OUTDOOR TECHING TO PROMOTE AND IMPROVE HEALTHAND STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENTS AT SCHOOL

Abstract

This paper discusses the impact that an open space and outdoor teaching make on the students’ health preservation and on the improvement of the learning process with the primary school students (aged 7 to 11). The aim of this paper is to use the theoretical analysis of the outdoor education and environmental learning to suggest a possible positive influence on children’s health and a possible improvement of the teaching process.Having that as a starting point, this paper aims to show how the kindergarten and primary school children perceive the open air education and the time they spend outdoors, if it motivates them, if it helps easier and meaningful learning, if it makes the learning process more dynamic, more attractive and more desirable. Our presumptions have been based on thepedagogues’ and didacticians’ attitudes about such learning. These professionals have supported and promoted the outdoor education since a long time ago, and therefore developed numerous didactic principles that are nowbeing utilized and implemented. This paper has a theoretical character and thus it focuses on reviewing the benefits of outdoor activities and educationto students’ health and welfare, to improve teaching effectiveness and learning process and outcomes. Our research has been based on the applied theoretical and descriptive methods. The results of the research we have come to show that the time the students spend outdoors may have a significant, incentive and stimulating impact on their health and their motivation to learn.