School Ground as Environmental Learning Resources: Teachers’ and Pupils’ Perspectives on Its Potentials, Uses and Accessibility

Year 2013, Volume: 3 Issue: 2, 0 - , 21.01.2013

Paramita Atmodiwirjo

Abstract

This paper addresses the role of school ground as outdoor learning resources for environmental education. The opportunities to use school ground are particularly prominent in tropical climate, where the weather permits plenty of outdoor learning activities. A study in primary schools in Jakarta explored the relationship between the spatial aspects of school ground and its role in providing access to outdoor environmental resources, from the perspectives of teachers and pupils. The findings reveal that the potentials of school ground environment in many schools have not been fully utilised. Outdoor opportunities offered by school ground environment do not immediately result in active environmental learning. The findings suggest the needs to rethink the position of school ground within the current spatial design of school environment, to address the demands for more engagement with nature and current perspectives towards environmental learning.

Keywords

Environmental education, learning resources, school ground

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