PROMOTING INCLUSION BY BRINGING EDUCATION OUT-DOORS: OUTCOMES OF EXPLORATORY RESEARCH WITH TEACHERS

Abstract

Signing the Agenda 2030 in 2015, 193 Member Countries of the United Nation unequivocally declared the intention to pursue their efforts to actively restructure a sustainable world. Inter alia, through Goal 4, the Agenda links the achievement of sustainable and democratic development to the theme of inclusion, which has been animating both the pedagogical and political international debate for more than two decades. What stands out is the need to address the education to all, no one excluded, in order to foster the human empowerment at a personal, community and social level. That indistinguishably means to give all students a fair opportunity to flourish and fully realize their potential, in compliance with their diversities and needs. On the other hands, to set new cultures, policies and practices toward inclusive societies, the education focus on values such as belonging, global citizenship, participation, environments. According to Outdoor Education and Place-based Education approach, literature provides us with evidence of how an aware engagement with nature and local territory may help students in their learning and bracing the adoption of sustainable lifestyles, respectful to the diversities of environments and humanity. But, despite that, research rarely investigated the significant relationship between Outdoor Education and Inclusive Education. To help to fill that gap, the paper documents an exploratory study carried out with 508 first cycle of education teachers, working in South of Italy with pupils from 6 to 13 years old, aimed to analyse their knowledge, beliefs, interests regarding the Outdoor Education in an inclusive perspective, as well as their perception about its employability in formal context. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through a customized survey. Results are encouraging, and they suggest some tracks for the educational research toward original areas of practical application, such inclusive teacher training providing pedagogical, relational, and reflective skills, as well as new methodological and didactical approaches.