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Traditional indoor lessons, in an Australian high school, were moved outdoors. Studies exploring teacher/student perceptions of a move to nature-based classrooms are limited in mainstream schools in disadvantaged areas. The research question was: how do teachers and students perceive and experience outdoor learning environments compared to indoor environments? Forty-seven students aged 13-14 years, and 2 teachers, took part in 5-weeks of indoor and 5-weeks of outdoor lessons. Students were approached for focus groups; teachers for interviews. A phenomenological approach explored the lived experiences of participants in the outdoor classroom; thematic analysis was used to interpret the data. Teachers reported learning and engagement as comparable in the indoor and outdoor settings. Teachers required resources, school support and guidelines to capitalise on the potential of nature-based learning. A practical 'how to' for teachers and schools looking to move outside is included. This study suggests guidelines for weather, class size and lessons content/styles.

The natural environment is associated with better behaviour and academic performance in children. However, research to date has been cross-sectional and it is important for experimental studies to investigate if a causal relationship exists. Further, participant samples from areas characterised as disadvantaged are underrepresented in the research. This study investigates the effect that lessons in nature have on disadvantaged young people's behaviour and learning compared to lessons in a standard classroom over one school term (10 weeks). A quasi-experimental study was conducted in a socioeconomically disadvantaged city in Australia. Three classes were taught in a standard indoor classroom for 5 weeks; then two of those classes relocated to a green outdoor classroom for the remaining 5 weeks; researcher observations of redirect rates, teacher ratings of behaviour, and academic grades were analysed. Students (13–14 years old) spent more time on-task in outdoor classrooms at the rate of an extra 20 s per teacher redirect, and this effect lasted over several weeks. Although engagement was better, this did not translate to better grades; reasons for this discrepancy are discussed. Outdoor classrooms may promote less disengagement and misbehaviour in class, and this could be significant for those affected disproportionately by it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]