Abstract:

Outdoor education in a learning and teaching environment is defined as organized active learning by students outside the classroom. In the modern teaching process, the connection and influence of nature (outdoor) on different areas of children's wellbeing is becoming increasingly important. In particular, the insufficient time students spend outdoors can be linked to the organization and use of students' free time at school through the implementation of extracurricular activities related to the environment, community, and nature. The opportunity to independently choose extracurricular activities in which students wish to participate according to their own interests and abilities motivates and guides students to develop knowledge, skills, and attitudes. The school's task is to ensure the implementation of extracurricular activities from different educational areas of the curriculum (language-communication, mathematics, science, digital technology, social-humanistic, artistic, and physical-health areas) that promote thematic integration, cross-curricular links and cooperative forms and working methods.

The aim of the research presented in this paper was to conduct a survey among lower primary school’s students (N=227) in Croatia in order to identify the most common extracurricular activities of different educational fields that are carried out with students outdoors and to investigate the reasons for choosing extracurricular activities. The survey consisted of several questions and participants had to tick the given answers and/or add their own opinion(s). The study was based on a qualitative and quantitative methodology.

The results show that a smaller number of extracurricular activities are more frequently carried out outdoors, with the most frequent activities being in the area of science. The conclusions and implications for future research and practice in schools point to the urgent need to reflect on outdoor extracurricular activities and integrate them more fully into the school curriculum, practice and environment.

Keywords:

Extracurricular activities, nature, STEM, outdoors, wellbeing.