensionsresearchindicatesthateducatorsusingnaturaloutdoorclassroomsfrequentlysupportratherthandirectlearningwhentheyteachinthenaturaloutdoorclassroom(NOC).Thatiswhyweaskededucatorsabouthowoftentheysupportedlearning.Becauseeducatorsinthepilotstudyreportedfrequentchild-initiatedactivityinthenaturaloutdoorclassroom(NOC),weaskedmorebroadlyaboutinterestsandneeds.Wewantedtoseehowoftenchildrengetengagedsocially,mentally,andphysicallyinaNOCascomparedtotraditionalplaygroundsandindoorclassrooms.Wealsoaskedabouteducators’perceptionsoftheinfluenceoftheNOConthemselvesbecausethisissuewasraisedinpilotstudyinterviews.Questionsdevelopedtoexamineeducators’perceptionsoftheinfluenceoftheNOCtotheirworkincluded:
• Howrestoredtheyfeltafterreturningindoorsfromtheoutdoorclassroom• Howmuchworkingintheclassroomsuitedtheirteachingstyle• Theimportanceofvariousoutdoorclassroomdesignfeatures
ThisareaofquestionsstemmedfromAttentionRestorationTheoryaswellasthepilotstudythatnoted:
“…thenaturalsettingsprovidedimportanthealthandwellnessbenefitsforteachers,staff,parentsandotheradults.Theytooexperiencedthepositiveeffectsofspendingtimeinnature.Successfuldesignsincludedadult-sizedfeaturesthataccommodatedteachermeetings,lunches,strolls,andbreaks,reducingstressandimprovingmood.Mostimportant,interactingdirectlywiththenaturalenvironmentprovidedanemotionallinktotheirownpastexperiences.”“Themostvividstoriesdescribedthepositiveeffectsthesenaturalsettingshadonteacherengagement.Themostcommonthreadtoemergewasthatnature-basedoutdoorclassroomsreducedbehaviorissuesamongthechildren,liberatingteachersfromtheirstressfulroleasplaygroundpolice.Thisallowedtheminsteadtobemoreengagedinteaching,playing,andinteractingwithchildreninpositive,supportiveandsatisfyingways.Almostallteachersexperiencedstressreduction—andnoticeditintheircolleagues—oncethenatureclassroomswereinstalled.Theydescribedbeingmoreconnected,moreinterested,andcalmerbecausetheycouldteach,scaffold,andenjoybeingwiththechildren.Onerespondentexplainedthatnaturalspaceswereintrinsicallyinterestingforteachers;monkeybars,sheconceded,wereboring.Thisinterestallowedteacherstoberighttherewiththechildren,notsupervisingbehaviorsorenforcingrules,butteaching,explaining,andplayingalongsidethem.”FromDennis,S.F.,Wells,A.,&Bishop,C.(2014)APost-OccupancyStudyofNature-BasedOutdoorClassroomsinEarlyChildhoodSettings.Children,YouthandEnvironments24(2):35-52.
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Educatorswerealsoaskedabouttheirexperienceandtraining:• Howmanyhourstheyspentintheclassroom• Howmanyyearstheyhadworkedasaneducator• Howmanyyearstheyhadworkedinanoutdoorclassroom• Whethertheyhadreceivednaturaloutdoorclassroomtraining
Educationalresearchindicatesthevalueofteacherexperienceandongoingprofessionaldevelopment.ThisareaofquestionsexpandspreviousDimensionsresearchthatindicatesthatteachersareabletoobserveabroadrangeofchildren’sinterestsandneedswhentheyhavehadprofessionaldevelopment/trainingthroughworkshopstorecognizethevalueinwhatchildrenaredoing.TheyalsoneedtohaveaNOCwithacompletemixofactivitiesthatmeetchildren’svaryingneedsthroughoutthedayandtheirdiverselearningstylesandpreferences.Administratorswereasked:
• howoftenstaffmembersexpressedappreciationfortheirtimeintheoutdoorclassroom;
• howmuchinterestintheprogramhadchangedsincetheoutdoorclassroomaddition;and,
• howimportantofficialrecognitionoftheiroutdoorclassroomwasThepilotstudyindicatedthevalueofformalrecognitionofnaturaloutdoorclassrooms.“TheNatureExploreClassroomsprogramhasaformalcertificationprocessthatrecognizesorganizationsthathavemadeanongoingcommitmenttonaturallearninginanoutdoorclassroom.Therequirementsincludefollowingevidence-baseddesignguidelines,trainingofteachersandstaff,andenhancementoffamilyinvolvement.Thecertificationrequiresevidenceofannualmaintenance.Participantsfromthesesiteswereaskediftheywerecertified(allwere)andifso,why?Responsesrangedfromtheknowledgethatcertificationaddedcredibilitytotheirprogram,tothebenefitsofbeingheldaccountabletoaformalsetofstandards.Manyalsomentionedthebenefitsofadheringtoevidence-baseddesignguidelinesaswellasprovidingannualcontinuingeducationforteachers.ForOutdoorClassroomProjectparticipants,becominganofficialdemonstrationsitewassimilarlyasought-afterdesignation.Teachersvaluedthisassociationforcommunicatingthevalueofoutdoorclassroomstoothersandfortrainingteachersandadministratorsfromotherearlychildhoodeducationcenters.Forparticipatingsitesinbothprograms,formalrecognitionsupportedoutreachandadvocacyfornature-basedoutdoorclassrooms.”
