Linking 21st Century Learning Skills to Outdoor Learning: Exploring the Experiences of Primary School English Language Teachers in Malaysian Private Schools

Abstract

Collaboration, communication, creative thinking, and critical thinking, or 4Cs, are important 21st century learning skills which prepare students to face challenges in the globalised world of the 21st century. In this paper, we explore the link between the 4Cs and a rather unconventional pedagogy, outdoor learning. In Malaysia, the outdoor learning space has not received much recognition and is often overlooked. Therefore, we sought the experiences of primary school English language teachers when engaging with outdoor learning to see how their practices reflected the 4Cs. Data were obtained through five in-depth interviews with teachers and were analysed using an inductive approach. Two main themes which related to soft skills and thinking skills development were identified. It was found that outdoor learning had potential to enhance soft skills because it emphasised communication and collaboration. However, in terms of thinking skills we found that there is still room to engage more deeply and meaningfully with critical and creative 21st century learning skills. Currently, outdoor learning seems to be a rather grass-roots effort that happens at the discretion of individual teachers. Nevertheless, it has a role to play in nurturing critical and complex thinking and effective communication and collaboration which are needed for the 21st century.