The Learning Environment as an Educator

Research project at The Department of Teacher Education

The Learning Environment as an Educator

The environment and surroundings greatly influence people engaging in physical activity—everything from the choice of activity, whether it is carried out outdoors or indoors, and whether it takes place in nature or not. There is extensive knowledge about why and what types of activities are performed, but this project focuses on the competence related to WHERE the activity takes place.

To personer jogger på en sti i en park omgitt av høye, grønne trær. Morgensolen skaper et lett tåkeslør i bakgrunnen, og det er benker og gressområder synlige mellom trærne. Foto
Photo: Pixaby

Project periode

Project periode

15.03.2025-30.06.2026

Funding

Funding

NTNU

About the project

About the project

Our environment significantly influence us as humans. For example, it affects the types of activities chosen as well as teaching methods (Rothwell et al., 2024). Additionally, physical activity conducted in nature has a greater impact on health issues than the same activity performed indoors (Noseworthy et al., 2023). We know a lot about what and how physical activity should be conducted, however, less is known of where the activity should take place. Physical education is often conducted in gymnasiums or sports halls (Moen et al., 2018), characterized by a sports-oriented approach that favors students who participate in organized sports activities outside of school. This project will therefore investigate on the effects of how the learning environment influences different aspect in physical education.

Possible Research Questions

This project aims to explore various aspects of students engaging in outdoor physical education, allowing for at least 4-6 subprojects. Possible topics include:

  • examining how students' motivation changes when being outdoors
  • investigating how the content of activities varies
  • exploring how outdoor activity influences students’ sense of meaningfulness or measuring their well-being/satisfaction
  • examining teachers' experiences of planning and conducting activities outdoors

Method

The study is planned as a randomized group-controlled study. Participants will include students (and teachers) at the student teachers' practicum schools, where one group of students will have lessons indoors, while the other group will engage in the same topics outdoors. Established measurement instruments will be used.

Literature

Noseworthy, M., Peddie, L., Buckler, E. J., Park, F., Pham, M., Pratt, S., Singh, A., Puterman, E., & Liu-Ambrose, T. (2023). The Effects of Outdoor versus Indoor Exercise on Psychological Health, Physical Health, and Physical Activity Behaviour: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Trials. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(3), 1669.

Rothwell, M., Bjerke, Ø., Strafford, B. W., Robinson, T., Haslingden, C., Navarro, M., & Davids, K. (2024). Re-imagining performance spaces and locations in ecological dynamics: Implications for pedagogical practices in physical education. European Physical Education Review, 1356336X241260245.