Research

This is a list of some of the most recent research in the area of Forest School in Ireland. Please let us know about any that are not listed. We are working on adding more detail to this document, please get in touch if you would like to help with this.

1. Campbell, R. A. (2019). Forest school in Northern Ireland: a qualitative analysis of two primary forest schools (Doctoral dissertation, Queen's University Belfast). 
2. Egan, D., Egan, S. M., & Brophy, T. (2022). The growth of forest school: A review of the evidence base. An Leanbh Og--Irish Journal of Early Childhood Studies, 15, 1-14. 
3. Harris, F. (2026). Journeys through forest school: a model for understanding diverse educational experiences of children. Environmental Education Research, 32(2), 418-431. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2025.2529544 
4. Kelly, O., Whelan, J., & Coulter, M. (2026). A pedagogy of outdoor learning in the primary school–Insights from outdoor educators in Ireland. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 26(1), 215-233. 
5. Kerr, K. (2026) Outdoor Learning in Northern Ireland’s Schools in 2026: A Review. Belfast: School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work, Queen’s University Belfast.
6. Madden, P. (2019). An exploration of the state and status of nature awareness, appreciation and education in the Irish primary school system (Doctoral dissertation, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin). 
7. Murphy, M. C. (2018). Exploring the “construction” strand in the Irish primary school visual arts curriculum through the forest school approach. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 18(3), 257-274. 
8. Murphy, M. C. (2022). Sowing the seed: A bio-ecological exploratory case study of the forest school approach to learning and teaching in the Irish primary school curriculum (Doctoral dissertation, Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick). 
9. O’Donnell, P. (2022). The rise of teaching and learning outdoors in Irish primary schools. Ireland’s Education Yearbook 2022, 114-118. 
10. O’Malley, S. (2014). (Re)connecting children with nature? A sociological study of environmental education in Ireland (Doctoral dissertation: University of Galway). 
11. Ring, E., O’Sullivan, L., & Corbally, G. (2025). Play, learning and teaching in a redeveloped primary curriculum. 
12. Whelan, J., & Kelly, O. (2024). Experiential, relational, playful pedagogy in Irish primary schools–possibilities offered by Forest School. Irish Educational Studies, 43(4), 1363-1387. 
13. Whelan, J., & Kelly, O. (2025). Towards flourishing: the understanding and experience of the staff in one Irish primary school of Forest School. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 25(4), 1012-1030. 
14. Whelan, J., (2022). An ethnographic study of Forest School: relational caring pedagogy in an Irish primary school (Doctoral dissertation). Whelan, J., & Kelly, O. (2025). Towards flourishing: the understanding and experience of the staff in one Irish primary school of Forest School. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 25(4), 1012-1030.