This report presents the findings of a study investigating the knowledge of, access to and purposes for, outdoor learning in Wales. Outdoor learning played a significant role in the health and wellbeing of children and young people during the Covid-19 pandemic (Sefton, 2021) and a previous WG commissioned report found that during, between, and directly subsequent to Covid-19 lockdowns, ‘outdoor learning played an increased role, both in and out of school, in supporting physical and mental wellbeing’ (French, Horder, Jones, Parry, Mahoney, Moody and Rhys-Jones, 2021, p. 79). With the importance of outdoor learning as a pedagogical approach that has both physical and cognitive benefits having been established, the current study attempted to provide an indication of how outdoor learning was being utilised in schools across Wales. The research utilised a small convenience sample to provide indicative findings of the frequency, type of activity and purposes of activity undertaken by schools. The study deployed a survey-based data capture instrument and research design based on an effective methodology from three studies conducted in Scotland (commissioned by Scottish Government), commencing in the late 2000s through to 2018. The data collection instrument was modified to suit the Welsh context in terms of school types and provision, and in light of the transitional period between the previous iteration of, and the current Curriculum for Wales.

The study found that amongst the schools surveyed, sessions ranged in duration from 30 mins to full days (6 hours), with groups ranging from 4 children to 29. There were between 1 and 4 adults supervising the children during these sessions who were teachers and teaching assistants, associate teachers (a term frequently used by ITE partnerships to describe student teachers) or outdoor instructors. The main purposes of the sessions were to develop teamworking skills, and to draw direct links with the Curriculum for Wales. Fewer sessions were delivered for the specific purposes of extra-curricular health and well-being or to experience nature and a sense of place (cynefin), and there were very few sessions reported for the purpose of field work, being creative, adventure or to study or conserve local heritage or learn about Wales. The main stated curriculum links were to the health and well-being and language literacy and communication areas of learning and experience. There were very few sessions with clear links to recognised award schemes such as the John Muir Award. The reported impact of the sessions on the children and young people concerned was primarily concerned with developing personal choice and overcoming challenge.

Other findings concerned the challenges of collecting data by the research team resulting from the over-researching of practitioners during challenging times (still during the Covid-19 recovery period for instance) and the plethora of similar projects that also utilised existing HEI/school networks so the same schools are routinely asked to contribute.
The report concluded that the timing of data collection came at a time of year when the weather in Wales requires more protective clothing to remain comfortable and thus there were potentially fewer episodes of outdoor learning than might have been expected from the literature review, and that whilst outdoor learning was valued by the schools that engaged in the survey, the sample size was very small and therefore findings are indicative rather than generalised across Wales. The project timing and scale were constrained by the timescale of the commission, but did highlight that there is still a lack of clarity concerning a definition of outdoor learning. Between the completion of this study and the submission of this report, definitions of outdoor learning, adventure education and outdoor education (specific to the Welsh educational context) have been suggested in the presentation to the Outdoor Activity Sector Senedd Cross Party Group on 28th September 2022.