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Full-Text Articles in Outdoor Education

Inspiring Multilingual Children To Explore The Natural World Using Nature-Based Literature, Jennifer Hill, Deborah Wheeler Jun 2026

Inspiring Multilingual Children To Explore The Natural World Using Nature-Based Literature, Jennifer Hill, Deborah Wheeler

Journal of English Learner Education

Nature-based learning has become more popular in the United States since COVID-19, and incorporating nature-based learning including books about the natural world aligns with children’s natural curiosity, and desire to actively explore through play. Indeed, nature-based learning has many benefits ranging from supporting child development, promoting social-emotional well-being, and creating an inclusive learning environment for multilingual students. Reading nature-based literature and providing access to nature-based literature is a holistic methodology teachers should include in their classroom. This paper highlights the benefits of nature-based learning and provides a variety of topics and resources teacher can utilize.


An Equity-Based And Culturally Responsive Bill Of Rights For Early Childhood Students Of Color With Exceptionalities, Evette Simmons-Reed, Michelle Frazier Trotman Scott, Gloria Tardash, Mildred Boveda, Donna Y. Ford May 2026

An Equity-Based And Culturally Responsive Bill Of Rights For Early Childhood Students Of Color With Exceptionalities, Evette Simmons-Reed, Michelle Frazier Trotman Scott, Gloria Tardash, Mildred Boveda, Donna Y. Ford

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing disparities in early intervention (EI) and early childhood special education (ECSE) services for culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) disabled children, exposing critical gaps in access, services and support. systemic inconsistencies in implementation, training, and funding, remain barriers limit opportunities for CLD students to benefit, despite the aims of the Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Act (IDEA). To address these inequities, this manuscript proposes an expanded and updated Culturally Responsive Equity-Based Bill of Rights for EI and ECSE. Building upon Ford and colleagues' (2018) work, this revised document extends protections to children aged zero to five, emphasizing …


Guest Editor's Introduction: Methodological Innovations For Advancing Early Childhood Educational And Psychological Research, Anthony Mangino Ph.D. May 2026

Guest Editor's Introduction: Methodological Innovations For Advancing Early Childhood Educational And Psychological Research, Anthony Mangino Ph.D.

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

The goal of this special issue is to provide you, the inquisitive reader and developmental scientist, with some of the methodological tools to aid in augmenting your analytic capacity.


Enhancing Kindergarten Readiness, Aileen Z. Chavarin-Beleche May 2026

Enhancing Kindergarten Readiness, Aileen Z. Chavarin-Beleche

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Many parents of young children are unaware of successful ways to prepare their child for Kindergarten. Without preparation, children might struggle in their daily academics and fall behind their peers. Parents who learn more about Kindergarten readiness are more likely to create structured learning environments and help their child build skills to successfully transition to Kindergarten. In order to address this need, I have created a one-hour presentation for parents of children attending the Cabrillo College Children Center and Lab School in Aptos, California.


Brambles: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Drew Vogt Jan 2026

Brambles: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Drew Vogt

OER Materials

The goal of this assignment was to design an immersive, place-based learning experience that helps preservice teachers engage with their region’s environment of the MSUM Regional Science Center. This lesson uses inquiry-based learning through exploration of bramble plants. Students' activity engages in their learning through hands-on exploration, observation, and curiosity. Students observe the structure and function of bramble plants and their relationship with the surrounding environment. This lesson encourages curiosity and critical thinking skills to drive learning to better understand how plants interact with their environment.


Grass: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Riley Schaefer Jan 2026

Grass: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Riley Schaefer

OER Materials

The goal of this assignment was to design an immersive place-based learning experience that helps preservice teachers engage with their resources and design an inclusive place-based learning plan. Connecting to the MSUM Regional Science center where these resources will be made for. They are subject to change for other regional centers like the MSUM Regional Science Center.


Adaptation In The Tallgrass Prairie: The Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrel, Katherine Sikorski Jan 2026

Adaptation In The Tallgrass Prairie: The Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrel, Katherine Sikorski

OER Materials

The goal of this lesson was to design an immersive, place-based learning inquiry for students to observe and learn about animal adaptations influenced by the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. By exploring the MSUM Regional Science Center, students engage with the natural phenomenon of camouflage, specifically analyzing how the physical traits of the Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel and the Prairie Pocket Gopher are influenced by their environment. Through a combination of hands-on "phenomenon walks" and argumentative journaling, this lesson empowers students to construct evidence-based arguments regarding how survival is tied to habitat-specific traits.


