New Climate education course using outdoor learning

The University has launched a new free online course for primary schools, Teaching Climate and Sustainability in Primary Schools: An Outdoor Learning Approach, available through FutureLearn. The course is aimed at Primary school teachers who are concerned about our planet, guiding them to discover and discuss what knowledge and skills are required for teaching climate and sustainability outdoors

The outdoor learning approach is what makes this course unique. As Professor Helen Bilton, who helped create the course, explains that “to care for the world, you need to love it. To love it, you need to be a part of it. To be a part of it, you need to spend lots of time out in it. In this way you can appreciate the world’s power and fragility. Children must be allowed to learn in the outdoor environment.” 

By watching videos of children learning outside at our partner school in Wokingham, participants will see why teaching outdoors enables children to engage with climate and sustainability academically, emotionally and physically. Learners will watch children discovering how to care for the planet through a range of outdoor learning activities including working on the vegetable beds, exploring nature on a meadow walk, investigating food waste and more. 

The course has been developed and led by Institute of Education experts; Professor Helen Bilton, Professor of Outdoor Learn and Play and Dr Catherine Foley, Associate Professor in Mathematics Education with support from Dr Peter Inness, Associate Professor in Meteorology. 

This course is one more example of our leading role in developing climate education in schools. In September 2021 we hosted a Climate Education Summit bringing together young people, teachers, researchers, policymakers and campaigners.