Forest School can be defined as a long-term process that offers people of all ages the opportunity to develop soft skills such as confidence and self-esteem (www.forestschoolassociation.org/). This can be achieved through a hands on learning experience in a woodland environment. Although there is substantial research demonstrating the benefits of Forest School on children’s demeanour both inside and outside of the classroom, the question still remains as to whether it can be used as a complete substitute for classroom teaching.
Jenner (2006) conducted a research project to determine the impact of Forest School on participating pupils. Two classes from a primary school in North Wales were involved in a 14-week programme, and a range of evaluative methods were used to gain information about the impact that it had. These methods included diaries written by the children, teacher assessments and parental questionnaires. The results concluded that the pupils who participated in this project displayed improved social skills, self-esteem, physical motor skills and motivation. In addition to this, they also developed their language and communication skills and gained a deeper knowledge and understanding of the environment. Although this research provides an insight into the initial benefits of Forest School, follow up research would be required to establish whether a short-term programme such as this has lasting effects.
Murray and O’Brian (2005) carried out a longitudinal evaluation of Forest School across Worcestershire, Shropshire and Oxfordshire. The thorough evaluation process involved not only participating pupils, but also Forest School Leaders, teachers, parents and non-participating students. This allowed the researchers to gain an understanding of the bigger picture. The results suggested that the impact of Forest Schools goes further than affecting the individuals who are directly involved. It creates what is known as a ‘ripple effect’ and expands within the family and the wider community.
This evaluation also highlighted some of the issues associated with Forest School, especially in terms of parental views. For example, it was noted that parents are not always enthusiastic at first, and often comment on the ‘muddy state’ of their children’s clothes. However, other parents see past this, one stating:
“The benefits of Forest School far outweigh a few muddy clothes each week. The learning that goes on each week is valuable and far different from that which might happen in the normal curriculum” (Esta’s Parent, Oxfordshire).
As shown below in Figure 1, the parents’ and practitioner’s comments suggest that Forest School has had a positive impact on the children involved in this research, and many have developed transferable skills.
Figure 1: Transferring skills developed at Forest School to other settings (Murray & O’Brian, 2005).
There appears to be a lack of research suggesting that Forest School has any negative effects. To my knowledge, the only issues that seem to have been raised regarding Forest School have been due to people having limited knowledge and understanding of how and why they work. In
particular, parents often voice concerns about their children attending Forest
School in all weather conditions and they question whether being outdoors in ‘bad
weather’ is appropriate. Knight (2009) on the other hand supports the notion
that there is ‘no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.’
Overall, the suggested and supported benefits of Forest School clearly outweigh any negative issues surrounding the subject. It seems that most Forest Schools provide weekly sessions for classes, rather than being a complete substitute for classroom based learning. There appears to be a healthy balance between Forest School sessions on a regular basis, and not limiting classroom time too much, allowing the development of more well-rounded individuals.
References
FSA. (2011). What is Forest School. Available: http://www.forestschoolassociation.org/what-is-forest-school/. Last accessed 1st October 2014.
Jenner, L. (2006). Forest School Research – Ysgol Pentre 06/07. Forest Education Initiative. 1-2.
Knight, S. (2009) Forest Schools and Outdoor Play in the Early Years. London: Sage.
Louv, R. (2010). Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. 2nd ed. London: Atlantic.
Murray, R. & O’Brian, L. (2005) ‘Such Enthusiasm – A Joy to See.’ An Evaluation of Forest School in England. New Economics Foundation. 1-80.
You're right - it's difficult to find any negative papers about Forest Schools. But, even if there is a generally positive impact, maybe there are a few children in every class who don't benefit. It would be really interesting to see how the Forest School experience affects each child in a class. Initial studies I've heard about suggest that "magic" of Forest Schools works in at least 7 different ways - with a few children in each class affected by one of these, a few others by something different, a few others by something else. So it's not simple! An interesting question is what happens to the children who aren't affected positively (or who might even be affected negatively).
ReplyDeleteHave you used a "citation search" on Google Scholar? You could use this to see whether the studies you list here have been developed since.
ReplyDeleteUse Google Scholar to search forwards in time to see if anyone has built on the original article/paper you have read. Put the details of the article your've read into Google Scholar. When it lists the article, look at the link just below it to "Cited by ...". This refers to the number of papers written since that have cited (=quoted) the paper. Click on "Cited by..." The new list is all the papers. So it allows you to search forwards in time because the papers listed are more recent. Some will describe new research and new conclusions that bring things completely up to date.
This is a good thing to use for your independent project!!!
I read in an article that the more relaxed and free atmosphere in Forest School provides a contrast to the classroom environment that suits some children who learn more easily from practical hands-on involvement e.g. kinaesthetic learners.
ReplyDeleteForest school may not be for everyone, just like classroom learning may not be everyone. I remember you saying in one of our first sessions that the first step in Forest School represents self-awareness, whereby a child will begin to realise that they are unique from those around them, and they start developing their own personal opinion of things. Therefore, if a child has a negative experience of Forest School and develop a negative opinion towards it, are they not just developing self-awareness and realising that they are entitled to have that opinion? Likewise, if a child says they want to do something different, then the leader is doing their job well, because they are empowering the child to take control of what and how they learn – an example of self-regulation.