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3)METHODS
SurveyDesignTheNaturalOutdoorClassroomStudywasaweb-administeredquestionnaireofeducatorsandadministratorsatearlychildhoodprograms,elementaryschools,andothersitesthathavenaturaloutdoorclassrooms.ThesurveywasconductedbytheUniversityofWisconsinSurveyCenteronbehalfofDr.SamuelDennis,JrandAlexandraWells,UniversityofWisconsinDepartmentofPlanningandLandscapeArchitecture.ThesurveywasadministeredbeginningonApril21,2015andclosedonMay12,2015.Potentialsitesincluded274naturaloutdoorclassroomsin39USstates,WashingtonDC,and2Canadianprovinces,OntarioandNewBrunswick.Alistofeligiblesiteswithcontactsnames,emailsandpostaladdresseswasprovidedbyNatureExploreandtheOutdoorClassroomProjectandpublicdataavailablethroughanInternetsearch.Eligibleparticipantsincludedadulteducatorsand/oradministratorswhoworkeddirectlywithanaturaloutdoorclassroomthathadbeencertifiedorrecognizedbyNatureExploreortheOutdoorClassroomProject,orboth.Individualswhodidnotmeetthesecriteriawereexcludedfromthesurvey.Toprotectparticipants,ethicalhumanresearchprotocolswerefollowed,andtheprojectreceivedapprovalfromtheUniversityofWisconsin-Madison’sEducationandSocial/BehavioralScienceInstitutionalReviewBoardpriortoimplementation.TheUWSurveyCenterwassentthelistofeligiblecenters.Acontactateachcenterwassentanemailthatbothinvitedthemtoparticipateinthisresearchandaskedthattheyforwardtheemailinvitationontoothereducatorsandadministratorsattheircenterwhoworkedinthenaturaloutdoorclassroom.Inthisway,itwashopedthatmultiplerespondentsateachcenterwouldparticipate,ideallyaminimumoftwoeducatorsandoneadministratorpercenter.Theweb-basedquestionnairedesignconsistedoffourwavesofemailssenttothecentercontactpeople,askingthateducatorsandadministersatthecenterparticipate.All274centerswithvalidcontactpersonemailaddressesreceivedaninitialfullemailthatincludedanexplanationofthestudy,aninvitationtoparticipate,anopenlinktothesurveywebsite,andarequesttoforwardtheinvitationandthelinkontoothereducatorsandadministratorsatthecenter.Mailingsreturnedundeliverableweresenttotheclientforreview.Ifabetteremailaddresswasfound,theaddresswasupdated,andtheinitialemailresentassoonaspossible.Threereminderemailsweresentinthethreeweeksfollowingtheinitialinvitation,eachagaininvitingtherecipienttoparticipateandrequestingthattheysharetheinvitation,reminderandtheopenlinkwithothersattheorganizationwhomightworkwiththenaturaloutdoorclassroom.Asreminderemailsincludednotonlyadirectinvitationtoparticipatebutalsoarequestthattheinvitationorreminderbesharedwithothers,theycontinuedtobesentevenifaresponsewasreceivedfromthecenter.Reminderemailswerediscontinuediffiveormorecompletedquestionnaireswerereceivedfromacenter,oruponrequest.
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TheNaturalOutdoorClassroomStudymailingschedulecanbeseeninTable1below.Itincludesthedateofeachmailing,andthenumberofemailssent.Noneoftheemailsmentionedaspecificdatebywhicharesponsewasrequired.TheUWSurveyCenterstoppedcollectingsurveysonJune9,2015.
Table1:NaturalOutdoorClassroomStudyMailingSchedule
Emails (N) Date
Initialinvitation* 274 April21,2015
Firstreminder 272 April28,2015
Secondreminder 251 May5,2015
Thirdreminder 244 May12,2015
SurveyClosed June9,2015
*Doesnotincludeemailsresenttobetteremailaddresses.Theweb-administeredquestionnairewasprogrammedtorequireanswersonlytotheinitialtwoscreeningquestionsthatdeterminedwhichquestionswereappropriate.Respondentswereeitheraskedthequestionsforteachers,foradministrators,bothsetsofquestions,orweredeemedineligible.Aftertheinitialscreeningquestions,allsubsequentquestionsallowedrespondentstomoveforwardtothenextquestionwithoutansweringthepreviousquestions.Dependingontheirroleatthecenter,respondentscouldparticipateintheeducatorquestionnaire,theadministratorquestionnaireorboth.Thetotalnumberofeligiblecompletedquestionnaireswas545,with532completes,13usablepartialcompletes.Inaddition,therewere7ineligiblecompletes.SeedetailsinTable2,below.
Table2:FinalDispositionofWeb-QuestionnaireVisits
Finaldisposition Number
Complete(eligible) 532
Usablepartialcomplete(eligible) 13
Complete(ineligible)* 7
Breakoff(ineligible) 69
Noitemscompleted(ineligible) 18
Totalvisitstoweb-questionnaire 639
*Neitherateachernoranadministrator
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SurveyResponseRateAtraditionalindividual-levelresponseratecannotbecalculated,becausethenumberofpotentialrespondentsinvitedtotheweb-basedquestionnaireisunknown.Inaddition,multiplerespondentspercentercouldparticipate.Sincethecenternamewasrequested,responsecanbeconsideredatthecenterlevel.Completedquestionnairespercentervariedfromzerotonineteen.AsshowninTable3below,respondentsfrommorethan66%ofallcenterscompletedquestionnaires—ateachersurvey,anadministratorsurvey,orboth.Theresponseratewasgreaterthan66%,but29respondentsdidnotindicateacentername.
Table3:CenterLevelResponsebyNumberofEligibleResponses
CompletesperCenter NumberofCenters PercentofAllCenters
Atleasttwocompletes 87 32%
Onecomplete 94 34%
Noknownresponse* 93 34%
Total 274 100%
*Received29completedquestionnaireswhererespondentdidnotprovidetheCentername.Thetotalnumberofcompletedquestionnaireswas545.Dependingontheirroleatthecenter,respondentscouldparticipateintheteacherquestionnaire,theadministratorquestionnaireorboth.SeethedistributionofquestionnairebytypeinTable4,below.
Table4:IndividualResponse-QuestionnaireType
QuestionnaireTypeCompleted
NumberofCompletedQuestionnaires
PercentofAllCompletedQuestionnaires
Teacheronly 269 49%
Administrator 117 21%
AdministratorandTeacher 159 29%
Total 545 100%
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Table5liststhenumberofNatureExploresites,OutdoorClassroomProjectsites,ordual-certifiedsiteswhoparticipated.Completedquestionnairespercentervariedfrom1tonineteen.Twenty-ninecompletedquestionnairesdidnotprovidethecenternameandarenotincludedinthetable.
