“Do you feel that you have been able to try what we have read about in the book?” : Teachers’ perspectives on outdoor teaching in science.

The purpose of the study is to deepen the understanding of how teaching in the science subjects is conducted in outdoor environments in grades K-6, based on experienced teachers' percep- tions regarding the focus on opportunities, challenges and strategies, as well as what subject content is considered best suited for this form of teaching. This has been investigated using a qualitative approach through five observations at one school and seven interviews at two dif- ferent schools. The results show that biology is the subject most often taught outdoors and that the teaching has elements of spontaneity, where the teachers capture the phenomena of nature and the stu- dents' discoveries, which helps to make the teaching meaningful and engaging. Teaching con- sists largely of practical activities where students are allowed to concretize the subject content through more senses. According to the teachers, the subject content that is taught outdoors must have a clear connection to the teaching in the classroom. It also emerges that structure and recurring lesson plans are essential in order to get pupils to focus on the subject content and thus increase the opportunities for learning. Based on this, it is suggested that teachers could try taking parts of their science lessons out- doors. By starting on a smaller scale, a sense of security for the teacher can be built up over time as experience is gained. As long as outdoor learning is planned with an awareness of its purpose and how it is integrated into a wider context, and in relation to the learning that takes place indoors, stepping outside the classroom walls can be perceived as meaningful and re- warding for both pupils and teachers.