Shooting Star Flower: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Ava Bauch Jan 2026

Shooting Star Flower: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Ava Bauch

OER Materials

The lesson plan engages fourth-grade students in a hands-on field experience at the MSUM Regional Science Center located in Moorhead, Minnesota focusing on the Shooting Star flower with the scientific name Dodecatheon meadia. Aligned with Minnesota Science Standard 4L.4.1.1.1, the lesson emphasizes how environmental conditions influence the traits and survival of living organisms. Students begin by observing an image of the flower and generating questions and predictions to spark curiosity. Then explore the natural environment to locate the plant and record observations about its surroundings, structure, and survival strategies. Through guided discussion, students learn how the Shooting Star adapts to …


Prairie Clover Phenomenon: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Emma Kress Jan 2026

Prairie Clover Phenomenon: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Emma Kress

OER Materials

This place-based learning lesson engages third grade students in scientific inquiry through direct observation of prairie clover at the MSUM Regional Science Center. Students participate in a curiosity/phenomenon walk where they explore a native prairie plant and its role within a tallgrass prairie ecosystem. By observing, recording, and generating questions, students practice thinking like scientists while developing an understanding of plant characteristics, pollinators, and ecosystem relationships. The lesson emphasizes inquiry-based learning aligned with Minnesota Science Standard 3.1.1.1 and supports student curiosity, critical thinking and environmental awareness. Differentiation strategies and formative assessments ensure accessibility for diverse learners while fostering engagement with …


How Plants Grow: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Regan Braun Jan 2026

How Plants Grow: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Regan Braun

OER Materials

The goal of this assignment was to design an immersive, place-based learning experience that is based on natural phenomenon in the Minnesota State Moorhead Regional Science Center.  Placed-based learning is to establish the connection between the classroom to the local community and the environment. The natural phenomenon is focused on how plants grow in different environments. This will zero in on how the plants grow in reaction to different soil, water access, and direct or indirect sunlight. Students will then be on a phenomenon walk that will help them develop their own curiosities and wonderings. Developed in their own curiosity, …


Life Cycles Of Living Organisms: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Thea Kunka Jan 2026

Life Cycles Of Living Organisms: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Thea Kunka

OER Materials

The goal of this assignment was to create an immersive, place-based learning experience centered on a natural phenomenon for the Minnesota State Moorhead Regional Science Center in Glyndon, MN. Place-based learning involves establishing a connection between the classroom and the local community or environment. The natural phenomenon focused on is life cycles in living organisms, emphasizing how, despite the variety of living organisms (e.g., birds, animals, plants), their life cycles are quite similar. Students will explore this by taking a phenomenon walk, making observations to spark curiosity and questions, and ultimately developing a model of life cycles. This also briefly …


Grasshoppers: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Brooklyn Partlow Jan 2026

Grasshoppers: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Brooklyn Partlow

OER Materials

This submission is a curiosity and place-based science lesson designed for elementary students. It centers on observing grasshoppers during a field experience at MSUM’s Regional Science Center. The lesson engages students by making observations, asking questions, and recording data through a structured curiosity walk. By interacting within a natural phenomenon, students develop a deeper understanding of habitats, ecosystems, and animal adaptations such as camouflage and movement. The significance of this lesson lies in its emphasis on experiential, inquiry-based learning which promotes curiosity and scientific thinking. Additionally, the lesson incorporates Indigenous ways of knowing. Including this into my submission teaches students …


How Plants Get Nutrients: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Cami Mayo Jan 2026

How Plants Get Nutrients: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Cami Mayo

OER Materials

The goal of this lesson is to engage students in learning how plants get the nutrients they need in order to survive. Further, this lesson is focused on fifth grade students but can be adapted to other grades. This lesson takes a place-based learning approach. Place-based learning is an approach that uses locations, environments or topics that are related to the community and incorporates it with the curriculum that is being used in the classroom. Specifically, this lesson is based on Clay County in Minnesota and is supposed to be used in tandem with the Regional Science Center in Glyndon, …


Indian Grass: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Michaela Barthel Jan 2026

Indian Grass: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Michaela Barthel

OER Materials

This submission presents a 4th-grade science inquiry lesson focused on the role of Indian grass in preventing erosion, aligned with Minnesota Science Standard 4E.1.2.1.1. The lesson is designed to immerse students in a hands-on, field-based investigation in which they observe, sketch, and record measurements of Indian grass and surrounding soil conditions. Through direct engagement with a natural environment, students examine how vegetation contributes to reducing erosion caused by environmental forces such as wind and water, while also recognizing patterns within the landscape. Throughout the lesson, students are expected to make detailed observations and collect evidence, including soil stability, root depth …


Animal Survival: Place Based Lesson Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Clara Paleen Jan 2026

Animal Survival: Place Based Lesson Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Clara Paleen

OER Materials

The goal of this assignment was to design an immersive, place-based learning experience that helps preservice teachers engage with natural phenomena at the Minnesota State Moorhead Regional Science Center. Place based learning is to establish the connection between the classroom and the local community/environment. The natural phenomenon focused on is how animals survive the different seasons in Minnesota.  Students will be on a phenomenon walk to develop their own curiosity and wonderings.


