Relational outdoor learning is better for neurodivergent students

Text by: Reineke van Tol
Based on research by: Duncan van den Hatert (BSc student Forest & Nature Conservation)

Neurodivergent students, in this text referring to students with AD(H)D or autism¹, face a variety of challenges in regular higher education. These challenges are mainly related to dealing with deadlines, overwhelming stimuli, social interactions and group work. Taken together, these issues often cause students to be misunderstood by teachers and other students, giving the impression that neurodivergent students are lazy, weird or at best, hard to work with. Eventually, these challenges can cause neurodivergent students to drop out of their studies and cause serious mental health problems². There is therefore a need to address these problems and search for alternative more inclusive approaches.

Relational outdoor learning is one such approach. Although it has not been designed primarily to improve the learning experience of neurodivergent students, experience has shown that it can be worthwhile to be looked into further. Relational outdoor learning aims to learn in, with, through and for nature. The relational approach to learning stresses our innate relationship with the natural world, learning in relation to that world and also taking care of relations between students and teachers in the classroom. It is a form of experiential learning, where students learn about themselves in the world through experiences with the world. It is a deep and reflective form of learning that allows for creativity, new or other perspectives. It has a fluid approach which allows for a learning process from students’ own curiosity and wonder³.

For his Bachelor’s thesis, Forest and Nature Conservation student Duncan van den Hatert studied the experiences of neurodivergent students in relational outdoor learning courses compared to regular education. His research included walking interviews with five neurodivergent students from two higher education institutes. These students participated in three different relational outdoor learning courses. From previous research with neurodivergent children, we know that nature can have (remarkably) positive effects on this particular group. How such a fluid approach to learning with nature — a generally less strictly structured approach — would affect neurodivergent students, however, remains unknown. The results could go in various directions based, on the one hand, on the known positive effects of nature and, on the other hand, on the generally assumed need for structure for this particular group⁴. Duncan’s research shows surprisingly positive results. It seems that relational outdoor learning, as compared to regular higher education, has a wide range of benefits for neurodivergent students.

Students describe how relational learning contributes to a safe learning space, where they can express themselves easier and dare to be vulnerable. In their experience, this safe space results in more respect for differences in the classroom, which makes them feel more comfortable. They experience fewer problems in social contact and it makes them work easier in a group. Moreover, the differences between the student and the teacher are smoothed out and the relationship becomes less stressful.

Besides the social environment, the physical environment of being in nature seems to be highly beneficial. Students experience this as healing. Despite potential sources of distraction (birds, wind, rain, other people, unforeseen noises or any other kind of sounds, smells or feelings), none of the interviewed students reported the stimuli in nature to be disturbing. Instead, they reported that these natural influences are positive, when compared to the overwhelming variety of intense stimuli in an indoor classroom. The latter include artificial light and sounds, as well as phones (their own or others’) and students working (or rather doing other things) on laptops.

Moreover, neurodivergent students felt no need for special measures to facilitate their participation in relational outdoor learning courses, where-as they often do in regular education. Surprisingly, they did not experience the high intensity and more flexible form of these courses as problematic; on the contrary, the flexibility in particular has been considered as a rather positive aspect. The one remaining barrier, which they also experience in regular education, is the dealing with deadlines. After all, these courses have their fair share of assignments and often require students to work more independently. Alternatively, instead of just one final paper or written exam, there can be several smaller assignments with various deadlines.

As the research has made clear, relational outdoor learning, as compared to regular higher education, has numerous benefits for neurodivergent students. Nature provides a nurturing environment for this group of students. The relational aspect of the learning creates a safe space, where the students feel supported and respected. Problems normally faced in education are largely non-existent in relational outdoor learning. Based on this study, we can (preliminarily) conclude that implementation of more (aspects of) relational outdoor learning in higher education could be one way towards more inclusive forms of education for neurodivergent students.

^{[1] Neurodivergent can refer to a wide variety of diagnoses related to autism and AD(H)D, but these three are most commonly found among students in higher education.}

^{[2] Stevens, A. E., Abu-Ramadan, T. M., & Hartung, C. M. (2021). Promoting academic success in college students with ADHD and LD: A systematic literature review to identify intervention targets. Journal Of American College Health, 70(8), 2342–2355. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2020.1862127; Wilson, K. P., & Dallman, A. (2024). Strategies for promoting neurodiversity and autism acceptance in higher education. Journal Of Diversity in Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000550; White, D. M., Hillier, A., Frye, A., & Makrez, E. (2016). College Students’ Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Students on the Autism Spectrum. Journal Of Autism And Developmental Disorders, 49(7), 2699–2705. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-016-2818-1}

^{[3] Van Tol (2024) The wild turn in sustainability education – a critical relational perspective on the role of education in caring for people and planet, under review.}

^{[4] Friedman, S., & Morrison, S. A. (2021). “I just want to stay out there all day”: A Case Study of Two Special Educators and Five Autistic Children Learning Outside at School. Frontiers in Education, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.668991}