Key Predictors of Outdoor Science Teaching in Regular Classes

Outdoor science teaching provides meaningful, hands-on learning opportunities, yet remains inconsistently practiced in schools. This quantitative study investigated how specific teacher-level predictors associate with the frequency of outdoor science teaching in regular classroom time. A structured questionnaire was developed and administered to 258 Slovenian science in-service teachers, measuring their attitudes, self-efficacy, perceived support, professional development, connection to nature, and inclusion of nature. After reducing items through exploratory factor analysis, variables were then entered into an ordinal logistic regression model of outdoor teaching frequency. Teachers’ attitudes and self-efficacy emerged as the strongest predictors, while their professional development, support, connection to nature, and inclusion with nature were not significant. Supplementary correlations showed that teachers perceiving greater support or stronger connection to nature held slightly more positive attitudes. The correlation indicated a weak but positive link between accessible environments and outdoor teaching frequency. Based on these findings, we recommend actively fostering teachers’ positive attitudes and self-efficacy, as these personal factors are the primary drivers of how frequently outdoor science teaching occurs. To support the development of these personal factors, professional development programs should be systematically designed to build confidence, provide hands-on mastery experiences, and reinforce positive beliefs. Rather than being treated as predictors in their own right, these elements should be understood as structured pathways for strengthening the attitudes and self-efficacy that drive outdoor teaching practice.