Learning outside the school could help reduce the school abandonment rate, since students “have more confidence in teachers”
The “Learning Outside-IN” project, promoted by researchers at Harvard University together with Camilo José Cela University (UCJC), analyzes how learning in environments outside the classroom positively influences the emotional well-being and academic performance of students. This study is part of Project Zero, an initiative of the Harvard Graduate School of Education focused on exploring the best conditions to promote human learning and creativity.
The main researcher of the project, Daniel Wilson, has visited various educational centers in Spain, including several SEK schools in Madrid, Galicia, Almería and Barcelona, to first hand the impact of these educational practices. According to Wilson, “students who participate in educational experiences in real and significant contexts show a higher level of well -being,” in addition to developing a more solid relationship with their teachers. It emphasizes that these experiences “increase the happiness of students and their confidence in teachers”, thanks to the increase in autonomy and freedom in the learning process.
The activities observed within the framework of the project include exits to the Retiro Park to study biodiversity, or visits to day centers where students interact with older people through artistic and literary activities. Urban exercises are also carried out by applying academic content such as trigonometry to analyze architectural structures. In this way, learning moves “from an artificial environment to a real one”, allowing students to connect school contents with their daily lives.
The Dean of the Faculty of Education of the UCJC, Carmen Sánchez, emphasizes that this methodology encourages curiosity, motivation and the sense of belonging. For its part, Isabela García Senent, director of Pedagogical Innovation of the SEK schools, points out that the project is also transforming the teaching practice, promoting “an active and collaborative learning connected to the community”.
In a context where Spain presents one of the highest rates of EU school abandonment (13%), these types of initiatives can contribute to reducing that figure by offering a more significant education. In summary, “Learning outside-in” proposes “a change in the traditional educational paradigm”, integrating real environments as fundamental tools to enrich learning, improving well-being and strengthening the relationship between school and society.
