Cultivating Environmental Connection and Deeper Learning through Field Trips to Outdoor Learning Spaces: A Qualitative Analysis

Abstract

Policymakers, scholars, and educators are concerned about youth well-being and the rise of chronic absenteeism, suggesting student disengagement from learning in school coupled with the rise of standardization practices. Researchers have studied the general benefits of outdoor learning spaces for increased student engagement and improved overall well-being. However, a gap remains in our understanding of how a specifically designed outdoor learning space, incorporating both natural elements and planned activities, can foster environmental connection and deeper learning for students, as there is limited research on outdoor learning field trips. This study employed a case study methodology to investigates how student learning experiences emerged during educational field trips to an outdoor learning space and what structures and planned activities are present at the outdoor learning space, utilizing a place-based education framework. Data includes observations of two elementary school field trips, post field trip surveys, and organizational documents. The findings indicate that the field trips not only fostered students' emotional and cognitive engagement with their environment through expressions of awe and wonder but also facilitated a deeper understanding of ecological concepts, highlighting the role of both deeper learning and supportive structures within the Outdoor Learning Space. This research advances the literature by examining student engagement, environmental connection, and potential non-cognitive outcomes like "Sense of Place" development and parental engagement within a designed OLS (Outdoor Learning Space) context.