Effect of the Organizational Model of the Subject of Activities in the Natural Environment on Students’ Satisfaction and Learning

The aim of this study was to identify the most suitable organizational model for teaching the university subject of Outdoor Activities in relation to learning acquisition and satisfaction. For this purpose, four models were designed, some of which were dominated by traditional education and others by innovative education. The data collection instruments were the Spanish version of the Physical Education of the Sport Satisfaction Instrument, adapted to the university context, and the questionnaire on the contents of the subject designed ad hoc. Data collection was carried out before and after the intervention with a total of 125 students. For data analysis, an ANCOVA was performed. The results showed that there were significant differences in satisfaction between groups ( p = 0.029), but not in the boredom scale ( p = 0.109). With regard to acquisition of learning between groups, there were significant differences ( p = 0.005) in the overall grade of the subject. There were also significant differences in the scores for content taught differently depending on the group ( p = 0.003), with a higher score in the most innovative group, the intensive-continuous group, compared to the fractioned ( p = 0.005) and classic groups ( p = 0.015). It is concluded that there is a positive effect between direct and continuous contact with nature, both in the acquisition of learning and in student satisfaction, with the most innovative model obtaining the best results of the study.