The Science Behind Learning Outside the Classroom: Why Trips Work

Having worked around school trips for more than 20 years, we often hear how great they are for children. Usually either through specific examples, maybe by seeing how the Roman soldiers fought their battles, or how people in the Iron Age built their houses. But all too often 'school trips are really good for children' is used as a general comment without any further context. Teachers, parents, pupils, we all praise school trips, so they must be good. But why are they? Beyond the excitement of a change in environment, there is compelling scientific evidence that shows why school trips are so effective in boosting pupil learning and development.
This article is all about brain power as we explore the neuroscience and educational psychology behind experiential learning and why school trips matter.

Active Learning Engages the Brain
Traditional classroom learning often relies heavily on listening and reading, activities which primarily activate certain parts of the brain. By contrast, learning outside the classroom engages multiple senses, including sight, sound, touch, sometimes even smell and taste. This may create richer, more memorable experiences for children.
Research shows that multisensory engagement helps to form stronger neural connections, making information more likely to be retained long term. [Nature 2023 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06013-8]

Emotional Connection Enhances Memory
Experiences that evoke emotions like excitement, curiosity, or even mild challenge stimulate a part of the brain linked to memory formation. So they types of experiences we associate with school trips can trigger these responses, and in doing so help your pupils to make that association between what they learn in the classroom with real-world contexts, rather than the abstract concepts that some children will struggle to make use of.

Contextual Learning Boosts Understanding
The part of the brain essential for forming new memories, works best when learning is tied to a clear context. Visiting historical sites, science centres, or natural habitats helps pupils connect facts to their environment, deepening comprehension and encouraging critical thinking. This is often useful when a local trip takes them to a place they are already familiar with but did not previously associate with the classroom topic.

Social Interaction and Collaborative Learning
The majority of trips we offer here at PlanMySchoolTrip involve group work and social interaction. These activities activate brain areas related to communication and empathy. These social dynamics help pupils develop soft skills such as teamwork and emotional intelligence, which are essential for personal and social development.

Physical Activity Enhances Cognitive Function
The other thing that a lot of trips have in common is physical movement, whether the simple act of walking around a museum or a more physical activity week in the outdoors. According to NeuroImage [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S105381190700609X] Increased blood flow to the brain stimulates the release of neurochemicals linked to focus and creativity. This means active learning helps maintain pupil engagement and attention.

Reduced Stress and Improved Wellbeing
Last but not least, one that we could probably all get on board with. Being outdoors and away from the pressures of the classroom routine lowers levels of cortisol (a stress hormone), which creates a more relaxed learning environment. The International Journal on the Biology of Stress [https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10253890.2024.2364333] Suggests that reduced stress improves students' working memory.

Final Thoughts
The neurons have been tracked and the cerebral cortex has been prodded. The results are in and the science is clear: school trips are not only fun, but a powerful way to help the brain optimise how it learns. By integrating experiential, emotional, social, and physical elements, school trips provide learning experiences that stick far beyond the classroom walls.