Barriers and Strategies for Utilizing School Outdoor Spaces: Exploring the Experiences of High School Teachers in the Southeastern U.S.

Authors

  • Erin Waddell Western Carolina University
  • Andrew J. Bobilya Western Carolina University
  • W. Brad Faircloth UNC Asheville
  • Brad Daniel 2nd Nature TREC (Training, Research, Education, Consulting)
  • Ashley Hoffman Southeastern Environmental Education Alliance

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18666/JOREL-2024-12467

Keywords:

high school teachers, barriers, outdoor spaces, environmental education

Abstract

School outdoor spaces provide many mental and physical benefits for students. Yet, teachers may not have the opportunity to conduct lessons in these outdoor spaces due to personal or systemic barriers. While K-8 teachers’ perceptions of barriers have been well explored, there is currently a lack of research investigating high school teachers’ perceptions. This study used an online survey to explore the barriers and strategies of 154 high school teachers in using their schools’ outdoor spaces. These results showed that there were differences between barriers from previous studies that could affect how high school teachers overcome them. Knowing these barriers and some strategies teachers have used to overcome them can play a major role in increasing the use of school outdoor spaces to meet the needs of today’s high school students.

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Published

2024-11-06

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 4 (2024)

Section

Special Issue: 2024 Coalition for Education in the Outdoors: Research in Outdoor Education

License

Sagamore Publishing LLC (hereinafter the “Copyright Owner”)

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