Buffalo River: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Ryanna Thorson Jan 2026

Buffalo River: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Ryanna Thorson

OER Materials

This submission presents a place-based curiosity walk lesson designed to engage 5th-grade students in investigating how the Buffalo River shapes the land and supports like through processes such as water flow, erosion, deposition, and riparian ecosystem interactions. Using the bridge as a safe observation platform, the lesson engages students in documenting seasonal indicators such as snowmelt runoff, rising water levels, sediment movement, and ice breakup; phenomena that parallel Minnesota’s long-standing practice of tracking lake “ice-out” dates. By integrating scientific observation with Indigenous ways of knowing, the lesson emphasizes the ecological and cultural significance of understanding river cycles and …


Wild Rice Life Cycle: An Integrated Science, Social Studies, And Ela Lesson, Rhett Zima, Lily Deming Jan 2026

Wild Rice Life Cycle: An Integrated Science, Social Studies, And Ela Lesson, Rhett Zima, Lily Deming

OER Materials

This lesson is designed to deepen students’ understanding of wild rice, a plant native to Minnesota, by integrating life science concepts such as structure, function, life cycles, and seed dispersal with prior knowledge from English Language Arts and Social Studies. Using the 5E instructional model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate), students participate in a structured, inquiry-based learning experience. They begin by connecting to prior knowledge and generating questions, then investigating the life cycle and growth patterns of wild rice through hands-on exploration. As students build their understanding, they analyze how the plant’s seed dispersal supports its survival and reproduction. …


Plant Phenomena Nature Walk: Msum Regional Science Center, Abigail Kor Jan 2026

Plant Phenomena Nature Walk: Msum Regional Science Center, Abigail Kor

OER Materials

The goal of this inquiry-based lesson plan is to provide teachers and students with a place-based learning experience focused on exploring natural phenomena in the world around them. The lesson was established to provide learners with an experience to observe nature in Minnesota, by exploring the grounds at the MSUM regional science center. This lesson can be adapted to suit other outdoor learning environments. The primary goal of this lesson is to provide students with a cross-curricular, hands-on learning experience that takes place in their community and environment.


Investigating The Relationship Between Noun Classes And Plant Folk Taxonomy In Chasu Language Of Kilimanjaro Region In Tanzania, Peter Rabson Mziray Nov 2025

Investigating The Relationship Between Noun Classes And Plant Folk Taxonomy In Chasu Language Of Kilimanjaro Region In Tanzania, Peter Rabson Mziray

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

The current study investigates the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu (G 22). The study focuses on two objectives: the first objective is to describe the plant folk taxonomy in Chasu and the second objective is to determine the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu. Data were collected from rural villages in Same and Mwanga districts by using free listing, field interviews (jungle-walk-and-identify), and written texts containing Chasu plant names. The findings reveal that Chasu folk taxonomy reflects different ethnobotanical categories; including a unique beginner which is mmea/mimea ‘plant(s)’, and three life …


Burnout Theory, Pandemic Teaching And Teacher Efficacy: What Is Lost When Schools Return To “Normal”?, Katy Farber, Penny A. Bishop Jul 2025

Burnout Theory, Pandemic Teaching And Teacher Efficacy: What Is Lost When Schools Return To “Normal”?, Katy Farber, Penny A. Bishop

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Our qualitative study examined educators’ perceptions of teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic through the lens of burnout theory. Using the three components of burnout as theorized by Maslach and Leiter (2016), we analyzed teachers’ self-reports of emotional exhaustion, cynicism/depersonalization, and reduced sense of professional self-efficacy. We interviewed 16 teachers who taught through the emergency remote-learning phase of the pandemic in March 2020 and remained in the same district when prepandemic practices returned. We conducted semistructured interviews in person and on Zoom with special educators, integrated arts teachers, school counselors, and general classroom teachers. We describe the unanticipated finding that teachers …


Perceptions Of Unstructured Recess And Classroom Behaviors In Elementary School Settings., Allison Shockley May 2025

