Periodic Reporting for period 1 - OTTER (Outdoor Science Education for a Sustainable Future)
Reporting period: 2021-09-01 to 2022-11-30
Interest in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) subjects among young people is in decline, with students not choosing university studies in STEAM either because they do not see the relevance of science to their lives or they do not see themselves as future scientists. To tackle the problem of low interest in STEAM subjects at a time of high demand for scientists, researchers and policy makers have been pushing for introducing different types of science education through Education Outside the Classroom (EOC) methods, supported by an abundance of benefits that such contexts bring to students. Learning outside the classroom is about teaching and learning in different settings and environments. With the right educator, museums and heritage sites, adventure camps, streets and towns, farms and zoos can inspire and foster a new set of skills amongst students. This methodology is incredibly effective, there are many studies and testimonials to prove it but it is not officially standardised, or accredited, across the EU. With OTTER, an EU project, we aim to make Education Outside the Classroom more popular. And, together with passionate educators, we hope for students to improve their scientific knowledge, get closer to STEAM subjects and become better citizens.
The OTTER project connects EOC experts from Finland, Hungary, Ireland and Spain, strengthening networks within Europe and building a foundation for the development of EOC pilot schemes within the four focus countries. The effects of these pilots on the performance of participating students, including their levels of sophisticated consumption and scientific citizenship, will be analysed to better understand the effects of EOC on EU citizens. The pilots will build on recent momentum in tackling environmental issues and help to promote sophisticated consumption by incorporating a theme of reducing and managing plastic waste. The analysis will seek to identify differences in the effect of the programmes on students from different geographical locations and of different genders, comparing those who participated in the EOC pilot schemes with students who only participated in formal education.
The OTTER project connects EOC experts from Finland, Hungary, Ireland and Spain, strengthening networks within Europe and building a foundation for the development of EOC pilot schemes within the four focus countries. The effects of these pilots on the performance of participating students, including their levels of sophisticated consumption and scientific citizenship, will be analysed to better understand the effects of EOC on EU citizens. The pilots will build on recent momentum in tackling environmental issues and help to promote sophisticated consumption by incorporating a theme of reducing and managing plastic waste. The analysis will seek to identify differences in the effect of the programmes on students from different geographical locations and of different genders, comparing those who participated in the EOC pilot schemes with students who only participated in formal education.
OTTER established a Hub that is easily accessible and understandable for our main target group – teachers, but also researchers and educators in general. All partners have been working on bringing experts on board and it is planned for more of them to be included. The kick-off was a successful exchange of ideas and challenges that teachers face in light of both time and curriculum restraints and differences within various school systems depending on the country were emphasised. Our Hub is a community where knowledge, ideas and challenges are shared, setting the basis for inspiring new EOC activities and using the OTTER approach. We have encouraged constructive discussions by sharing useful materials that we collected at the literature review stage and later research, materials we compiled while creating the methodology and while talking to experts during monthly events on the Hub. Even though we have reached a certain level of regular activity, we expect the Hub to become even more active once we can share the results of the pilots and once the Learning Platform is active, with all the e-learning and content that will be available on it.
A literature review was conducted to identify, organise, and synthesise previous empirical research into the impacts of EOC practices on students (aged 6–18 years) in terms of cognitive, effective, social/interpersonal, and physical/ behavioural outcomes; gender and geographical differences in these impacts; methodologies for assessing impacts; and effective tools and practices used by EOC practitioners to achieve these positive impacts. OTTER also defined the methodology for the OTTER Outdoor Labs and adapted it to each country’s requirements. Monitoring and evaluation framework was also created, in order to have a standardised approach to the implementation, design, targets, and coordination strategies for evaluating and monitoring the project.
A literature review was conducted to identify, organise, and synthesise previous empirical research into the impacts of EOC practices on students (aged 6–18 years) in terms of cognitive, effective, social/interpersonal, and physical/ behavioural outcomes; gender and geographical differences in these impacts; methodologies for assessing impacts; and effective tools and practices used by EOC practitioners to achieve these positive impacts. OTTER also defined the methodology for the OTTER Outdoor Labs and adapted it to each country’s requirements. Monitoring and evaluation framework was also created, in order to have a standardised approach to the implementation, design, targets, and coordination strategies for evaluating and monitoring the project.
By exploring the existing literature, its impacts and good practices, OTTER drew conclusions on the main benefits and areas of improvement before designing its own methodology that aims to be universal and applicable in different geographical areas, subjects and sustainability challenges. This methodology is a result of the deep theoretical analysis of the state-of-the-art – extensive theoretical, as well as empirical research provided through regular contacts with experts and practitioners.
Our carefully designed OTTER Labs will inform and provide practical feedback on the methodology we created in the first part of the project. Cooperation with organizations outside of school, organized outside of schools activities and an innovative approach to science learning through tackling plastic waste issues will contribute to understanding of EOC on the European level and in different school systems and cultures. We are also aiming to make this programme applicable around Europe, which will increase our impact and provide a better understanding of the effects of EOC on student performance, motivation and interest in STEAM subjects.
Our aim is to increase the capability of EU countries on accreditation of EOC, and our quality standards and accreditation guidelines will be dedicated to this long-term impact. Creating alternative teaching techniques that will be measurable across borders is a challenge, however, our standards are aiming to be as universal as possible to make them broadly applicable, yet concrete enough to have a common ground on quality EOC implementation.
Our carefully designed OTTER Labs will inform and provide practical feedback on the methodology we created in the first part of the project. Cooperation with organizations outside of school, organized outside of schools activities and an innovative approach to science learning through tackling plastic waste issues will contribute to understanding of EOC on the European level and in different school systems and cultures. We are also aiming to make this programme applicable around Europe, which will increase our impact and provide a better understanding of the effects of EOC on student performance, motivation and interest in STEAM subjects.
Our aim is to increase the capability of EU countries on accreditation of EOC, and our quality standards and accreditation guidelines will be dedicated to this long-term impact. Creating alternative teaching techniques that will be measurable across borders is a challenge, however, our standards are aiming to be as universal as possible to make them broadly applicable, yet concrete enough to have a common ground on quality EOC implementation.