Table5:ParticipatingSitesbyCertification
SiteType NumberofSitesParticipating
NatureExplore 152
OutdoorClassroomProject 23
Dual-CertifiedSite 4
Unknown 3
TotalSites 182
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4)RESULTSIngeneral,questionswereansweredona5-or6-itemscale.Tobetterdescribetheresponses,theitemsforeachquestionweregroupedeitherinthirdsorintwosforanalysis.Forexample,ifaquestionhadfiveresponsechoices:never,rarely,sometimes,often,veryoften,theitemsweregroupedintothreenewcategoriesforanalysis:
• Nevertorarely• Sometimes• Oftentoveryoften
Weusedthelastgroupingintheresponsesetwhendescribingtheresultsofaquestion.Forexample,ifaquestionaskedhowoftenaneducatorsupportedlanguageorliteracyexperiencesintheoutdoorclassroom,wereportedthat77%ofeducatorsrespondedthattheysupportedtheseexperiencesoftenorveryoften.
1.LearningandDevelopmentSevenquestionsaskededucatorshowoftentheyspenttimesupportingchildren’ssocial,emotional,physical,andcognitivedevelopment.Table6liststhequestionsandthepercentageofeducatorswhoansweredtheyspenttimesupportingchildreninthevariousdevelopmentalareasoftenorveryoften(thetwohighestresponsecategories).
Table6:EducatorTimeSpentSupportingChildren’sDevelopment
Howoftenspentsupporting... Answeredoftentoveryoften(%)
Creativityandimagination 91%
Socialandemotionaldevelopment 90%
Physicalexplorationsandbodycompetence 87%
Buildingandconstructionskills 85%
Science-relatedexperiences 81%
Languageandliteracydevelopment 77%
Math-relatedexperiences 63%
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Mosteducatorsfeltthattheyspentasignificantamountoftimesupportingchildren’sdevelopmentinalldomains.Notably,imaginationandcreativityweremostfrequentlysupported,followedcloselybysocialandemotionaldevelopment,withover9o%ofeducatorssayingtheysupportedchildreninthesedomainsoftenorveryoften.
“Here[intheoutdoorclassroom]it’slikechildrenhavesomuchmoreimaginationintheirplaybecausetheyhavesomanydifferentmaterialsthatarenaturaltoworkwith.”(Candace)
“So,inwhatIseethroughalltheseyearsworkingoutdoorsisthatthechildrenlearnhowtoself-regulatebetter.”(Anna)
“Theyspendalotoftimewithmoveableparts,experimenting,figuringouthowtheirbodyworksonapieceofwood.”(Sheila)
“…outsideislikeunlimitedamountofscience.Withrainyoucandoarainmeasure,seehowmanyinchesofrainwegot.Wenoticedthatthesoilgotreallydarkafteritrainedsotheenvironmentchanged.”(Teresa)
Ontheoppositeendofthescale,only63%ofeducatorsfelttheyspenttimesupportingchildren’smath-relatedexperiencesoftenorveryoften.Whilestillasignificantamountoftime,thisnumberwasmorethantenpercentagepointslowerthanthenextlowestcategory.
Figure2:Artandcreativityinanoutdoorclassroom(Photo:RodDiercks)
Figure1:Collaborativebuilding(Photo:RodDiercks)
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ExperiencemattersRespondentswithmorethan10yearsofteachingexperiencewereslightlymorelikelytostatethattheysupportedthevariousdevelopmentalareasoftentoveryoften,indicatingthatexperiencedoesmatter.Experiencespecificallyteachinginanoutdoorclassroomdoestoo.Educatorswhohadworked4ormoreyearsinanaturaloutdoorclassroomalsoweremorelikelytoreportsupportingalldomainsoftentoveryoften.Forthoseeducatorswhohadworkedintheirfieldformorethan10years,70%statedthattheysupportedchildren’smath-relatedexperiencesoftenorveryoften,comparedtoonly55%percentofthosewith10orfeweryearsasearlychildhoodeducators.ProfessionaldevelopmentmattersWhetheraneducatorhadnaturaloutdoorclassroomtrainingalsoaffectedresponses—thosewithtrainingweremuchmorelikelytosaytheysupportedvariousexperiences,particularlylanguage/literacy,science-related,andmath-related.Takeaway:Educatorsreporttheabilitytosupportalldomainsoflearninginnaturaloutdoorclassrooms.Theyratedtheirabilitytosupportsocial-emotionaldevelopment,creativityandimaginationhighest,andrankedtheirabilitytosupportmath-relatedexperiencesbyfarthelowest.Teachingexperienceandprofessionaldevelopmentonusingnaturaloutdoorclassroomsenhanceseducators’abilitytosupportthebreadthanddepthoflearningopportunities,especiallymath.
“OverallsuccessIwouldsayismakingstudentsfeelengagedinlearningandhaveanaturaldesiretolearn.Ithinkthatthosearethingsthathappenmorewhenyou’reinanoutdoorspace.”(Rhonda)
Photo©NatureExplore
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2.SupportingChildren’sNeedsThreequestionswereaskedrelatedtoobservationsofchildren’sinterestsandneeds.Responsesincludedthefollowing:
• 88%ofeducatorssaidthattheywereabletoobservechildren’sinterestsandneedsintheirnaturaloutdoorclassroomoftenorveryoften.
• 47%ofeducatorssaidtheywereabletoobservechildren’sinterestsandneedsmoreoftenormuchmoreoftenintheoutdoorclassroomcomparedtotheindoorclassroom,
• Ofthosewhohadexperiencewithatraditionalplayground(mostlyplasticstructuresandsafetysurfacing,veryfewnaturalelements,andveryfewlooseparts),75%saidtheywereabletoobservechildren’sinterestsandneedsmoreoftenormuchmoreoftenintheoutdoorclassroom.
Mosteducatorsreportedtheywereabletoobservechildren’sinterestsandneedsinthenaturaloutdoorclassroom.Moreexperiencededucatorsandthosewhohadmoreyearsofexperienceinanoutdoorclassroomweremorelikelytofeelthisway.Further,educatorswhospentmoreweeklytimeoutsidealmostallfelttheycouldobservechildren’sinterestsandneedsoftentoveryoften.
