Focus Area 3: Personal and social growth and development

Learning experiences in natural environments promote students’ personal growth and development of social skills. Experiential learning in nature impacts positively on students’ health and well-being and fosters a lifelong connection with nature and a commitment to responsible activity in natural environments.

Through learning in natural environments, students develop personal meaning, and an appreciation of the role of natural environments in providing life perspective. Learning experiences in natural environments enable students to evaluate and reflect on their own learning progression and skills development, as well as their relationship with nature.

Suggested learning activities

The following learning activities are suggestions only. Teachers may select suitable activities from this list, adapt these activities, or design their own:

• experience and contribute to strategies in natural environments to promote health, safety and well-being
• evaluate and reflect on the impact of outdoor activities and journeys on personal health, safety, and well-being
• evaluate the value of outdoor knowledge and experiences as a medium to develop motivation, confidence, physical competence, and understanding to value and take responsibility for engagement in lifelong physical activities
• reflect on opportunities to spend time in nature to support physical, social, and emotional well-being.
• collect evidence of and apply reflective practice of personal learning progression and skills development
• develop and extend social skills in communicating and working with others
• collect evidence of and demonstrate reflective practice of group dynamics with others.