The nature of learning at forest school: practitioners' perspectives

Abstract

This paper investigates forest school practitioners perceptions of learning at forest school to identify the topics covered, the learning styles, and the philosophies underpinning its delivery, based on interviews with experienced forest school practitioners. Practitioners identified the focus of learning at forest school as social development: teamwork, relationships with others, self-knowledge, and learning to take risks. Children also engaged with nature and developed an attachment to the woods where forest school took place. Learning styles were kinaesthetic, sensory, and experiential. Forest school leaders saw themselves as facilitators of learning rather than teachers.

Keywords:

• forest school
• primary school
• outdoor learning
• negotiated learning
• children and nature

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the forest school practitioners who took time out from their work to be interviewed. My thanks go to each of them for sharing their knowledge and experience.

Notes

1. Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic.

2. The other two questions below are addressed in other papers: how do children respond to the forest school environment and experience? what is the impact of being outdoors?.

3. Their responses largely focussed on issues relating to governance of forest school and the quality of forest school leaders, and so are not discussed in detail in this paper.