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Open research questions in Outdoor and Experiential Education

67 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 2,053 Outdoor and Experiential Education papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • Further research should investigate how leaders and educators in outdoor education programs can be supported and motivated to use neurodiversity-affirming models. In this case, strong leadership commitment and proactive collaboration were central to the training’s success. Future studies should also explore the translation of these approaches from training to practice and examine the conditions that best support the sustainability of inclusive strategies in outdoor education settings. Furthermore, special attention should be paid to promoting inclusive teaching practices in outdoor settings. Kelly et al. (2022), for example, proposed implementing a frame- work in outdoor education called Universal Design for Learning (UDL), which supports students with diverse needs through multiple means of engagement, representation, and expression. Similarly, Lieberman (2022) discussed UDL in outdoor adventure programs for students with disabilities. These intentional teaching approaches in outdoor education for including individuals who may otherwise not be able to participate are key to creating a more inclusive climate. Moreover, a key takeaway from this study’s training and UDL is that intentional instructional changes benefit all students, not only those they are designed to support. Future studies should continue to explore inclusivity in outdoor education.

    Bridging neurodiversity and nature: a case study on inclusive training for outdoor educators · 2026 · DOI

  • <title>Abstract</title> Outdoor learning is posited to potentiate social–emotional learning (SEL) in early childhood, yet cross-national randomized evidence remains scarce.

    Nature-oriented social-emotional learning in public preschools: a multi-site, three-arm randomized trial comparing outdoor learning with indoor delivery for preschool prosocial behavior in Slovakia and Spain · 2025 · DOI

  • However, most research to date has focused on younger children (under 10), leaving a gap in understanding the specific barriers and facilitators of outdoor play for EA.

    Parental perspectives on barriers and facilitators of early adolescent outdoor play: A qualitative study · 2024 · DOI

  • However, previous research has demonstrated that OE is sometimes poorly understood in the PSE sector leading to program closures and limited program development.

    Outdoor education in Canadian post-secondary education: common philosophies, goals, and activities · 2022 · DOI

  • Strengths-based approaches to research with military-connected children (MCC) are sparse and their voices are rarely given the equivalent weight and influence compared to the voices of adults.

    “Not Just Participants”: Military-Connected Children’s Perspectives of a Recreational Camp · 2022 · DOI

  • While empirical evidence suggests the secure transport of adolescents to OBH does not impact quantitative outcomes, limited research exists exploring client voice and the lived experience of OBH participants.

    Experiences of secure transport in outdoor behavioral healthcare: A narrative inquiry · 2021 · DOI

  • Areas that need additional consideration in future camp research and issues that can be addressed by camp professionals include further examining how positive change occurs in camp, noting the value of the transfer of camp experiences to later life, using critical analyses of what camp experiences mean, and examining areas that have been under-researched such as day camps.

    Camp Research: What? So What? What’s Next? · 2018 · DOI

  • However it appears there have been limited studies which have specifically addressed the experience of adolescent females undertaking Outdoor Education (Boniface, 2006; Gray, 1997; Humberstone, 2000; Porter, 1996; Whittington, 2006).

    Exploring the long-term effects for young women involved in an outdoor education program. · 2012 · DOI

  • However, Sibthorp (2000), when discussing the important components of an outdoor trip (the solo experience being one specific component), acknowledged that it was not surprising that trip components were beneficial to overall leadership development; however it was not understood how or why development occurred.

    The Solo as an Important Aspect of a Trip for Outdoor Leadership Development · 2011 · DOI

  • Also, further study of qualities of behavior could contribute to a better under- standing of the developmental significance of certain kinds of activity, especially as those qualities become more closely related to children’s own expressions of desirable places and desirable opportunities. An investigation is warranted regarding the role of playgrounds in the larger milieu of a child’s life, at least as seen against the context of other, less formal places to play.

    Children's Play and Urban Playground Environments · 1974 · DOI

  • the are based on a con Commission] recreation is viction that outdoor the essential American people and should, there fore, continue to be an important part of American life. to the well-being of The natural heritage of our na tion must be preserved in two senses. We cannot afford, by either unwise action or neglect, to lose or impair resources of outstanding natural, scenic, scientific, or historic impor tance.

