Benefits of outdoor education: more physical activity, motivation to learn and better school coexistence. systematic review
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https://doi.org/10.17979/sportis.2025.11.4.11995Abstract
Space plays an important role in the learning process of pupils. Recently, there has been an increase in outdoor education interventions. However, there is a lack of knowledge and awareness of the positive effects of outdoor education for primary school pupils. The aim of this systematic review is to identify the benefits of Outdoor Education in children aged 5 to 12, especially those that affect students physical activity levels, improving their motivation to learn and improving school coexistence. We reviewed articles extracted from three databases: Scopus, Web of Science and ProQuest, following the guidelines of the PRISMA statement for systematic reviews. Of the 1,610 articles initially selected, 8 of them met the inclusion criteria. Once the analysis was completed, it was found that Outdoor Education can contribute to increasing pupils' physical activity levels, motivation to learn and school coexistence. It was also observed that it is not necessary to move pupils to natural areas outside the school, but that outdoor interventions can be carried out outdoors within the school grounds, with the same benefits. Given its importance, it would be useful to analyse comparative studies of variables in order to find out which elements make this methodology effective for pupils.
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