Factors Affecting the Behaviour of Learners in the Natural Environment
Factors Affecting the Behaviour of Learners in the Natural Environment
Learning in the natural environment, such as in a Forest School, offers a unique and enriching context that shapes learners' behaviour in profound ways. Unlike traditional classroom settings, the outdoors presents both challenges and opportunities that influence how learners interact with their surroundings, peers, and themselves. These behaviours are affected by a variety of factors—physical, social, psychological, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual—which work together to create a dynamic learning experience. In this article, we will explore each of these factors and how they shape the behaviour of learners in natural settings.
1. Physical Factors
The physical environment plays a fundamental role in shaping learners' behaviour. Nature is unpredictable and ever-changing, offering diverse sensory experiences and physical challenges that affect how children move, explore, and engage.
Terrain and Landscape: The natural environment is full of varied landscapes—forests, hills, streams, fields—that require learners to adapt to different physical demands. Whether climbing a tree, balancing on a log, or navigating through dense undergrowth, these physical challenges influence a child’s motor skills and spatial awareness. Learners must often make quick decisions based on the physical environment, which fosters both adaptability and resilience.
Weather Conditions: The weather is a powerful factor that can significantly affect behaviour. Rain, wind, cold, or heat each brings its own set of challenges. For example, wet conditions might slow learners down as they become more cautious about slipping, while sunny weather may encourage more energetic and exuberant play. Children learn to adapt to these changing conditions, developing problem-solving skills as they find ways to stay comfortable, dry, or warm while continuing to explore.
Natural Resources and Materials: Nature provides learners with endless resources for play and exploration—sticks, stones, leaves, mud, and more. These materials are versatile and open-ended, allowing for creativity in how learners use them. This contrasts with the more fixed and uniform resources of an indoor classroom, encouraging children to experiment with materials in ways that challenge their creativity, dexterity, and cognitive skills.
2. Social Factors
Social interactions in natural environments are distinct from those in traditional indoor settings, largely because nature offers more space and freedom for varied types of social play and collaboration.
Group Dynamics: The way learners interact with one another in the natural environment is shaped by the space and freedom available. There is more room for both solitary exploration and group cooperation. Children often form small groups to build shelters, navigate trails, or solve challenges, which fosters teamwork and communication. Social roles can shift more fluidly in nature, as different challenges emerge and different skills are needed. This flexibility allows for leadership to change hands, depending on the task at hand.
Peer Influence: In outdoor environments, peer relationships can influence behaviour as learners often look to each other for ideas, encouragement, or even caution. Positive social reinforcement in the form of teamwork or peer learning can boost a child’s confidence and encourage participation in activities they might otherwise avoid. On the other hand, peer competition or exclusion can shape how children approach tasks or social interactions, potentially leading to both positive and negative behaviours.
Collaboration vs. Individual Exploration: The natural environment allows for a balance between collaborative group activities and independent exploration. Some children thrive in group settings, while others may prefer solitary play, observing or exploring at their own pace. Nature accommodates both, allowing learners to find their own comfort zone and social approach, whether that involves working with others or engaging in quiet reflection.
3. Psychological Factors
Psychological factors deeply influence how learners behave in the natural environment, particularly in terms of how they approach challenges, assess risks, and engage with their own sense of competence.
Risk and Risk Perception: One of the unique aspects of outdoor learning is the element of risk. Climbing trees, crossing streams, or using tools like knives can all present perceived dangers, and how learners assess and approach these risks depends on their psychological readiness. Learners with higher confidence may embrace these challenges, whereas those who are more cautious may hesitate. Over time, exposure to manageable risks helps build resilience, teaching children how to assess and mitigate dangers, leading to increased self-confidence and self-reliance.
Autonomy and Control: The natural environment provides learners with more autonomy than a traditional classroom, giving them control over their actions and decisions. This sense of autonomy is critical for fostering independence and self-regulation. When children feel empowered to make their own choices—whether in deciding which trail to explore, what structure to build, or how to engage with the natural world—they develop a stronger sense of ownership over their learning.
Attention and Focus: Natural environments have been shown to improve attention and focus, particularly for children with conditions like ADHD. The sensory-rich, low-stress nature of the outdoors can help reset cognitive functioning, allowing learners to concentrate better on tasks. Play and exploration in nature provide opportunities for deep, sustained focus, often leading to a state of "flow," where learners are fully engaged in their activity without distractions.
4. Intellectual Factors
Outdoor learning environments present unique intellectual challenges that promote cognitive development, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
Problem-Solving: The dynamic, ever-changing nature of the outdoor environment constantly presents learners with problems to solve. Whether it’s figuring out how to cross a stream, build a shelter, or navigate through the woods, learners must use critical thinking skills to assess situations and make decisions. This kind of open-ended problem-solving contrasts with more structured, predefined tasks in a traditional classroom and encourages intellectual flexibility and creativity.
Inquiry-Based Learning: In nature, curiosity drives learning. Children are naturally drawn to ask questions about the world around them—why do leaves change colour? How does water flow downhill? What creatures live under this log? These inquiries lead to exploration and experimentation, fostering a scientific mindset of investigation, observation, and hypothesis testing.
5. Emotional Factors
Emotions play a vital role in shaping learners’ behaviour, particularly in how they respond to new experiences, challenges, and social dynamics.
Confidence and Self-Esteem: Outdoor environments offer opportunities for success and accomplishment that can boost a learner’s self-esteem. Climbing a tree, navigating a forest, or successfully building something from natural materials can all lead to feelings of pride and achievement. Overcoming fears or challenges in nature, like mastering a difficult trail or managing an unfamiliar tool, builds confidence and resilience, which carries over into other areas of life.
Emotional Regulation: The natural environment has a calming effect on many learners. The sensory-rich but low-stress atmosphere helps reduce anxiety and provides an outlet for emotional expression. Children who may struggle with emotional regulation in more structured settings often find relief in nature, where they can release pent-up energy, express emotions freely, or simply take a break to relax and recharge.
Resilience: Encountering and overcoming challenges in the natural environment helps develop emotional resilience. Whether dealing with disappointment when a shelter collapses or frustration when a task is harder than expected, learners in nature have opportunities to manage emotions, persist through difficulties, and learn from setbacks.
6. Spiritual Factors
Finally, spiritual factors—often less tangible but deeply significant—can shape how learners connect with nature and the broader world.
Connection to Nature: Many learners develop a deep sense of connection and belonging in nature, often described as a spiritual experience. The quiet, contemplative aspects of being in a forest or by a stream can inspire awe, wonder, and a sense of being part of something larger than oneself. This connection fosters a respect for the environment and a desire to protect and preserve it, laying the foundation for environmental stewardship.
Reflection and Mindfulness: Natural environments provide space for reflection and mindfulness. Learners may take time to observe their surroundings quietly, listen to the sounds of the forest, or engage in meditative activities like walking or sitting by a stream. These moments of stillness and reflection can lead to personal insights, a greater sense of inner peace, and a deeper understanding of one’s place in the world.
Conclusion
The behaviour of learners in the natural environment is shaped by a wide range of factors—physical, social, psychological, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual. Each of these elements contributes to the overall learning experience, promoting holistic development that goes beyond the cognitive outcomes typically emphasized in traditional education. By understanding how these factors interact, educators, parents, and learners can better appreciate the richness and value of outdoor learning, particularly in settings like Forest Schools. In such environments, learners not only acquire knowledge but also develop resilience, creativity, emotional intelligence, and a deep connection to the natural world.
