From the margins to teacher formation? Outdoor learning professionals, pedagogy, and legitimacy in initial teacher education

Outdoor learning is increasingly recognised within curriculum policy across the UK, particularly in relation to wellbeing, inclusion, and holistic development (Waite, 2011; Nicol and Higgins, 2023). However, research consistently suggests that its integration within initial teacher education (ITE) remains uneven and fragile, often dependent on local cultures, individual advocacy, and informal partnerships (Kendall et al., 2006; Barrable et al., 2020). This presentation examines how outdoor learning is positioned within ITE, with particular attention to the role of outdoor learning professionals and the pedagogical and professional implications of different models of collaboration.

Drawing on a critical synthesis of teacher education and outdoor learning literature, policy analysis across the four UK nations, and research-informed illustrative cases, the paper identifies three recurring roles occupied by outdoor learning professionals in ITE: external contributors, embedded members of ITE delivery teams, and student teachers entering programmes with prior outdoor expertise. Building on research that emphasises the relational and affective dimensions of teacher learning (Christie et al., 2016; Priestley et al., 2015), the paper explores how collaboration is enacted pedagogically, and how professional identities and legitimacy are negotiated within teacher education contexts.

The analysis highlights tensions between rhetorical policy support for outdoor learning and its marginal positioning within assessment, professional standards, and programme structures. While episodic contributions can enhance confidence and enthusiasm among student teachers (Barrable et al., 2020), they may also reinforce perceptions of outdoor learning as supplementary rather than integral to pedagogy. More sustained collaborative models offer greater coherence, but raise questions about qualification, recognition, and whose expertise is legitimised within ITE. Student-teacher perspectives further demonstrate how confidence, motivation, and prior experience shape engagement with outdoor learning, challenging assumptions of universal enthusiasm.

The presentation argues that advancing outdoor learning within ITE requires attention not only to curriculum alignment, but to pedagogical relationships, affective dimensions of learning, and professional boundaries. It concludes by discussing implications for teacher educators, outdoor learning professionals, and policy makers concerned with strengthening teacher formation and professional learning across diverse educational contexts.