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Education Sciences
Special Issues
New Ways of Seeing Outdoor and Environmental Learning
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New Ways of Seeing Outdoor and Environmental Learning

A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2024) | Viewed by 3612

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. David B. Zandvliet

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Education, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
Interests: environmental education; outdoor education; indigenous knowledge; education for sustainable development; climate education; biodiversity; cultural diversity

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue concerns new ways of seeing outdoor and environmental learning set in the context of the increasingly visible effects of climate change, continuing threats to biodiversity, and the need to be more culturally responsive in the design of diverse educational programming.

The aim and scope of the Special Issue hopes to mirror this urgency by proposing new and innovative approaches to curriculum design, to evaluation methods and in the design of enhanced research methods and methodologies. Suggested themes for inclusion in this Special Issue include the following:

  • Indigenous knowledge and perspectives;
  • Climate education and activism;
  • Biodiversity and ecological resilience;
  • Equity and diversity in environmental learning;
  • Accessibility and outdoor learning;
  • Other topics to be proposed by author teams.

Prof. Dr. David B. Zandvliet
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • environmental learning
  • experiential learning
  • outdoor education
  • indigenous knowledge
  • climate, biodiversity
  • cultural diversity

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 282 KiB  
Article
Technology and K-12 Environmental Education in Ontario, Canada: Teacher Perceptions and Recommendations
by Andrew A. Millward, Courtney Carrier, Nickesh Bhagat and Gregory T. O. LeBreton
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(12), 1362; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14121362 - 12 Dec 2024
Viewed by 302
Abstract
This research explores the perspectives of kindergarten through to Grade 12 (K-12) teachers on incorporating information and communication technology (ICT) into the environmental education (EE) curriculum. In the context of the increasing influence of ICT in education, this study examines both the potential [...] Read more.
This research explores the perspectives of kindergarten through to Grade 12 (K-12) teachers on incorporating information and communication technology (ICT) into the environmental education (EE) curriculum. In the context of the increasing influence of ICT in education, this study examines both the potential enhancements ICT offers to EE and the challenges it poses. Using data from an online survey and an in-person focus group, the investigation addresses the capacity of ICT to promote environmental stewardship and personal growth, alongside concerns regarding technology’s potential to alienate students from nature and the divided opinions among educators regarding optimal technology use. Attention is given to systemic barriers that complicate EE integration and the variability of its implementation in Ontario, Canada, where EE is mandated across K-12 curricula. The findings illuminate educators’ concerns about digital dependencies among their students and the difficulty they face in striking a balance between the use of ICT and non-technical pedagogical approaches when engaging students in environmental lessons. Importantly, study participants identified limited contemporary and timely technological tools to support EE delivery that deemphasize using personal mobile devices (e.g., smartphones and tablets). In response, we recommend three forms of technology (and accompanying lesson ideas) that are affordable, easy to integrate into classrooms, and do not require off-site trips, thereby enhancing accessibility and equity. This study’s implications are aimed at educators, policymakers, and stakeholders seeking to enhance EE delivery within a technologically evolving educational framework and ensure the development of environmentally conscious students. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Ways of Seeing Outdoor and Environmental Learning)
23 pages, 928 KiB  
Article
The Participation of Teachers in Greece in Outdoor Education Activities and the Schools’ Perceptions of the Benefits to Students
by Anastasia Chrysomalidou, Ioannis Takos, Ioannis Spiliotis and Panteleimon Xofis
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(8), 804; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14080804 - 23 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1067
Abstract
International research highlights the potentially valuable contribution of outdoor education to the healthy development and proper holistic education of students. Among the various benefits that students gain from participating in outdoor activities are the mitigation of symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), [...] Read more.
International research highlights the potentially valuable contribution of outdoor education to the healthy development and proper holistic education of students. Among the various benefits that students gain from participating in outdoor activities are the mitigation of symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), improved respiration, memory improvement, skills development and others. Despite the well-documented contribution of such activities to children’s wellbeing, there is an increasing trend of younger children lacking contact with nature. The current study investigates to what extent teachers in Greece, at schools where students aged 6–18 attend, provide opportunities for outdoor activities to their students. Furthermore, it investigates the teacher’s perceptions of the benefits the students gain from such activities, based on their personal experience and the experience of other co-teachers in their school. The results presented in this study indicate that the percentage of teachers who choose outdoor activities during the educational process in Greece is rather low, although they identify that such activities provide significant benefits to students. Based on the perceptions of teachers regarding the mental, cognitive and physical benefits that students gain from outdoor activities a positive association was found between the participation of students in such activities and these benefits. Therefore, this study reveals that it is of significant importance to increase the number of opportunities for students’ participation in outdoor learning activities, by supporting teachers, creating learning communities with them and empowering them to provide more outdoor learning opportunities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Ways of Seeing Outdoor and Environmental Learning)
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21 pages, 670 KiB  
Article
“Building Roots”—Developing Agency, Competence, and a Sense of Belonging through Education outside the Classroom
by Gabriele Lauterbach
Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(11), 1107; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13111107 - 3 Nov 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1667
Abstract
This study investigates how Education Outside the Classroom (EOtC) was used to support the students’ basic psychological needs, i.e., their need for competence, autonomy, and relatedness as described in Self-Determination Theory (SDT). The framework of Ecological Psychology (EP) was applied to explicate how [...] Read more.
This study investigates how Education Outside the Classroom (EOtC) was used to support the students’ basic psychological needs, i.e., their need for competence, autonomy, and relatedness as described in Self-Determination Theory (SDT). The framework of Ecological Psychology (EP) was applied to explicate how the EOtC teaching settings helped the students to become effective, agentic, and connected. The findings show that this process was driven by their active engagement with environmental affordances which facilitated embodied experiences. Moreover, the interplay with place and people specifically reinforced their satisfaction of relatedness and created a deepened sense of belonging to their community. It is concluded that in order to foster the children’s healthy psychological and physiological development in EOtC, teachers should make use of the affordances and invitations of specific places as a starting point for their teaching to support the students to develop agency, competence and sense of belonging. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Ways of Seeing Outdoor and Environmental Learning)
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