Convenor
Mark Leather is professor (emeritus) of education at Plymouth Marjon University. He is an academic and practitioner dedicated to advancing knowledge and practice in outdoor pedagogic theory and experiential learning. Mark’s research has exerted a significant influence on outdoor education, particularly in relation to forest schools, playfulness in higher education, and international perspectives on place-based outdoor education. His body of work has enriched both theory and practice, shaping pedagogical approaches that foreground creativity, agency and a profound engagement with place. He previously served as co-convenor of the British Educational Research Association’s Nature, Outdoor Learning and Play (NOLAP) special interest group, where he played a leading role in fostering collaboration across research, practice and policy. Mark is the first generation in his family to attend university, and he continues to mentor and support other academics.
For students who are the first in their family to attend university, the transition involves navigating uncharted territory. Students often transform university spaces, initially impersonal and...
Continue reading blog postThe impact of university education on disadvantaged people & their communities
Join the Nature, Outdoor Learning and Play SIG annual meeting to network with colleagues, learn about the activities of the SIG and plans for 2023. This meeting will be hosted online, where you...
Join the Nature, Outdoor Learning and Play  SIG annual meeting to network with colleagues, learn about the activities of the SIG over the last year and plans for 2022 This meeting will be hosted...
Over the past year, as we have been forced to slow down and restrict our activities because of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is has become apparent just how important it is for our health and...
Continue reading blog postHow should the wellbeing of both pupils and staff be integrated into curriculum development? This collection, edited by Victoria Pugh, presents answers to this question from a diverse range of...
Join the Nature, Outdoor Learning and Play SIG annual meeting to network with colleagues, learn about the activities of the SIG over the last year and plans for 2021  This meeting will be...
This event looked at critical questions around how we may combine science- and arts-based approaches to shift perspectives away from a human-centred view of the world to one that views humans as...
