A scoping review of research on school-based outdoor education in the Nordic countries

Abstract

Although there is a notion of a ‘Nordic tradition’ of outdoor education in the international literature, research from the Nordic countries is rarely included in research reviews. Therefore, this scoping review provides an overview of empirical studies on outdoor education (grades 1–13) from the Nordic countries. Of the 586 hits, 52 studies met the inclusion criteria and were subjected to descriptive and content analyses. The majority of the studies are qualitative and situated in primary school contexts. Multiple school subjects and science are the most common subject matter addressed by outdoor education, but friluftsliv, mathematics, and language are also represented. The content analysis indicates that teachers’ perspectives are most frequently investigated, followed by nature of outdoor education, well-being, and cognitive learning. Fewer studies investigate teaching and learning processes, digital resources, and education for sustainability outdoors. Suggestions for further research on outdoor education in Nordic countries are discussed.