“Thenaturaloutdoorclassroom]givesmethetimetospendmoretimeobservingwhatthey’redoing,figuringoutwhenIneedtostepin,providemorematerialsormorewordstocontinuetheirengagement.…AndIthinkthechildrenareobservingmorethings.
They’reaskingaboutthings.They’relookinginthetreesaskingwhat’shappeningwhereinatraditionalclassroomIdon’tthinkthatreallyhappens.”(Sheila)
Lessthanhalf(47%)ofalleducatorsfeltthattheywereabletomeetchildren’sneedsmoreoftenoutdoorsthanintheindoorclassroom.Theexperienceoftheeducatordidnotappeartoinfluencethisperception.However,theamountoftimetheyspentoutdoorsdid.Educatorswhotypicallyspent15ormorehoursaweekintheoutdoorclassroomsaidtheywereabletoobservechildren’sinterestsandneedsmoreoftenormuchmoreoftenthanindoors,thanthosewhospent14hoursorlessoutside.Foreducatorswithexperienceobservingchildrenontraditionalplaygrounds,75%feltthattheyweremoreoftenabletoobservechildren’sinterestsandneedsinthenaturaloutdoorclassroomthanontheplayground.Thispercentageincreasedevenfurtherformoreexperiencededucatorsorthosewhohadworkedintheiroutdoorclassroomfourormoreyears.Thiswasalsotrueforthosewhospentmoreweeklytimeoutside.
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Takeaway:Educatorsreportthatbothindoorandoutdoorclassroomscanbeconducivetosupportingchildren’sinterestsandneeds.However,thoseeducatorswithexperienceusingNOCsandwhousethemconsistentlyforextendedperiodsoftime(15ormorehoursperweek)reportthattheycouldsupportchildren’sinterestsandneedsintheoutdoorclassroommoreoftenormuchmoreoften.
“Ithinkitjustopensupalotofpossibilitiesforhowtoteach,too.Therearesomanydifferentmaterialsyoucoulddoitwithornaturalthings.Kidsgettoleadthediscussioninawaytheydon’talwaysgetto.”(Andrea)
3.Children’sBehaviorsAtotalofninequestionsinthesurveywererelatedtoeducatorobservationsofchildren’sbehaviors,inthefollowingcategories:
• Children’ssocial-emotional,cognitive,andphysicalbehaviors• Childrenwithdiffering/specialneeds• Attentionrestorationinchildren
Fourquestionswereaskedofeducatorsabouttheirobservationsofchildren’ssocial-emotional,cognitive,andphysicalbehaviors.Table7liststhequestionsandthepercentofeducatorswhorespondedthattheynoticedthebehaviorsinchildrenoftenorveryoften.Mosteducatorsnoticedchildrencaringforothersandthenaturalworld,exploringappropriatephysicalchallenges,andexpressingtheirownideasandchoices.Whilestillhigh,fewereducatorsnoticedchildrenlisteningtoothersandmirroringtheiremotions.
Photo©NatureExplore
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Experiencedearlychildhoodeducatorsweremorelikelytonoticechildrencaringforothersandexploringphysicalchallengesappropriatetotheirabilities.Thenumberofhoursspentweeklyoutsidealsoinfluencedhowofteneducatorsnoticedchildren’scaringorlisteningbehaviors.Themoretimespentoutside,themorelikelyeducatorsweretonoticebehaviors.
“…insidesayatagrouptimeandmaybehecouldn’tdosomeoftheactivitiesbecausethey’dbesodifficult,maybehewouldn’tbeasacceptedasmuch[bytheotherchildren].Butoutdoors,hecandoeverythingthat’soutthere.”(Sheila)
Table7:EducatorTimeSpentNoticingChildren’sBehaviors
Whenwithchildreninthenaturaloutdoorclassroom,howoftendidyounoticechildren...
%whoansweredoftentoveryoften
Expressingtheirownideasandchoices(cognitive) 94%
Exploringphysicalchallengesappropriatetotheirabilities(physical) 93%
Caringforotherchildren,adults,animalsorplants(social-emotional) 83%
Listeningtoothersandmirroringtheiremotionssocial-emotional) 67%
Takeaway:Expressingideasandchoicescanbedescribedasapositiveapproachtolearningassociatedwithcognition.94%ofteachersreportedthattheyobservechildrenengageinthisbehavioroftenorveryofteninthenaturaloutdoorclassroom.
Figure3:Takingappropriaterisks(Photo:RodDiercks)
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4.Differing/SpecialNeeds
ChildrenwithDiffering/SpecialNeeds:Asinglequestionwasspecifictochildrenwithdifferingneeds(forexample,thosediagnosedwithdevelopmental,physicalorlanguagedelays,orautismspectrumdisorders),askingeducatorsabouthowengagedtheyfeltthesechildrenwereintheoutdoorclassroomvs.theindoorclassroom.Mosteducators(76%)answeredatthehighendofthescale,statingtheyfeltchildrenwithdifferingneedsweresomewhatmoreormuchmoreengagedintheoutdoorclassroom.Moreexperiencededucatorsandthoseeducatorswhohadspentmoreyearsteachinginoutdoorclassrooms,weremorelikelytostatethis.Themoretimespent(15ormorehours)outsideduringtheweek,themorelikelyaneducatorwouldbetosaythisaswell.Takeaway:Insettingswherechildrenspendsignificantamountsoftimeintheirnaturaloutdoorclassroom,educatorsreportthatchildrenwithspecialneedsaremoreengagedinoutdoorclassroomsascomparedtoindoorclassrooms.
Wehavealittleboyrightnowwhojuststartedwithus.He’sintheyoungestclassandhehasanIEP.Theteachershaveadjustedtheirscheduletospendmoretimeoutsidebecausethat’sbasicallytheonlytimehe’shappy.He’sverydistressedinside.It’sjusttoomanypeople,tooclosetohim.Thetransitionsaretoomanyandsotheyhaveadaptedtheirmorningscheduletostartingoutside.
