Investigating teacher-student relationships from the classroom to outdoor learning spaces: exploring engagement and learning by listening to the voices of the young people

Education should play a key role in supporting young people through transition between childhood and adulthood. Yet many young people often question ‘What is the point of school?’, becoming disengaged from both school and learning. For Ross (2009) negative relationships with teachers lead to disengagement and a negative view of school. However, establishing positive teacher-student relationships is not straightforward and studies investigating this often give little detail of how teacherstudent relationships form or why. Yet improvements in teacher-student relationships due to outdoor experiences have been seen in research such as Camp (2008); and Jung-Sook Lee (2014) suggests that enriching learning environments might prevent disengagement as when students feel a sense of belonging to school and their learning is valued as an activity, they are more likely to put sustained effort into engaging and learning. Teacher-student relationships may be more multifaceted and complex than earlier research showed. Rather than being based on teacher characteristics, the research suggests students view the teacher-relationships by teacher attitude and student behaviour. The learning environment is also of importance, with most students feeling they would not only learn more if they were outside the classroom but would also get to know their teachers better. Therefore, focusing on Year 7’s in secondary schools, by examining teacher-student relationships from the perspective of the students, the research addresses the statement: “fostering positive relationships between teachers and young people draws them into the processes of learning by promoting emotional well-being and resilience, thus creating enriching learning environments”

Outdoor Learning and Place-based Curriculum Framework

This Framework was developed as a response to the request from teachers in Cumbria and Lancashire to provide an evidence base for an outdoor learning and place-based curriculum such as the Morecambe Bay Curriculum (Eden Project North). It should support teachers and educators in developing teaching and learning for children and young people in schools and other educational settings and to gain confidence and belief in the efficacy and vision of such a curriculum

Can teacher-student relationships through outdoor learning enhance student engagement?

Education may play a key role in supporting young people through the transition period between childhood and adulthood, and equip them with the skills, knowledge and capabilities to succeed in their future. Yet for many young people, they often question ‘What is the point of school? The current often oppressive environment of schools through narrowing views and curriculums, can lead young people to feelings of apathy and disconnection from school and learning. However, the literature I have reviewed shows that positive teacher-student relationships can assist young people who feel disengaged from school to not only achieve higher academically but to also develop socially and emotionally and to connect or re-connect with school and learning