Natural Outdoor Classrooms: A National Survey...140 Foothill Blvd. La Canada, CA 91011 [email protected] Samuel Dennis, Jr., PhD ASLA Associate Professor & Research Director

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&[email protected]|DimensionsEducationalResearchFoundationwww.natureexplore.orgEricNelsonDirector,ConsultingandProfessionalDevelopmentOutdoorClassroomProject/ChildEducationalCenter140FoothillBlvd.LaCanada,CA91011eric.nelson@ceconline.orgwww.outdoorclassroomproject.orgSamuelDennis,Jr.,PhDASLAAssociateProfessor&ResearchDirectorTheEnvironmentalDesignLabDepartmentofPlanningandLandscapeArchitectureUniversityofWisconsin–Madison1450LindenDriveMadison,[email protected]

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

1

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

2

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.

3

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.

4

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.

5

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.

6

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.”

7

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.

8

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

9

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%

10

Table5liststhenumberofNatureExploresites,OutdoorClassroomProjectsites,ordual-certifiedsiteswhoparticipated.Completedquestionnairespercentervariedfrom1tonineteen.Twenty-ninecompletedquestionnairesdidnotprovidethecenternameandarenotincludedinthetable.

Table5:ParticipatingSitesbyCertification

SiteType NumberofSitesParticipating

NatureExplore 152

OutdoorClassroomProject 23

Dual-CertifiedSite 4

Unknown 3

TotalSites 182

11

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%

12

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)

13

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)


14

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.

15

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.


16

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)

17

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)


18

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.

19

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.

20

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.


21

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)

22

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).


23

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)

24

“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)

25

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

26

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.

27

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

28

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.

Documents

Natural Outdoor Classrooms: A National Survey...140 Foothill Blvd. La Canada, CA 91011 [email protected] Samuel Dennis, Jr., PhD ASLA Associate Professor & Research Director