In the theoretical part of this master's degree we summarize the history of the World scout organization, of the Slovenian scout organization, we list the scout principles of teaching and describe the functioning of the scout clans. We define outdoor learning, list and decribe possible teachers' barriers and doubts regarding outdoor learning and summarize its positive effects on students and teachers. We also list the benefits of movement, play involving movement in the classroom and outdoor play; how it affects children's development, their attention and their behavior. We also list the doubts that some teachers feel concerning outdoor learning and play.
In the empirical part of the master's thesis we create a model of lesson plans for teaching scout skills that scout leaders of the MČ age group from Spodnja Idrija executed and evaluated. The model was then overviewed and commented on by ten elementary school teachers from three public elementary schools and a teacher from a school with adapted programme. They rated and commented on the activities in the lesson plans, based on the probability of how likely they would use it in the classroom.
In the master's thesis we try to answer whether the scout leaders who lead weekly meetings find the model of lesson plans useful for doing scout skills and to what degree. We were also interested in what activities the MČ scouts found most interesting and which one engaged them the most. We were also interested in why students pick scouts for their free time activity and how elementary school teachers rate and comment the suggested activities for use during regular classes.
In our research we found out that scout leaders, who lead MČ scout groups, find the lesson plans useful. MČ scouts best responded to activities that involved movement and to the activities they perceived as risky, archery for example. We also discovered that the reasons why MČ scouts visited scouts changed after we implemented the activities in the lesson plans. Before, they visited scouts mostly because of others and because of camping, later because of play and knowledge. Teachers mostly reviewed the activities in the lesson plans positively. They mostly commented that they would expand the activities, that some activities seem dangerous and that most are well prepared
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