(701) THE POTENTIAL OF OUTDOOR LEARNING ACTIVITIES: A PEDAGOGICAL-DIDACTIC INTERVENTION ON THE RELATIONSHIP HERITAGE-ENVIRONMENT-EDUCATION

摘要

This intervention was developed as part of a lifelong learning training session for primary schoolteachers. Its framework lies within the teaching of science and education directed to outdoor learningpractices as a source for skill development, as well as promoting a responsible citizenship.The teaching proposal we describe is directly related to the several primary education subject syllabiin Portugal. The development of our outdoor learning activity, which we named "Learning Route in ourUrban Park", took place at the urban park of a Portuguese town, with a group of primary schoolteachers (n = 20). This leisure space has a green area in the river surroundings, and is structuredaround the environmental enhancement of this natural resource. This pedagogical intervention wasstructured in three stages: (i) at first we prepared the study visit and the theoretical framework; (ii) thiswas followed by a trip to the urban park in order to explore it; (iii) finally, we reflected on the learningthat occurred because of this intervention.Initially, a contextualization of the theoretical concepts related to the didactic exploration was given tothe group of teachers, bearing in mind not only the Heritage-Environment-Education interrelationship,but also the virtues of outdoor learning as a pedagogical-didactic resource for a sustainable biosphere.After this step, teachers formed subgroups that proceeded to an in situ recognition of the urban park,writing/recording the relevant points to build a didactic exploration script, which could subsequently beused with their students. In the script there were messages with instructions, problems and requestsfor object collection, as well as the park route map. These messages were structured according to theobjectives in the area of primary school "Environmental Studies", an interdisciplinary perspective withother content areas, including Portuguese and Mathematics. Thus, this teaching tool will allowstudents to (re)construct knowledge, to work in group, to follow instructions and to be guided as wellas to solve problems. Finally, the group of teachers reflected on their learning in this intervention.By keeping an attentive look at the world, the teacher is structural in the development of values,attitudes and environmental ethics, which are fundamental in ecosystem sustainability and quality oflife. This pedagogical intervention contributed to reinforce the links between the conventionalclassroom and the "natural" classroom. Its indoor/outdoor structure stressed the importance of activemethodologies in the context of interdisciplinary academic learning.