Abstract
This paper attempts to deal with the issue of developing soft skills among trainee teachers by applying the elements of outdoor education in teacher training programs. It is known that there are elements of outdoor education which were already included in the teacher training curriculum in Malaysia’s Teacher Training Institutions. However, outdoor education is not a compulsory activity or subject for trainee teachers in Malaysia’s universities except for those majoring in sports and recreation or physical education. However, due to the declining economic conditions, outdoor education programs at Teacher Training Institutions were the first program that was scaled down. This article attempts to identify the elements of soft skills that can be applied through a well-planned outdoor education activities. The study was conducted involving 671 samples from teacher training institutions and universities using the Life Effectiveness Questionnaire. This article focuses on four elements of soft skills namely team work, leadership ability, self-esteem and time management. The results of this study showed that outdoor education improves students’ soft skills in the elements studied.
Highlights
Outdoor education has been identified as a discipline in experiential learning (Lynch, 1993)
The first conclusion is that participation in outdoor education programs provides benefits in terms of changes in soft skills of students in institutions of higher education
This study cannot be generalized to all students in Malaysia, but the findings and conclusions made can be generalized to all teenagers who are in educational institutions
Summary
Outdoor education has been identified as a discipline in experiential learning (Lynch, 1993). Its approach on education is by providing physical experience as well as mental development of participants (Gair, 1997). The concept of outdoor education has been widely used in various contexts to describe a variety of experience, starting with the first school scout team camping organised in the United Kingdom by Baden-Powell in 1908. In the United States, Sharp (1895-1963) was influential in creating the outdoor education program and summer camp (Conrad, 1967). Outdoor education curriculum is often associated with ‘learning school subjects outside the classroom’ (Gair, 1997; Higgins & Humberstone, 1999)
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