    Outdoor Recreation for America · 1962 · DOI

  • Background: Risky outdoor play supports autonomy, emotional regulation, and resilience in early childhood, yet little is known about how caregivers of toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities make decisions about such play in urban settings in the United States.

    A Risk Worth Taking? Caregiver Perspectives on Risky Outdoor Play for Toddlers with Developmental Disabilities in an Urban U.S. Setting · 2026 · DOI

  • While the framework was validated by collaborating practitioner-researchers involved in this action research, its relevance and transferability in other educational contexts—such as different provinces, international settings, or culturally diverse communities—remain to be further explored.

    Bridging the gap between theory and practice: development of a framework and resources for school-based outdoor education through action research · 2025 · DOI

  • Although loose parts play has long been researched, child-friendly planting design to promote plant-based natural loose parts in outdoor learning environments is an under-researched area.

    Plants and play: value of plant databases to transform plants as loose parts play materials in outdoor learning environments · 2025 · DOI

  • The present study responds to the need for further research on how the outdoor environment is used in daily pedagogical practice through the lens of preschool teachers’ own descriptions.

    ‘ <i>There are plenty of opportunities for play and learning</i> ’ – Swedish preschool teachers’ perspectives on using the outdoor environment as a pedagogical resource · 2024 · DOI

  • Abstract Outdoor-based interventions, like adventure therapy, have numerous positive benefits, yet current literature is inconclusive on this topic regarding older adult participants.

    Successful aging and older adults’ health outcomes through outdoor-based interventions like adventure therapy: A scoping review · 2024 · DOI

  • Several tour guide training programs are offered across the Arctic with an aim to develop competent guides to facilitate tourists’ safety and experiences, yet there is limited research on guide training program.

    Developing safety competence among Arctic tour guides in training: the case of the encounters · 2023 · DOI

  • Purpose-built nature play spaces are popular in schools around the globe; however, little is known about their distribution and use in South Australia.

    Characterizing the Available Outdoor Spaces and Their Use in South Australian Public Primary Schools · 2023 · DOI

  • Despite the recognized positive effects attributed to outdoor adventure education programs, few studies have examined the mechanisms involved therein, particularly with regard to factors that influence group process.

    Helping factors in outdoor adventure education: An exploration of how they vary across intervention stages of group process during an expedition · 2022 · DOI

  • Increasing attention is being paid to factors influencing children's opportunities for risky outdoor play, with parent/guardian (hereafter parent) perceptions being an important, under-researched topic.

    Exploring parents’ perceptions of preschoolers’ risky outdoor play using a socio-ecological lens · 2022 · DOI

  • Consideration of risk and liability in outdoor educative practice has normally been limited to the narrow risks, usually to physical health, of incidents that can cause a particular injury.

    Wilding liability in education: Introducing the concept of wide risk as counterpoint to narrow-risk-driven educative practice · 2020 · DOI

  • Further research into the impact of this kind of programmes, compared to more 'traditional' programmes, especially on the ability of youngsters to use resources to finish school, find employment and develop better relationships with their parents is recommended.

    Exploring salutogenic mechanisms of an outdoor experiential learning programme on youth care farms in the Netherlands: untapped potential? · 2014 · DOI

  • Implications from this study emphasize the importance of referencing previous life experiences during family science conversations as a meaning‐making tool and for additional research on families learning science in outdoor education spaces.

    Prior Experiences Shaping Family Science Conversations at a Nature Center · 2014 · DOI

  • Interventions targeting reduced indoor tendencies, increased outdoor play with others, and increased parental encouragement and supervision are warranted.

    Predictors of time spent outdoors among children: 5-year longitudinal findings · 2009 · DOI

  • The availability of neighborhood facilities for physical activity may be particularly relevant for youth, who are unable to drive and whose activity is often limited to the immediate distance they are able to walk or bicycle.

    Public Parks and Physical Activity Among Adolescent Girls · 2006 · DOI

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67 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 2,053 Outdoor and Experiential Education papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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