Conceptualisations and implications of ‘newness’ in education outside the classroom

Abstract

Newness was a key theme identified in a comprehensive national study of education outside the classroom (EOTC) in Aotearoa New Zealand. This paper examines what newness means from the perspectives of students, educators and school leaders. Findings reveal that newness in EOTC was valued because of the difference to everyday routines, as well as to students’ learning and positive emotions; it also deepened students’ understanding of the wider world, and their place in it. Consumption of newness occurred when educators and students framed EOTC through new locations because the potential for learning was quickly ‘used up’. Newness also potentially undermined learning for some students because of discomfort and fear. The authors encourage educators and students to engage in the process of understanding newness in EOTC in order to harness the learning opportunities of both familiar and unfamiliar experiences.