Perceptions Of Unstructured Recess And Classroom Behaviors In Elementary School Settings., Allison Shockley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The priority on core curriculum areas such as math and reading has resulted in limited physical activity and regular recess routines. With the increased time spent on core curriculum, teachers and administrators have shifted their focus towards standardized student testing achievement. This focus has resulted in limiting or doing away with unstructured recess with the hopes that students will gain more core curriculum knowledge. This dissertation will focus on educators' perceptions of elementary school student behavior with varying recess time structures. This study began by examining the history of recess while analyzing the trickled- down historical inequities elementary students experience …


Nature Journaling: A Tool For Designing A Responsive Science Methods Course For Adult Learners, Meenakshi Sharma, Divya Gangadin, Francy Gomez Feb 2025

Nature Journaling: A Tool For Designing A Responsive Science Methods Course For Adult Learners, Meenakshi Sharma, Divya Gangadin, Francy Gomez

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

We examined an outdoor, experiential learning approach within a science methods course for nontraditional adult learners who are often career changers or individuals transitioning into teaching later in life. Through immersive, nature-based experiences, the course connected adult learners to science via direct engagement with the natural world. We include reflections from two nontraditional learners who participated in a 6-week nature journaling process, showcasing how they embraced inquiry-based experiences in natural settings. These reflections reveal a supportive learning environment that values diverse learning styles and life experiences and encourages exploration. Insights from these experiences can guide science teacher educators in developing …


Perceptions, Limitations, And Impacts Of An Outdoor Learning Garden On Elementary-Age Students In A Rural North Carolina District, Kimberly M. Smith Jan 2025

Perceptions, Limitations, And Impacts Of An Outdoor Learning Garden On Elementary-Age Students In A Rural North Carolina District, Kimberly M. Smith

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Outdoor learning gardens are environments where science meets the wonder of a child as they cultivate crops within the boundaries of their schoolyard. When students have opportunities to leave the four walls of their classroom and move outdoors, their minds are awakened and they can explore, analyze, and synthesize information. This mixed methods research investigation took place in a rural North Carolina district on an elementary school campus. The study sought to consider the perceptions of teachers and parents of outdoor learning and the limitations that prevent teachers from including experiential learning opportunities for students. The methodology for the research …


Beyond The Bin: Transforming Relationships With Waste Through A Collaborative Inquiry-Based Environmental Education Curriculum, Kaylee V. Morris Jan 2025

Beyond The Bin: Transforming Relationships With Waste Through A Collaborative Inquiry-Based Environmental Education Curriculum, Kaylee V. Morris

Pitzer Senior Theses

This thesis presents Beyond the Bin, a collaborative inquiry-based environmental education curriculum designed to transform how young learners understand and interact with waste. Motivated by the limitations of current downstream waste education—focused primarily on consumer behavior and individual disposal practices—this project argues for an upstream approach that identifies the underlying cause of these prevalent systems of disposability. Grounded in environmental education theory, affective learning, and ecological literacy, the curriculum encourages students to rethink waste as a material with creative potential rather than something to discard. Through creative engagement, experiential learning, and community-based initiatives, the curriculum fosters collaboration between students, teachers, …


Amin's Harvest For Tomorrow Through Nine Compassionate Attributes:, Dua Nadeem, Bibi Haleema, Fazila Saleem, Komal Malik Shivji, Samina Iqbal, Seemi Batool Jan 2025

Amin's Harvest For Tomorrow Through Nine Compassionate Attributes:, Dua Nadeem, Bibi Haleema, Fazila Saleem, Komal Malik Shivji, Samina Iqbal, Seemi Batool

Institute for Educational Development Pakistan (IED-PK) Archives

At CfC, we believe that the future of our society depends on raising children who understand and practice compassion in all aspects of their lives. The book was created to help children connect with the concept of compassion and other core values, such as self-compassion, mindfulness, courage, gratitude, forgiveness, integrity, humility, altruism, and empathy. These values are essential not only for personal development but also for building stronger, more caring communities.
In the Sindh context, where communities face unique social, environmental, and climate related challenges, we wanted to provide children with a narrative that reflects the importance of collective action …


Rooted In Nature: Pre-Service Teachers' Development Of Nature-Based Pedagogical Insights Through A Forest School Field Experience, Janet Vanlone, Lauren Shearer, Makenna Luzenski, Ellen Amarante, Susan Chlebowski, Chris Boyatzis Nov 2024

