Schoolbased outdoor learning in Denmark
Udeskole
Karen Barfod ksba@via.dk
Karen Barfod
• Ph.d., research leader
• VIA University College, DK
• Biology and PE
• Head of the
Board National Udeskole network
Udeskole
• Regularly education outside the classroom
• All subjects, own teacher
• Better Math and reading skills
• More motivated
• More PE during the day
• Challenging for the teachers to invent activities
Teaching outside the classroom Udeskole
Teaching method in which teachers in regularly relocate some of their curriculum-based teaching activities from the classroom to places outside the school’s buildings.
Regular (eg once a week)
Curriculum-based: everyday subjects (e..g language, mathematics).
Park, Forest, museum or factory, but mostly in nature.
Inspired by: Bølling, M., Otte, C. R., Elsborg, P., Nielsen, G., & Bentsen, P. (2018)
Using the nearby Environment
• Formal learning arena
• Non-formal learning arena Connecting these arenas
• Informal learning arena
• Eshah, 2007; Grünewald, 2019 (Tübinger erklärung – Kinder brauchen Stadt)
• As an arena for learning (PLACE)
• As a source of knowledge (CONTENT)
• Sczezpanski 2010
Danish School system
• O-9 th class
• Non-divided
• 6-16 years
• 20% Independent or
private (heavily subsidized)
• Teachers freedom in methods
Teaching outside the classroom in Denmark
One or more classes in one fifth of all schools (Barfod et al., 2016; 2021)
Subjects
Otte, 2018
Settings used by teachers in the TEACHOUT study
(2014-15)
Nature and green areas Nature and green areas
Companies School areas Culture institutions Nature centers
Training activities
Teacher instruction
Teacher scaffolding
2+4+1 = 2+2+3
No teacher interference
Teacher widening pupils approach
Waldbegegnungsstätte Krämer in Oberkrämer
Continuum of Guidance
(Furtak et al., 2012)
A quasi-experimental cross-disciplinary evaluation of the impacts of education outside the classroom on pupils’
physical activity, well-being and learning: the TEACHOUT study
18 classes with EOtC and 18 parallel classes without in a year
Motivation Deci and Ryan
Math test, Hogrefe’s MG/FG test
Pupils with udeskole better in math, but not sigificantly
Pupils with udeskole became better readers
Otte, C. R., Bølling, M., Elsborg, P., Nielsen, G., & Bentsen, P.
(2019). Teaching maths outside the classroom: Does it make a difference? Educational Research, 61(1), 38–52.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00131881.2019.1567270
Otte, C. R., Bølling, M., Stevenson, M. P., Ejbye-Ernst, N., Nielsen, G., & Bentsen, P. (2019). Education outside the classroom increaseschildren’sreading performance: Results from a one-year quasi-experimental study. International Journal of Educational Research, 94, 42-51.
Udeskole
• Regularly education outside the classroom
• All subjects
• Own teacher
• Better Math and reading skills
• More motivated
• More PE during the day
• Challenging for the teachers to invent activities
Thank You for Your attention
Karen Barfod ksba@via.dk
