Efficacy of Nature-Based Learning and Global Outlook on Outdoor Education

Dear Colleagues,

Nature-based learning has experienced increased interest in practitioner circles in the last decade, while the evidence for its efficacy has often lagged behind. In more recent years, researchers from diverse disciplines, spanning education, psychology, paediatrics and other health and social sciences, have been working to establish an evidence base for nature-based educational practices, including forest schools, nature kindergartens, adventure centres and other settings. Moreover, there have been calls to organise and coordinate an agenda for nature-based learning (see Jordan and Chawla, 2019) in order to systematically understand the impact of nature-based learning on a variety of outcomes. These may include effects to health and wellbeing, cognitive and psychosocial development, emotional development and environmental stewardship, as well as, more specifically, academic attainment.

Another crucial aspect with regard to broadening access for all children to nature-based learning is ensuring teachers’ and other professionals’ competence. Recognising that formal education from early childhood to secondary schools has a lot of potential for utilizing nature-based learning, it is imperative to ensure that education professionals are equipped to offer children these experiences. A recent global study has shown that teachers in formal education need more support to be able to take children and youth into nature. Regional studies from all continents, prepared in a project lead by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), report that some topics are sufficiently covered in education. However, the teaching and learning of many other aspects needs urgent improvements (https://www.fao.org/forestry/forest-education/99204/en/).

This Special Issue aims to bring some of this literature together and aid in bringing together interdisciplinary research that explores both the impact that nature-based learning can have on the individual, as well as to look more broadly at how nature-based learning can help tackle societal challenges, such as the mental health crisis, climate change and equity in education. Within this process, teacher and professional education has an important position. We also want to hear from authors who work in different contexts around the world, including the Global South, to see ways that nature-based learning can be adapted to a variety of cultural and physical environments, for optimal impact. This means we are looking for empirical, theoretical as well as speculative articles that examine the inherent possibilities within nature-based learning and within teacher education for nature-based learning.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Impact of nature-based learning;
• Optimising forest school and other nature-based practices;
• Ensuring adequate training and education for teachers and other education professionals;
• Democratisation of nature through nature-based education;
• Opportunities for nature-based learning to tackle specific challenges;
• Nature-based education settings and inclusion;
• Cultural and physical adaptations for nature-based settings in different contexts. 

Dr. Mika Rekola
Dr. Alexia Barrable
Dr. Alexios Arvanitis
Guest Editors

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 single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests 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 2600 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.

• outdoor education
• forest school
• nature-based learning
• nature connection
• wellbeing
• evidence
• environmental education