Rooted In Nature: Pre-Service Teachers' Development Of Nature-Based Pedagogical Insights Through A Forest School Field Experience, Janet Vanlone, Lauren Shearer, Makenna Luzenski, Ellen Amarante, Susan Chlebowski, Chris Boyatzis

Faculty Journal Articles

Outdoor education programs, such as Forest School, have physical, social-emotional, and academic benefits for children, and teachers trained in nature-based pedagogy are more likely to provide outdoor education opportunities for their students. Incorporating outdoor field experiences in teacher preparation may teach new teachers how to implement nature-based programming. However, little is known about how outdoor field experiences affect pre-service teacher development. Grounded in self-efficacy theory (Bandura, 1977), this mixed-methods study examined in a pretest-posttest design how participating in a 12-week outdoor field experience contributed to pre-service teachers’ (N = 9) knowledge of nature-based pedagogy and their self-efficacy. Participants also completed …


The Effectiveness Of Massage Gun Treatment Combined With Passive Stretching In Reducing Non-Specific Lower Back Pain, Yudik Prasetyo, Sabda Husain As Shafi, Fatkhurahman Arjuna, Atikah Rahayu, Mohd Izwan Bin Shahril, Mohad Anizu Mohd Nor, Edwin Onyango Otieno Sep 2024

The Effectiveness Of Massage Gun Treatment Combined With Passive Stretching In Reducing Non-Specific Lower Back Pain, Yudik Prasetyo, Sabda Husain As Shafi, Fatkhurahman Arjuna, Atikah Rahayu, Mohd Izwan Bin Shahril, Mohad Anizu Mohd Nor, Edwin Onyango Otieno

Jurnal Keolahragaan

Non-specific lower back pain is a common condition characterized by strain, muscle spasms, or weakness of the paraspinal muscles, particularly the multifidus muscle, which affects adjacent musculature such as the gluteus, hamstrings, and quadriceps. This study aimed to investigate whether massage gun treatment combined with passive stretching could reduce non-specific low back pain in patients experiencing subacute and chronic phases of this condition. This pseudo-experimental research employed a one-group pretest-posttest design with three treatments. Participants were selected using purposive sampling based on inclusion criteria: suffering from non-specific low back pain, willingness to participate, and age between 20 and 65 years. …


Understanding The Role Of Out Of School Time (Ost) Providers In Urban School Systems In A Post-Covid Context, David Naff, Rachel Hale, Jamelle Simmons, Alicia Gaston, Latonja Y. Wright, Kiana Bradford, Crystal R. Bell, Jill Flynn, Chuck Creasy, Yadira Guerrero, Rory Dunn, Pamela Weaver Jan 2024

Understanding The Role Of Out Of School Time (Ost) Providers In Urban School Systems In A Post-Covid Context, David Naff, Rachel Hale, Jamelle Simmons, Alicia Gaston, Latonja Y. Wright, Kiana Bradford, Crystal R. Bell, Jill Flynn, Chuck Creasy, Yadira Guerrero, Rory Dunn, Pamela Weaver

MERC Publications

This research and policy brief by the Institute for Collaborative Research and Evaluation and the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium in partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Richmond focuses on the role of out-of-school time (OST) providers in urban school settings in a post COVID-19 context. It is structured to explore the following questions: 1) What are out-of-school time providers and what role do they play in urban school contexts? 2) What policies guide out-of-school time programming at the federal, state, and division level? 3) How have trends and outcomes related to out-of-school time programming changed relative to …


Making Kin With Trees: Three Educators And Children Entangled With Treescapes, Stephanie Jones, Lindsey Lush, Sarah Whitaker Nov 2023

Making Kin With Trees: Three Educators And Children Entangled With Treescapes, Stephanie Jones, Lindsey Lush, Sarah Whitaker

Occasional Paper Series

In this article, three educators from one small U.S. city draw on Donna Haraway’s feminist, posthumanist idea of making kin to explore their personal relations with trees and their work as educators to support children’s entanglements with trees. Working in three very different contexts with children: a working-class neighborhood, a public school kindergarten, and a forest kindergarten, the three authors illuminate the “magical” emergences of making kin with trees that fundamentally shifts what becomes possible to do and be. Their writing contributes to the fields of critical childhood geographies, feminist posthumanist pedagogies in early childhood education, and writing in affect …


Outdoors Please! How To Use Nature And Outdoor Classrooms To Enhance Early Learning, Bruce Geiger, Karen Pierce Nov 2023

Outdoors Please! How To Use Nature And Outdoor Classrooms To Enhance Early Learning, Bruce Geiger, Karen Pierce

Presentations

No abstract provided.