Date of Award

5-2019

Document Type

Action Research Project

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Education

Department

Education, Montessori

First Advisor

Amanda Perna

Department/School

Montessori Early Childhood

Abstract

Children have an innate sense of curiosity about nature. “When children come in contact with nature, they reveal their strength” (Montessori, 1967, pg. 69) and therefore, outdoor education can be a useful learning tool for students. Whether being outdoors or bringing the nature-based activities inside, children have the opportunity to work with all of their senses. A growing number of schools around the United States have begun adding outdoor learning to their curriculum (Lieberman & Hoody, 1998) to bring a positive outcome to students’ behavior. Outdoor learning provides another environment that children can thrive in and hopefully benefit from. As many students struggle with learning confined to an indoor learning environment, like most classrooms, changing the environment offers students a uniquely rich context to frame student learning and provides them with movement, stimulation and grabs their attention so they can focus better (Bjorge, Hannah, Rekstad and Pauly, 2017). “If students are more focused, it is less likely for them to cause disruptive behaviors” (Bjorge, et. al, p. 4). This positive change in behavior is beneficial for everyone including students, teachers, and parents. By incorporating outdoor learning regularly in a classroom, children are given the freedom to move and explore on a sensorial level that may promote positive learning abilities. Using the outdoor environment as a classroom setting can have an impact on children who are not successful in an indoor classroom setting. According to existing research, (Bjorge, et. al, 2017; James, J.K. and Williams, T., 2017; Lieberman & Hoody, 1998) student motivation and concentration behaviors, as well as overall well-being, can be greatly impacted and improved through outdoor learning opportunities. 2

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