Evaluating the Role of Introductory Lessons in Outdoor Environmental Activities

Abstract

We assessed the independent impacts both of an introductory in-class lesson and an outdoor lesson on test scores in a group of Spanish schoolchildren. Our main aim was to assess whether either type of lesson interacted or whether their effects were additive. We tested total of 139 grade 4 students (age 9–10) from 4 Spanish primary schools using a factorial design, taking into account school and student gender. The outdoor experience consisted of a talk on the main species of flora and fauna (birds and mammals) during a walk through the forest and also included a set of rules for good conduct. The introductory lessons at the schools consisted of a talk on the same topics with the aid of pictures. Following the lessons, selected students filled in a questionnaire which we used to evaluate increased knowledge. The results showed that outdoor activity, training lesson and school had a strong influence on total score. However, we have not found a synergic effect between the training lesson and the outdoor activity. Thus, it was concluded that a previous in-class lesson increased students knowledge and, although it was not obligatory to obtain the benefits of the outdoor activity, it might be useful with regard to linking in-class and outdoor environments.