Andthishappenedlastyeartoowithanotherstudentwhohadsimilarspecialneedsissues.Itwascalmerforthatchildtomeetinthetreehouseoutsideunderthetreesthantomeetintheclassroom,whereyou’retryingtositinacircleandeverybodyhastositcrisscross,anddon’ttoucheachother,andallthatrazzmatazz.Tobeoutthere,forbothofthesechildren,wascalm,soothing,they’re
happy,they’reatpeace,andtheyhadagreatdealofdistresstobeinside.”(Candace)
Photo©NatureExplore
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5.AttentionRestoration(children)Attentionrestorationtheoryisgroundedintheideathatbeinginnaturalsettingshasrestorativepowerswhenattentionhasbeendepletedthroughothertasks.Fourquestionsaskededucatorstorelatetheirobservationsofhowtimeinanaturaloutdoorclassroommightaffectachild’sbehaviorwhentheyreturnedindoors.Table8liststhequestionsandpercentageofeducatorswhonoticedthatbehavioratthehighendoftheitemscaleaftertimeinanaturaloutdoorclassroom.
Table8:EducatorObservationsofChildren’sIndoorBehavior
Afterreturningindoors... Toptwoitemsofscale %answeredinthetoptwoitemsofthescale
Howdistractedarechildren? Alittledistractedtonotdistractedatall 84%
Howoftenarechildrenabletofocusonindooractivities? Oftentoveryoften 83%
Howmuchdifficultydochildrenhavelistening? Alittlebittonodifficulty 81%
Howcalmandrelaxedarechildren? Verycalmtoextremelycalm 44%
Yearsofprofessionalexperience,aswellasyearsteachinginanoutdoorclassroom,affectedhoweducatorsansweredthesequestions.Themoreyearsofexperienceaneducatorhad,themoretheyconsideredchildrentobecalm,focused,notdistracted,orhavinglittledifficultylisteningafterreturningindoors,suggestingthatateacher’sexperiencelevelmightpositivelyaffecttheirabilitiestohelpchildrenmakethetransitionfromoutsidetoinsideormaygivethemgreaterunderstandingofchildren’semotionalstates.
“Childrenseemmoreengaged[intheoutdoorclassroom],lessagitated,notsomuchconflictwiththeirpeers.Itseemstobealotcalmerthanwhenwecomeinside.”[Sheila]
“Beingoutsideisaspiritual,mentalphysicalrenewingthingforeveryoneofallages.”[Charlotte]
Takeaway:Educatorswhousenaturaloutdoorclassroomsreportadecreaseinchildren’sdistractibilityandanincreaseinpositivebehaviorsuchasimprovedattentionandlisteninguponreturntotheindoorclassroomsetting.
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6.AttentionRestoration(teacher)Attentionrestorationineducators:Fivequestionsaskededucatorsaboutaspectsoftheirownattentionrestorationwhenreturningtotheindoorclassroomaftertimespentintheoutdoorclassroom.Table9liststhequestionsandthepercentageofeducatorswhonoticedthatbehavioratthehighendoftheitemscale.Theresponseitemsvarieddependingonthequestionandarelistedinthetable.
Table9:EducatorPerceptionsofTheirOwnBehavior
Afterreturningindoors… Toptwoitemsofscale%whoansweredinthetoptwoitemsofthescale
Havelesspatiencethanyou’dlike? Almostnevertosomeofthetime 92%
Feelabletogiveindividualattentiontochildrenwhoneedit? Mostofthetimetoalways 87%
Feelabletorespondsensitivelytorequests? Mostofthetimetoalways 87%
Feelrefreshed—havingrenewedmentalenergytobeginthenexttask? Mostofthetimetoalways 84%
Feelyou'vehadabreakfromyoureverydayworkingroutine? Mostofthetimetoalways 67%
Attentionrestorationisoftenmeasuredasasummativescalewhereindividualquestionsarecombinedtocreateacomprehensivemeasure.Thequestion“Howoftendoyoufeelyou’vehadabreakfromyoureverydayroutine?”wasmeanttoelicitresponsesabouttherestorativenatureoftheoutdoorclassroomcomparedtoaneducator’stimespentindoorsatwork.However,foreducatorswhospendmuchoftheirdayintheoutdoorclassroom,thisquestionmayhavehadadifferentmeaning.Itispossiblethateducatorswhospentmoretimeintheoutdoorclassroomwerelesslikelytofeeltheyweregettingabreak.Therefore,itwasnotincludedinthesummativescoreforattentionrestoration.
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Takeaway:Educatorswithnaturaloutdoorclassroomsreportedthattimeinthespaceleftthemalwaysormostofthetimefeelingrefreshedandpatient,thereforemorelikelytorespondsensitivelytochildrenandreadytogivethemtheindividualattentiontheyneed.
“Forus,tohaveaspacewherewecanjustgooutthedoorandbeoutside,andnotonconcreteisgreat.Iseestaffgoingoutthereallthetime,andtakingafive-minutelooparoundthespace.Ithinkit’shelpedustohavegreen–wehaveourparkinglot,andthenwehaveourbigacrepark.
So,peopletaketheirlunchesoutthere,andtheygooutandtheygetabreathoffreshair…Ithinkitisastressrelievertojustbeabletogetoutdoors.”(Lidia)
“Ifeellikeit’scalmingformeaswelltobeoutsideandgivesmeachancetoreallyhavedeeperconversationswithstudentsthatsometimescanbemorechallengingtohave
whenyouhavesomanytogeteachsubjectin.”(Rhonda)
7.TeacherSelf-EfficacySelf-efficacyineducators:Self-efficacyisacontext-specificbeliefaboutwhatapersoncanaccomplishandprovidesausefulconstructformeasuringeducators’beliefsabouttheirabilitytoplan,organize,andcarryoutactivitiestomeeteducationalgoals.Educatorself-efficacyhasbeenassociatedwithpositivelearningandbehavioraloutcomesinstudents,suggestingthatoutdoorclassroomeducatorswhobelievethattheycanhavepositiveeffectsonchildbehavioraremorelikelytopositivelyimpactchildoutcomes.Table10liststhequestionsandthepercentageofeducatorswhofelttheywerecapableofthatbehavioratthehighendoftheitemscale.
