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The use of education outside the classroom (EOtC) in schools is increasing; however, there are currently few studies assessing the longer-term impacts on academic achievement. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between one school-year of regular (more than 2.0 h a week) participation in EOtC and Danish primary school children’s reading performance. We conducted a quasi-experimental study involving 20 EOtC intervention group classes and 10 comparison group parallel classes (Grades 3–6). Children were tested pre- and post-intervention in reading performance. We found that exposure to EOtC had a small positive impact on test scores. The implication that regular EOtC is positively associated with reading performance is discussed.

This study is the first to investigate education outside the classroom (EOtC) and pupils’ social relations in a large-sample experimental design. Social Cognitive Mapping was used to collect data on informal peer affiliation groups among pupils, aged 9–13 years, at the start and end of the school year. 332 pupils from 16 classes that were regularly exposed to EOtC, were compared with 158 pupils from 8 comparable classes that were not. Regular exposure to EOtC was positively associated to a gain in new peer affiliations, but not to increases in the total number of relations. In conclusion, regular exposure to EOtC is related to minor positive changes in pupils’ informal peer affiliations in their class networks.

The aim of this quasi-experimental intervention study was to investigate the association between primary school students’ (9–13 years) school motivation and regular participation in education outside the classroom (EOtC). School motivation of 311 Danish public students from 24 intervention classes and 88 students from seven parallel comparison classes was measured at the start and end of the 2014–2015 school year using the Academic Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SRQ-A). Exposure to EOtC was monitored by intervention and comparison teachers. Multilevel analyses showed that regular exposure to EOtC was associated with improvement in intrinsic motivation and was moderated by prior intrinsic motivation in favor of students with higher prior intrinsic motivation. Results were independent of gender and socio-economic-status.

Patients with homozygous homocystinuria are at greatly increased risk for development of atherosclerosis and thrombosis [1] . Elevated plasma levels of homocysteine (HCY) are caused by reduced enzymatic catabolism or reduced enzymatic remethylation of HCY, due to either hereditary enzyme defects or to nutrional deficiencies of vitamins functioning as cofactors. However, several recent studies have suggested that persons with mildly elevated plasma levels of HCY also are at increased risk for coronary heart disease. 2 , 3 , 4 . There are some indications that dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may offer protection against coronary heart disease 5 , 6 . Several mechanisms may be involved, including beneficial effects of n-3 PUFAs on plasma lipids, platelet and leukocyte reactivity, blood pressure and vasoreactivity [7] . Interestingly, Olszewski et al. recently found HCY-levels to be lowered 36% in 15 type IIa or IIb hyperlipemic men by n-3 PUFA supplementation. A possible beneficial effect of n-3 PUFA on the incidence of coronary heart disease was initially suggested from studies in Greenland Inuits by our group [8] . We therefore investigated plasma levels of homocystein in a group of traditionally living Greenland Inuits with a diet consisting mainly of marine food and with a very high content of n-3 PUFAs. © 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd