New research shows that enabling students to access outdoor learning spaces is an essential key to positive student wellbeing and better behaviour.
But in today’s increasingly crowded urban environments, more secondary schools are being designed vertically – an architectural trend that sees landscape architects turning to creative use of artificial turf mixed with natural foliage to design pockets where outdoor learning and physical play is still a priority.
As a researcher in health and physical education, wellbeing and physical activity within the School of Education at Charles Sturt University, Associate Professor Brendon Hyndman says, “students may be less likely to misbehave, experience bullying or simply lash out and cause an injury if they are engaged and interested in outdoor experiences”.
“All students need access to regular and sustained periods of outdoor learning time to break up prolonged periods of sitting in a classroom.”
Hyndman says research indicates that unstructured, outdoor learning opportunities are crucial to students’ learning and wellbeing back in the classroom – and can help students achieve greater focus.
“Students report better behaviour and less bullying if they are engaged in outdoor experiences and learning opportunities at their school,” he says.
But despite this evidence, Hyndman says that many Australian secondary schools lack suitable outdoor facilities.
“Research shows that secondary school teachers have a lower understanding of adolescent physical activity and play needs.
“Students require their own recreational spaces and time to think for themselves for their development. They need to spend time outdoors to explore, experiment and use their imaginations to build important cognitive, social and physical connections for the future.
“Providing a wide diversity of sizes, shapes, locations and textures in outside environments can encourage students to invent new games, ideas and designs. Creating more options for students to play in the outdoors helps students to discover new ways to do things in the real world.
“Secondary schools need funding to create exciting outdoor learning spaces.”
With clever use of artificial surfaces, designing and installing outdoor sports and recreational spaces when schools have limited space is still possible, with playspace design specialists recommending schools utilise all available space and install courts and outdoor learning spaces on rooftops, on top of underground car parks, or within pathways and under staircases.
By choosing artificial surfaces that allow for multiple line markings, integration of games, such as chess or four-square can offer activities that help bring the space to active life.
At WA’s Edith Cowan University, Dr David Aldous and Professor Dawn Penney both believe “outdoor learning in schools is critical in developing students’ skills, knowledge and understanding for learning and employment”.
Aldous is a senior lecturer in the School of Education at Edith Cowan University (ECU). He is an educator, researcher and participant specialising in the development of outdoor learning, while Penney is a Vice-Chancellor’s Professorial Research Fellow in the School of Education at ECU and leader of the Sport Health and Education Research Community.
They say that ‘learning in the outdoors is integral to providing a unique means of expanding environmental and cultural understandings in students”.
“Ongoing research highlights the significance of outdoor learning in facilitating educational, health, wellbeing and social benefits for students throughout their lives.
“The variety of places and ways in which people can access outdoor learning is not confined to formalised classrooms in adult years and should not be for school-aged students either.
“Governments need to expand educational opportunities that support students towards life-wide and lifelong outdoor learning to advance the health and wellbeing of students.”
Want to reimagine what’s possible in your school’s outdoor space?
Even in built-up urban environments, smart playspace design using artificial turf and multi-use surfaces can unlock creative, inclusive and wellbeing-boosting learning zones.
Explore how APT and their nationwide network of installation partners are helping schools make outdoor learning a priority — no matter the footprint.
Visit www.aptasiapacific.com.au to find out how.