Photo©NatureExplore
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Table10:EducatorSelf-EfficacyforHelpingChildrenintheOutdoorClassroom
Whenyou’reinthenaturaloutdoorclassroom,howmuchareyouableto... %whoansweredquiteabittoalot
Adjustactivitiestotheappropriatelevelforchildrenofdifferingabilities? 85%
Calmachildwhoisupset? 85%
Engageachildwhoisreluctanttoparticipateinactivities? 81%
Re-directadisruptivechild? 81%
Helpafearfulchildfeelmoreconfident? 78%Ingeneral,moreexperiencededucators(evenmoresothosewhohadspentmoreyearsteachinginanaturaloutdoorclassroom)weremorelikelytofeelthattheycouldhelpchildrenintheoutdoorclassroom.Formostofthequestions,timespentoutdoorsperweekdidn’tappeartomatter,exceptinthecaseofredirectingdisruptivechildren,whereeducatorswhospentmoretimeoutdoorswithchildrenfeltmoreabletoaccomplishthisgoal. Trainingwasparticularlyimportantinrelationtothiscategory.Educatorswithnaturaloutdoorclassroomtrainingweremuchmorelikelytofeelcapableofsupportingchildrenandobservingtheirpositivebehaviorsintheoutdoorclassroom.Researchinseveralfieldshasvalidatedtheroleoftraininginincreasingteacherself-efficacy.Asself-efficacymayhaveanimpactonchildhealthanddevelopmentaloutcomes,thisisanotherreasontoincludetrainingwhencreatingandusingnaturaloutdoorclassrooms.
“Thesatisfactionofhelpingpeoplealongacontinuumofunderstandingandbeingbetterobserverssothatwhenweseeagroupofchildrenatplayit’snotjustchildrenbeingcute,thesearechildrenwhoare
engagedinreallypurposefulworkthatmanypartsoftheirbrainarelightingupandfiringawaysimultaneously.Thisisbigstuffandit’swaybeyondrecess.That’stheotherthing,too,ishelpingstaffmovefromthisisabreak;thisisanadultbreakwherewejuststandandchatwitheachother.No;it’s
forsafetyreasonsandjustbecausethere’sjustalottoseeanddo.
Wehavetobeengagedwithchildren;nottodirectthembuttosupportthemandjustbecompletelyawareofwhatthey’redoing.Sothat’sapointofarrivalforme,too.Havingworkedwithlotsandlotsof
schoolsindoingNatureExploretrainings,that’sabigshift.Outdoorsisn’tjuststandingaroundsupervising.Wehavetobeengagedor,betteryet,wegettobeengaged.It’spartofourteachingday.
Andit’sbeensopersonallytransformativeforalotofus.”(Veronica)
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Takeaway:Educatorsreportedthattheyfeltabletosupportfearfulandreluctantchildrenwellinnaturaloutdoorclassrooms.Teachers,especiallythosewhousedoutdoorclassroomsthemost,alsoreportedtheireffectivenessinredirectingdisruptivechildrenandcalmingchildrenwhowereupsetwhenintheoutdoors.
8.DesignFeaturesDesignrecommendationsfromNatureExploreincludeacompletemixofwell-definedandclearly-labeledactivityareas.Likewise,theOutdoorClassroomProjectdemonstrationsitesincludeawidevarietyofoutdooractivityspaces.ThefollowinglistisfromNatureExplore.RecommendedAreas(Trytoincludealloftheseareas):
A. Anentryfeature B. Anopenareaforlarge-motoractivities C. Aclimbing/crawlingarea D. A“messymaterials”areaE. Abuildingarea F. Anatureartarea G. AmusicandmovementareaH. Agardenand/orapathwaythroughplantingsI. Agatheringarea(Aseparatearea,oroneoftheotherlargerareascouldbeusedasa
gatheringarea).J. Astoragearea(Thiscouldbeaseparatearea,orstoragecouldbeincludedwithin
eachareaasneeded).
Photo©NatureExplore
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SupplementalAreas(Trytoincludeatleastoneoftheseareas):
K. AwaterareaL. Adirt-diggingareaM. AsandareaN. Awheeled-toyareaO. AnareaforswingsorotherdynamicequipmentP. Agreenhouse
The2014pilotstudysupportedtheevidence-baseddesignprocess,includingthedesignfeaturesnotedabove,andthissurveyconfirmsthosefindings.Forexample:
• 92%saidthatopenareaswereveryorextremelyimportanttothesuccessoftheoutdoorclassroom.
• 92%saidthatmessymaterialsareas,suchasanareaforbuildingfortswithsticks,wereveryorextremelyimportanttothesuccessoftheoutdoorclassroom.
• 92%saidthatgardenareaswereveryorextremelyimportanttothesuccessoftheoutdoorclassroom.
• 91%saidthatshrubs,trees,orotherplantingswereveryorextremelyimportanttothesuccessoftheoutdoorclassroom.
• 89%saidthatbuildingareas,suchaswithblocks,wereveryorextremelyimportanttothesuccessoftheoutdoorclassroom.
• 86%saidthatsandplayareaswereveryorextremelyimportanttothesuccessoftheoutdoorclassroom.
• 84%saidthatwaterplayareaswereveryorextremelyimportanttothesuccessoftheoutdoorclassroom.
• 78%saidthatartareaswereveryorextremelyimportanttothesuccessoftheoutdoorclassroom.
• 77%saidthatmusicareaswereveryorextremelyimportanttothesuccessoftheoutdoorclassroom.
• 76%saidthatpathwaysthroughplantingswereveryorextremelyimportanttothesuccessoftheoutdoorclassroom.
• 67%saidthatwell-defineduseareaswithclearboundariesorbordersandobviousentranceswereveryorextremelyimportanttothesuccessoftheoutdoorclassroom.
