Experiences of Slovenian in-service primary school teachers and students of grades 4 and 5 with outdoor lessons in the subject science and technology

Ta prispevek predstavlja izsledke raziskave o pouku na prostem pri predmetu naravoslovje in tehnika v 4. in 5. razredu osnovne šole v okolici šole. Preučuje razlike med učitelji ter med učitelji in učenci pa tudi ideje in omejitve pouka na prostem. V raziskavo je bilo vključenih 70 učiteljev 4. in 5. razreda ter 154 učencev 4. razreda in 151 učencev 5. razreda osnovne šole. Podatki so bili pridobljeni z dvema vprašalnikoma: e-vprašalnikom za učitelje in z vprašalnikom tipa papir – svinčnik za učence. Učitelji navajajo, da 13 odstotkov časa pri predmetu naravoslovje in tehnika predstavlja pouk na prostem. Statistično pomembne razlike so bile ugotovljene med učitelji z različno količino izkušenj s poučevanjem, medtem ko se razlike v količini pouka na prostem niso odrazile med učitelji glede na stratum šole in učitelji, ki so imeli kot učenci zgodnje izkušnje s poukom na prostem v bližini šole, v primerjavi z učitelji, ki niso imeli takšnih izkušenj. Učitelji so imeli več specifičnih in splošnih idej za dejavnosti na prostem za tematske sklope iz učnega načrta za predmet naravoslovje in tehnika in so poročali o podobnih težavah pri načrtovanju pouka na prostem, kot so zaznane v tujih virih. Rezultati raziskave kažejo, da učitelji pogosteje poročajo o uporabi pouka na prostem v bližini šole, kot so ga učenci zaznavajo. Učenci so poročali, da se takšne dejavnosti običajno odvijajo približno dvakrat letno, večinoma na igriščih, travnikih in v gozdovih. Rezultati omogočajo vpogled v stanje pouka na prostem pri predmetu naravoslovje in tehnika ter posredno ponujajo priložnosti za razmislek in ukrepanje glede pouka na prostem z različnih vidikov.The present paper presents the results of a survey on outdoor lessons conducted by teachers of the subject Science and Technology in the 4th and 5th grades of primary school in the school’s vicinity. It examines differences between teachers themselves and between teachers and students, as well as the ideas and limitations of outdoor lessons. The study included 70 inservice primary school teachers of the 4th and 5th grades and 154 students of the 4th grade and 151 students of the 5th grade of primary school. The data were obtained with two questionnaires: an e-questionnaire for teachers and a paper-pencil questionnaire for students. The results show that 13 per cent of teaching time in the subject Science and Technology consists of outdoor lessons. Statistically significant differences were found between teachers with different amounts of teaching experience, while differences in the quantity of outdoor lessons did not arise among teachers of different school strata and among teachers who had an early experience with outdoor lessons in the vicinity of school themselves as students compared to teachers who had no such experience. The teachers had several specific and general ideas for outdoor activities for the thematic sets of the Science and Technology curriculum and reported similar difficulties in planning outdoor lessons to those reported in other countries. The results of the research show that the teachers report the use of outdoor lessons in the vicinity of school more often than recalled by the students. The students reported that such activities typically take place about twice a year, mostly in playgrounds, meadows, and forests. The results provide an insight into the state of the teachers’ initiatives for outdoor lessons in the subject Science and Technology and indirectly offer opportunities to reflect and act on outdoor lessons from different perspectives