Conference Agenda

In Switzerland, as in many countries, the promotion and enhancement of outdoor learning have been noticed for several years (Wolf et al., 2022; Blondin & Letouzey-Pasquier, 2023). NGOs such as Silviva (2019), Pro Natura, and the Outdoor Learning Competence Center (Lausanne) promote outdoor education across various issues. At the Fribourg’s University of Teacher Education (Swiss), pre-service and in-service teachers are trained in relation to outdoor learning, primarily focusing on natural sciences and/or forest school approach.

Although numerous studies exist on experiential learning (Jose et al., 2017), place-based education (Dolan, 2016; Smith, 2002), experiential geography (Léninger-Frézal et al., 2020), fieldwork (Briand, 2014, Halocha, 2005), we have identified a need for support among in-service primary school teachers (KS 1) - with young students (ages 5–6) - on exploring and representing local spaces. Thus, how does outdoor learning enhance pupils' understanding of their local space? How do the teachers’ didactic strategies improve pupils’ fieldwork experiences?

Since 2021, our research has focused on the contribution of fieldwork to geography teaching essentially in KS 1. We implemented a collaborative research framework (Bednarz et al., 2017) and created a Community of Practice (Wenger, 2005; Marlot & Roy, 2020; Letouzey-Pasquier & Blondin, submitted), involving 10 teachers from KS1 classes across four schools from the Canton of Fribourg. This research-training initiative aims to study and enhance the in-service teachers‘ skills, emphasizing fieldwork learning. Initially, we collected data on outdoor teachers‘ practices, followed by the elaboration of an in-service training program related to geographic fieldwork. Teachers created teaching material which included at least one fieldwork trip under the guidance of researchers.

In this presentation, we analyze teaching material and recorded teaching sessions focused on the school area with a specific focus on the introduction of mapping concepts and skills.

In contemporary urban studies, the relationship between education, participation, and public spaces has gained increasing relevance. On the one hand, from the seminal work of Dewey (1916; 1938) and Ward (1978), which highlights the city as a pedagogical device fostering democratic education through engagement with urban environments, outdoor education has long been recognized as an effective strategy for inquiry-based learning in real-world contexts, fostering critical thinking and responsible citizenship (Rickinson et al., 2004; Lambert & Balderstone, 2010; Oost, De Vries & Van der Schee, 2011). On the other hand, recent work on participatory urban planning further emphasizes the need to integrate educational practices with participatory methods, bridging theory with practice and providing young people with opportunities for active involvement in reshaping their environments (Tonucci, 2005; Howard, 2010; Malatesta, 2015; Deinet, 2017; Dickens, 2017) through engaging meaningful, non-adult-led social learning tools and contexts (Percy-Smith, 2010).
At the same time, while the relationship between participation and research has been widely explored (Kindon, Pain, Kesby, 2007), few studies connect participation, research, and education within a single theoretical framework. Some authors (McNall et al., 2015) have begun to address this gap, suggesting that the integration of these dimensions can create opportunities for collaborative learning and knowledge production that meets real community needs.
Our contribution presents the GIOCANDO (Game-based Involvement Of young Citizens AND public Organizations) project, which aims at bridging the gap between outdoor education and participatory urban planning with young people through a collaborative, co-research approach in three marginalized neighbourhoods of Palermo (Italy). In partnership with three NGOs and several local schools, the project empowers young people to actively participate in the (re)imagination and regeneration of public spaces, acting as co-researchers. Combining fieldwork research activities with the design and development of a board game and a digital app simulating urban planning processes, the project offers a dynamic platform for decision-making, fostering spatial awareness and a deeper understanding of local urban challenges. Drawing on “the right to research” (Appadurai, 2006), we explore the tensions between participation and pedagogy, focusing on the role of young people as ‘primary researchers’ in knowledge production (Kim, 2016).

The focus of this research work lies on the critical assessment of an education-project called “Nature Lab”, established almost more the ten years ago in Altenberg/Rax (Austria). The integration of local and regional people with valuable knowledge about “their” region was one of the basic ideas of the Nature Lab, that can be understood as new lecture halls for - in the present case - Geographers. Also, the direct implementation of the Nature Park Mürzer Oberland was part of this education-concept for the university level. In a second step innovative and practice-oriented methods of applied teaching are illuminated on the example of the lab’s co-learning approach and the geomorphological educational trail, as an instrument of environmental education. An evaluation of the nature lab’s impacts on the communal development is given in a third section and factors of success for installing a nature lab are detected by evaluating lessons learned from 2013 until today. Altogether, the paper on hand can help to understand the focal points for running a nature lab. It also shows how new teaching methods in Geography can be applied in an innovative and practice-oriented way.

Since 2019 educational system in Croatia has undergone significant changes of all relevant curriculum documents. This triggered changes in practices of teaching and learning on all educational levels. The aim of this paper is to determine to what extent outdoor education has become an integral part of teaching and learning within Geography classes, but also when Geography is correlated with other school subjects such as Biology, Chemistry, etc.

Pedagogical interest is primarily directed towards the teaching process and the mutual relationships of its participants and little attention has been given so far to the analyses of outdoor activities on the education and upbringing of pupils in general. Education in an open environment is not sufficiently represented as a result of the organizational difficulties that teachers encounter during its organization. The value of fieldwork increases when conducted in an interdisciplinary manner, as it encourages cross-curricular connections and enables a more comprehensive understanding of topics such as climate changes and natural hazards.
In line with the research objectives focused on students, the semi-structured interview method together with survey were found to be the most effective for gathering detailed data, opinions, and insights. Sampling was based on the participation of Geography students on all educational levels. Interviews were conducted with ten participants, each of whom provided valuable information based on their experiences. Even though there are numerous possibilities of field work and outdoor education within Geography curriculum most teaching occurs in the classroom. Results indicate outdoor education develops numerous soft skills and also increases environmental awareness by integrating educational content with outdoor experiences during walking, camping, hiking, nature observation, etc.