“It’sbecomeasenseofplaceaspartofthelibrary.Thelibraryisacommunityspacebyitsnature,andhavingtheoutdoorspaceandtheindoorspacealmostseamless.Thechildren’sareahasadoorthatopensrightoutintooutdoors.Oftenpeoplerefertothelibraryasthethirdspace.Ithinkforusitreally
is,it’sacommunitygatheringplace.Itisreallyseamless,theoutdoorsandtheindoorshere.Wehaveindoorcarpetingthatlookslikeleavesandtrees.Wehavebigtreesinthechildren’s
areasoit’sjustkindofanaturalextensionforus.”(Lidia)
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“Whenweplannedourareas,wewerehopefulthatthechildrenwouldenjoyit.So,whenyouseechildrenenjoyingareasyou’vedesignedandplansthatyouputintoeffectandarehappyandyoucanhearthemsay,“Oh,thisisthebestplaceever,”or“Thatwassofun;”orliketodayalittleboysaid,“IreallywishIhadthatwaterpumpatmyhouse.So,whenyouhearthechildrenenjoythemselvesand
learnalittlebitalongthewaythenthat’sveryeffective.”(Shannon)
“Wehavealotofparksinthe(our)area,butthey’remoreplaygroundequipmentkindsofplaces.So,havingaplacethat’smorenatural,andyouhavetodecidewhatyou’regoingtodo.Aslidegetsold,butplayingwithwood,andwater,andthatkindofthingdoesn’tgetoldtokids.Theycouldcomebackeveryday.TherewasalittleboywhocamewithhisGrandfathereverydayforawholesummer.Theclimbingstructurehecalledhisfort,sohewouldcomeeverydaytoplayinthefort.Thenforsomebodyelseit
mightbeacastle,forsomebodyelseit’swhatevertheywanttomakeitbe.”(Lidia)
Takeaway:Overall,thesefindingssupportexistingtheories1linkingnature-basedoutdooreducationtopositivelearninganddevelopmentaloutcomesincludingenhancedimaginativeplay,increasedphysicalandmentalwell-being,andenvironmentalstewardship.
1Fordetailsandreferences,see:Dennis,S.F.,Wells,A.,&Bishop,C.(2014)APost-OccupancyStudyofNature-BasedOutdoorClassroomsinEarlyChildhoodSettings.Children,YouthandEnvironments24(2):35-52)
Figure4:Openplayarea(Photo:RodDiercks)
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9.AdministratorsAdministratorswereaskedthreequestions:
• Howoftendostaffmembersexpressappreciationabouttheirtimewithchildreninthenaturaloutdoorclassroom?
• Sincetheadditionofyournaturaloutdoorclassroom,howmuchhasinterestinyourprogramchanged?
• Howimportantisofficialrecognitionofyournaturaloutdoorclassroom,suchashavingNatureExploreCertificationorservingasanOutdoorClassroomProjectrecognizedsiteordemonstrationsite?
Ingeneral,administratorsrespondedthatstaffmembersexpressedappreciationoftenorveryoften,thatinterestintheprogramhadgrownsomewhattogreatlysincetheyinstalledtheiroutdoorclassroom,andthatofficialrecognitionwasverytoextremelyimportant.OutdoorClassroomProjectadministratorsweremorelikelytosaythatofficialrecognitionwasimportant.Ofthe12sitesthatweredualNE/OCP,all100%feltthatstaffmembersexpressedappreciationoftenorveryoften,thatinterestintheprogramhadgrownsomewhattogreatlysincetheyinstalledtheiroutdoorclassroom,andthatofficialrecognitionwasverytoextremelyimportant.
Takeaway:Administratorsreportbenefitsofhavinganaturaloutdoorclassroombothinternallyintheirprogramsandexternallythroughenhancingtheirreputationintheircommunity.Theoverallmoraleofaprogramincreaseswhenstaffmembersexpressappreciationfortheirnaturaloutdoorclassroom.Asreportedinthepilotstudy,recognitionforcreatinganaturaloutdoorclassroomleadstoincreasedenrollmentandcommunityinterestingeneral.
Photo©DimensionsEducationalResearchFoundation
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5)CONCLUSIONSANDRECOMMENDATIONS
LearningandDevelopmentEducatorsandadministratorsreportthatlearninganddevelopmentoccurinwell-designednaturaloutdoorclassrooms.Outdoortimeisnotabreakfromlearning;thenaturaloutdoorclassroomsupportslearninginalldomains,especiallycreativityandsocial-emotionaldevelopment.Overall,thefindingsinthisreportsupportexistingtheorieslinkingnature-basedoutdooreducationtopositivelearninganddevelopmentaloutcomesincludingenhancedimaginativeplay,increasedphysicalandmentalwell-being,andenvironmentalstewardship.Naturaloutdoorclassroomscanbeespeciallyconducivetosupportingchildren’sindividualinterestsandneedsbecauseoffactorssuchas;
• amixoftypesofactivitiestoengageinsochildrenhaveopportunitiestoexertchoiceandpreference,
• adequatespacetoaccommodategrouporindividualworktherebymeetingtheirindividualneedsatthetime,
• opportunitiesforsocial-emotionalskill-buildingthroughcaretakingofothers,plants,insects,andanimals
• opportunitiesforphysicalexertionandtogaugeappropriateriskandchallengeforthemselves,
• subtleandcomplexvariationsinnaturalmaterialsthatengageinterestandsupportlearninginmath,science,andbuilding,
• amplenatural,open-endedmaterialsthatrequirechildrentousetheirimaginationandcreativitytoturnthemintotheirpropsforplayorsubjectsofinvestigation.
Whileindoorclassroomsandtypicalplaygroundsarenotideallearningenvironmentsformanyreasons,naturaloutdoorclassroomshavetheaddedbenefitsofimprovedacoustics,generousspaceformovement,beautifulbutnotoverwhelmingvisualstimuli,andabundantmaterialsthatenhanceopportunitiesforchildrentomakechoicesandexerttheirwill.
DesignFeaturesThenaturaloutdoorclassrooms(NatureExploreCertifiedandOutdoorClassroomDemonstrationSites)seemtobethemostsuccessfulenvironmentsbecauseoftheseattributes:(1)maximizedchoices,(2)providedmanydistinctspaces,especiallychild-sizedones,(3)embeddedplayaffordanceswithinpathwaysandborders,(4)encouragedspatialevolution,and(5)supportedongoingstakeholderengagement.
