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The nature of udeskole : outdoor learning theory and practice in Danish schools

2012; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 12; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/14729679.2012.699806

1754-0402

Peter Bentsen, Frank Søndergaard Jensen,

Environmental Education and Sustainability

Abstract An increasing number of Danish teachers have started introducing school-based outdoor learning as a weekly or biweekly 'outdoor school' day for school children—often called udeskole in Danish. Although at least 14% of Danish schools practise this form of outdoor teaching with some classes, it is not mentioned in the national curriculum and little is presently known about the nature of udeskole. Drawing on a conceptual framework about different curriculum domains, we explore outdoor learning theory and practice in Danish schools. We describe and analyse the advocated pedagogy and didactics of the Danish udeskole movement as well as current practice through a review of the literature and a nationwide survey of 107 responding teachers. We also reveal discrepancies between the advocated and practised outdoor learning curriculum. Finally, we present recommendations on how to bridge these gaps and develop the practice further. Keywords: Curriculum studiesEducation outside the classroomOutdoor learningOutdoor teachingTheory and practice Acknowledgements Several people contributed to the development of the ideas in this paper. The authors thank Torgeir Limstrand (Limstrand, Citation2001), Alison Lugg and Peter Martin (Lugg & Martin, Citation2001) and Øystein Vestøl (Vestøl, Citation2003) for inspiration. The authors' genuine thanks also go to the teachers who answered the questionnaires, and they thank Marie Juul Knudsen for her invaluable assistance in mailing and keying in the questionnaires. Finally, the authors would also like to thank colleagues Richard Hare, Erik Mygind, Thomas B. Randrup and Niels Ejby-Ernst for valuable comments, feedback and suggestions. Notes 1. Jordet (Citation2002a) had a broad understanding of 'Didaktik', somehow likening it to the English concept of curriculum if understood broadly like Goodlad et al. (Citation1979). Therefore, we will use the two concepts synonymously: 'If Europeans are to make sense of North American curriculum theory, or Americans to make sense of Didaktik, the approach has to be made in a humanistic, culturally appreciative spirit which is as sensitive to uniqueness as it is to commonality' (Reid, Citation1998, p. 24). Jordet (Citation2003, p. 18) defined 'uteskolens didaktikk' as, 'considerations in relation to udeskole practice in school and education'.