OUTDOOR EDUCATION AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING: RESEARCH PERSPECTIVES AND GUIDELINES FOR INCLUSIVE TEACHING

Outdoor Education is an inclusive teaching approach that, when combined with Universal Design for Learning principles, creates flexible, accessible, and motivating learning environments (Moscato & Pedone, 2024). This paper reviews literature showing how Outdoor Education aligned with UDL’s three core principles—engagement, representation, and action/expression—supports cognitive, motor, emotional, and social development, while fostering curiosity, resilience, and empowerment (Kelly et al., 2022). It offers practical guidelines for designing inclusive outdoor experiences that address individual differences and systemic barriers to promote equitable education for all.