STEP outdoors: Supporting education students to take their teaching outdoors

A substantial body of research highlights the numerous benefits of outdoor learning, spanning improvements in physical development, creativity, language development and social development. Despite this wealth of evidence, many educators, particularly those working with young children, often lack the confidence to incorporate outdoor learning into their practice
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This participatory action research study aimed to address this gap by exploring and enhancing the confidence, learning, and teaching of undergraduate level 5 education students (Primary Education and Early Childhood Studies). The focus was on understanding the benefits of outdoor learning for schools and children, while also equipping education students at the University of Northampton with the skills and confidence to utilise outdoor environments effectively as part of their teaching practices.