In the master’s thesis, we explore a specific type of learning environment, using the term “learning environment” to refer to the physical setting where a class occurs. Our emphasis is on nature as a potential learning environment. With a particular focus on “forest pedagogy”, we aim to contextualize it in relation to experiential learning, experiential pedagogy, outdoor learning, outdoor education, outdoor classes, and learning outside the classroom. Through a theoretical review, we discover that although a network of forest kindergartens has been established in Slovenia by the Institute for Forest Pedagogics, forest pedagogy has not yet been formally recognized as a discipline in Slovenia. Consequently, we have chosen to use the term “classes in nature” throughout this thesis. We discuss the necessary conditions for implementing classes in nature, as well as their advantages and limitations. Our interest extends to whether the learning environment influences pupils’ learning activities in class. We define learning activity, outline the fundamental conditions for pupils’ learning activities in class, and examine three basic types of learning activity, with a special focus on intellectual learning activities. In the empirical part of the study, we employ a qualitative method using five interviews to understand, how teachers perceive intellectual learning activities, how they observe these activities in their pupils, and what factors they believe contribute to variations in their pupils’ intellectual activities. Additionally, we observe 20 lessons, both in classrooms and in nature, across five different primary schools in Slovenia. Our goal is to determine if there is a difference in pupils’ intellectual learning activities based on the learning environment. We assess pupils' intellectual learning activities by measuring the quantity and quality of questions they ask. An important aspect of our research is identifying which pupils ask questions, enabling us to determine whether different or the same pupils are active in various learning environments.
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