Experiences of Slovenian In-Service Primary School Teachers and Students of Grades 4 and 5 with Outdoor Lessons in the Subject Science and Technology

Oct 15, 2026

Study findings from a survey on outdoor lessons in the Science and Technology subject for grades 4 and 5 examine differences between teachers and between teachers and students, including ideas and limits for outdoor instruction. Data were collected from 70 in-service teachers and 154 fourth-graders and 151 fifth-graders using two questionnaires. Results indicate 13% of teaching time is outdoor learning, with significant differences by teacher experience but not by school strata or prior student exposure. Teachers’ reported outdoor-lesson frequency exceeds students’ perceptions.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages27

Reading Time1 h 8 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Definition and rationale of outdoor learning

Survey design and participants

Teachers’ questionnaire and students’ questionnaire

Findings on outdoor-lesson frequency

Proportion of outdoor lessons and statistical differences

Teachers’ ideas and reported challenges

Planning difficulties and comparisons

Perceptions of outdoor learning

Teachers vs students timing and locations

doi: 10.26529/cepsj.919 Experiences of Slovenian In-Service Primary School Teachers and Students of Grades 4 and 5 with Outdoor Lessons in the Subject Science and Technology Maruša Novljan1 and Jerneja Pavlin*2 • The present paper presents the results ofa survey on outdoor lessons conducted by teachers of the subject Science and Technology in the 4th and 5th grades of primary school in the school’s vicinity. It examines differences between teachers themselves and between teachers and students, as well as the ideas and limitations of outdoor lessons. The study included 70 inservice primary school teachers ofthe 4th and 5th grades and 154 students of the 4th grade and 151 students of the 5th grade of primary school. The data were obtained with two questionnaires: an e-questionnaire for teachers and a paper-pencil questionnaire for students. The results show that 13 per cent of teaching time in the subject Science and Technology consists of outdoor lessons. Statistically significant differences were found between teachers with different amounts of teaching experience, while differences in the quantity of outdoor lessons did not arise among teachers of different school strata and among teachers who had an early experience withoutdoor lessons in the vicinity of school themselves as students compared to teachers who had no such experience. The teachers had several specific and general ideas for outdoor activities for the thematic sets of the Science and Technology curriculum and reported similar difficulties in planning outdoor lessons to those reported in other countries. The results of the research show that the teachers report the use of outdoor lessons in the vicinity of school more often than recalled by the students. The students reported that such activities typically take place about twice a year, mostly in playgrounds, meadows, and forests. The results provide an insight into the state of the teachers’ initiatives for outdoor lessons in the subject Science and Technology and indirectly offer opportunities to reflect and acton outdoor lessons from different perspectives. Keywords: outdoor lesson, primary school, the subject Science and Technology, teachers’ experiences, students’ experiences 1 Nove Jarše Elementary School, Slovenia. 2 *Corresponding Author. Faculty of Education, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia; [jerneja.pavlin@pef.uni-lj.si](jerneja.pavlin@pef.uni-lj.si). 190 experiences of slovenian in-service primary school teachers and students of ... Izkušnje slovenskih učiteljev in učencev 4. in 5. razreda osnovne šole s poukom na prostem pri predmetunaravoslovje in tehnika Maruša Novljan in Jerneja Pavlin • Ta prispevek predstavlja izsledke raziskave o pouku na prostem pri predmetu naravoslovje in tehnika v 4. in 5. razredu osnovne šole v okolici šole. Preučuje razlike med učitelji ter med učitelji in učenci pa tudi ideje in omejitve pouka na prostem. V raziskavo je bilo vključenih 70 uč[iteljev 4. in 5. razreda ter](iteljev 4. in 5. razreda ter) 154 učencev 4. razreda in 151 učencev 5. razreda osnovne šole. Podatki so bili pridobljeni z dvema vprašalnikoma: e-vprašalnikom za učitelje in z vprašalnikom tipa papir – svinčnik zaučence. Učitelji navajajo, da 13 odstotkov časa pri predmetu naravoslovje in tehnika predstavlja pouk na prostem. Statistično pomembne razlike so bile ugotovljene med učitelji z različno količino izkušenj s poučevanjem, medtem ko se razlike v količini pouka na prostem niso odrazile med učitelji glede na stratum šole in učitelji, ki so imeli kot učenci zgodnje izkušnje s poukom na prostem v bližini šole, v primerjavi z učitelji, ki niso imeli takšnih izkušenj. Učitelji so imeli več specifičnih in splošnih idej za dejavnosti na prostem za tematske sklope iz učnega načrta za predmet naravoslovje in tehnika in so poročali o podobnih težavahpri načrtovanju pouka na prostem, kot so zaznane v tujih virih. Rezultati raziskave kažejo, da učitelji pogosteje poročajo o uporabi pouka na

FAQs

What does the survey study focus on regarding outdoor lessons in grades 4–5?

It investigates outdoor lessons in Science and Technology, comparing teachers with different experience levels and comparing teachers’ views with students’ perceptions, including ideas and constraints for such lessons.

How much of Science and Technology teaching time is reported as outdoor lessons?

Teachers report that 13% of teaching time in the subject Science and Technology consists of outdoor lessons.

Do teachers’ school strata or prior student exposure change outdoor-lesson quantity?

Differences in outdoor-lesson quantity did not arise among teachers of different school strata, nor between teachers with early experience of outdoor lessons in the vicinity of school as students and those without.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Mafia Boss