High school teachers’ experience of the educational potential of outdoor teaching and learning

This is a longitudinal case study where teachers from different disciplines were interviewed before and after an outdoor teaching project in a Swedish junior high school. The school grounds were used regularly as an area for teaching and learning in different subjects. The purpose of this study was to explore how teachers from different disciplines experienced regular school-based outdoor teaching and learning. The study also aimed at comparing the teachers’ perceptions of outdoor teaching and learning before and after the one-year project. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the interviews. Teachers’ perceptions of the educational potential of outdoor teaching included increased motivation, communication and participation among students. Another perception was that the shared experiences in the outdoor environment could become a valuable starting point for subsequent indoor learning and that outdoor teaching could expand upon and strengthen indoor teaching. Challenges with outdoor education were also perceived, such as the fact that the students needed time to adjust to the new learning environment.