Nature schools: the perceived impact of non-traditional education on success
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Abstract
The topic of this research paper is the world of nature based educational institutions and the impact they have on their students and teachers, as well as the feasibility of making them a more common occurrence in America. This paper explores the beginnings of using nature to amplify education, the theorists who use research to support the need for such education, the current working practices, the impact those practices have had, and the best route for creating more nature-based schools. Nature-based education is important because it would significantly improve the way our traditional education system currently treats both students and teachers. Students spend less time on screens and in classrooms, they foster more creativity, they are more independent and develop better critical thinking skills. Teachers have less judgement placed on them based on testing, have more freedom when planning and teaching lessons, and receive a lot of the same benefits the students do in regard to screen time and exposure to nature. Nature programs in the United Kingdom allowed for teachers to be their own boss, for students to find relief from the everyday pressures of the classroom and provided more time for adults and students to collaboratively plan their explorations. This paper looks for a way to provide these opportunities to American schools and programs.