Reflective Practice as a Means for Preparing to Teach Outdoors in an Ecological Garden

Source: Journal of Science Teacher Education, Volume 20, Number 3,
p. 245-262 (June 2009).

Although teachers are engaged in many field-trips, they seldom have the pedagogical knowledge and experience to enact them. This paper presents an effort to support reflective practice of teachers in the outdoors. The teaching experience of five pre- and in-service teachers included preparation for teaching in the outdoors, designing learning materials, teaching elementary and junior-high school students in an ecogarden, and reflecting upon these teaching experiences.
The data collected by teachers and researchers highlighted challenges such as lack of confidence, class management and inadequate student motivation. The group and the instructors’ support and collaboration and careful preparation yielded a positive outdoor teaching experience. The authors suggest that supported field experience followed by individual and group reflection are promising in encouraging teachers to carry out outdoor learning activities.