A Classroom Without Four Walls? Paving the Way for More Outdoor Education

The focus of this Capstone Project is on the need to increase outdoor education opportunities for students. More specifically, how can teachers increase outdoor learning opportunities during instructional time? This is important because a lack of outdoor educational opportunities hinders students from learning benefits only found through their environment. It is argued that a decrease in environmental integration in schools will cause children to lose touch with nature, affecting their development and the future sustainability of our planet. The three primary stakeholder perspectives chosen were one teacher, one science teacher, and one garden-nutrition educator because considerations of the issue should include the perspectives of teachers as they are the ones who facilitate learning. Three action options emerged from an analysis of the data and are explored as ways to address the issue presented. Outdoor Education teacher training and seminars along with collaboration with supporting nonprofits or community organizations are argued to be the most effective way to achieve the goals of increasing outdoor education opportunities for students by infusing it into teacher pedagogical practices