Inside out: a case study on the impact of Forest School learning for pupils in a Secondary school specialist SEND class

Johnson, Emma (2023). Inside out: a case study on the impact of Forest School learning for pupils in a Secondary school specialist SEND class. Student dissertation for The Open University module E822 Masters multi-disciplinary dissertation: education, childhood and youth.

This dissertation was produced by a student studying the Open University module E822 Masters multi-disciplinary dissertation: education, childhood and youth. The research showcased here achieved a Distinction.
Please note that this student dissertation is made available in the format that it was submitted for examination, thus the author has not been able to correct errors and/or departures from academic standards in areas such as referencing.
Copyright resides with the author.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21954/ou.ro.000175b3

Abstract

Forest School research involving adolescents is notable by its near total absence from the field. Research involving SEND learners in their own right is also limited and there is an apparent lack of conceptual framework or theory underpinning current research. This proposal aims to fill these gaps by using Vygotsky’s Zones of Proximal Development (ZPD) to understand to what extent Forest School can be developed to aid engagement for Secondary aged SEND learners struggling to access traditional forms of learning and, if Forest School activities can be as beneficial for adolescent learners as they appear to be for younger children.