SupportingAllChildren’sNeedsEducatorsreportthatnaturaloutdoorclassroomscanbeespeciallyconducivetosupportingchildren’sinterestsandneeds.Thisisparticularlytruewheneducatorshaveexperienceusingnaturaloutdoorclassroomsandusethemconsistentlyforextendedperiodsoftime.
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Insettingswherechildrenspendsignificantamountsoftimeintheirnaturaloutdoorclassroom,educatorsreportthatchildrenwithspecialneedsaremoreengagedcomparedtoindoorclassrooms.
Children’sBehaviorEducatorsreportthattheyandthespacesupportpositivebehaviorsinchildrenwhentheyareinnaturaloutdoorclassroomsandwhentheyreturnbackindoors.Examplesofpositivebehaviorsobservedrelatedtocognitive,physical,andsocial-emotionaldevelopmentinclude….Positivecognitivebehaviorsobservedfrequentlywereexpressingtheirownideasandchoices.Positivephysicalbehaviorobservedwasengaginginappropriaterisk-takingandchallenge.Caringforandaboutothersisareportedpositivesocial-emotionalbehavior.Thereareabundantopportunitiestoexperienceandpracticecaretakingbehaviorsofanimalssuchashelpingfillbirdfeedersandbirdbaths,planting,weeding,wateringandharvestingplants,whichenhanceandsupportstewardshipbehaviors.
AttentionRestorationforChildrenandAdultsContrarytothewidelyheldbeliefthattimeoutdoorsoverexciteschildrenandencourageschallengingbehavior,educatorswhousenaturaloutdoorclassroomsreportadecreaseindistractibilityandincreasesinpositivebehaviorsuchasimprovedattentionandlistening.Naturaloutdoorclassroomenvironmentsthatarerestorativeforadultsareconducivetoeducator’swellbeingandreceptivenesstochildren.Educatorswithnaturaloutdoorclassroomsreportedthatmostoftenspendingtimeinthespaceleftthemfeelingrefreshedandpatient,thereforemorelikelytorespondsensitivelytochildrenandreadytogivethemtheindividualattentiontheyneed.Itisvaluabletoconsiderhowoutdoorexperiencesarebeneficialforeducatorsaswellaschildren.
TeacherSelf-EfficacyTeachersreportedthattheirnaturaloutdoorclassroomaffordedthemopportunitiestofeeleffectiveintheirworkthroughmeetingchildren’sindividualsocial-emotional,cognitive,andphysicalneeds.Observingchildrenexhibitpositivebehaviorsalsocontributedtotheirownpositivefeelings.Frequentlybeingabletoengagereluctantchildrenandredirectdisruptivechildrencontributedtoeducators’feelingsofeffectivenessintheirteaching.Theabilityinthenaturaloutdoorclassroomtoadjustactivitiestoappropriateindividuallevelsandbeingabletocalmchildrenwhowereupsetalsosupportededucators’feelingsofeffectiveness.Findingsinthisstudysupportthenotionthatcreatingnaturaloutdoorclassroomscanbeaneffectivewaytosupporteducatorsandtherebychildren’seducationalexperiences.
EducatorTrainingandExperienceTrainingforeducatorsinunderstandingthebreadthanddepthofopportunitiesthattheirnaturaloutdoorclassroomaffordsthem,andtheirchildren,isimportant.Thisstudyrevealsthatworkshops
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whichsupportteachers’competenceinobservingandsupportingchildren’slearninghelpteachersseethelearningopportunityinthewaysthatchildrenusethespaceandresultintheirtakingchildrenoutdoorsmoreoftenforlongerperiodsoftime.Teacherswithmoretrainingandmoreexperienceusingnaturaloutdoorclassroomsreportmorebenefitsforchildrenandthemselves.
AdministratorsAdministratorsreportbenefitsofhavinganaturaloutdoorclassroombothinternallyintheirprogramsandexternallythroughenhancingtheirreputationintheircommunity.Theoverallmoraleofaprogramincreaseswhenstaffmembersexpressappreciationfortheirnaturaloutdoorclassroom.Administratorsreportthatrecognitionforcreatinganaturaloutdoorclassroomleadstoincreasedenrollmentandcommunityinterestingeneral.
Recommendations1. Regulartimeinanaturaloutdoorclassroomsupportspositivebehaviorsinchildrensuchas
calmness,peace,andproblem-solving.Manyeducatorsandparentsarelookingforwaystodevelopthesebehaviorsinchildren,sowerecommendthatchildrenhaveaccesstothesespacesdaily.
2. Thefindingthattimeinnaturaloutdoorclassroomsrestoresattentionforchildrenandadultssupportsthepracticeofregularoutdoortimeforeveryoneeveryday,ideallyinnaturaloutdoorclassrooms.Viewingtimeoutdoorsasaprivilegethatistakenawaybecauseofchallengingbehaviorshouldbechallenged,asshouldconcernsoverdecreasedlearningtimewhenchildrenareoutdoorsgiventhevaluablelearningthateducatorsreporthappensoutdoorseachday.
3. Professionaldevelopmentshouldbeprovidedforeducatorsonhowandwhytousetheirnaturaloutdoorclassroom.Ongoingsupportfortimetocollaboratewithcolleagues,gatherandreplenishmaterials,andcommunicatewithfamiliesaboutoutdoorexperiencesarealsorecommended.
4. Thesefindingssupportencouragementforthecreationofnaturaloutdoorclassroomsbyadministrators,educatorsandtheircommunitiestoenhancechildren’seducationalexperiencesandoverallprogramquality.
5. Werecommendfurtherresearchontheuseofnaturaloutdoorclassroomsthatdelvesmoredeeplyintospecificbenefits,especiallyrelatedtothephysicalandmentalhealthofchildrenandadults.Itwouldaddrichnesstothissurveydatatoincludeadditionalindividualandfocusgroupinterviewsfromsitesthatparticipatedbyaddingexamplesandexplanationsforsurveyresponses.Studiesthatcapturedirectstudentdatawouldbehelpfulinsupplementingtheeducators’perceptionsofstudentlearning.
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