Outdoor Education Teachers Research Articles

School-based outdoor education and teacher well-being: the LärMiljö (Learning Environment) - study

Abstract Background School-based outdoor education (OE) is a teaching method aiming to promote pupils’ learning and wellbeing. OE with its action-oriented and cooperative learning approach can inspire teachers to develop their teaching and may also have a positive impact on their work wellbeing. According to self-determination theory, satisfaction or frustration of employees’ basic psychological needs - need for autonomy, competence and relatedness - are important facilitators or impediments of work wellbeing. We explored possible associations between OE use and teachers’ 1) satisfaction/frustration of basic needs at work and b) work engagement. Methods The study, part of the LärMiljö-study, used data collected in 2022 through electronic surveys among teachers in Swedish-language primary schools in Finland; N = 134 teachers from 44 schools. Main measures were the 24-item Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Need Frustration at Work Scale and 9-item Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. Data was analysed with Mann-Whitney U-tests and Spearman correlation. Results The vast majority was female, classroom teachers and had a master’s degree. Preliminary findings show that 69% practiced OE (sporadically or regularly) and 31% did not; both groups were similar in terms of teaching experience, age and gender. Teachers using OE had higher autonomy and competence need satisfaction, and lower relatedness need frustration than teachers not using OE (p < 0.05). There was no difference in overall work engagement (p = 0.07), but OE teachers had higher dedication to work (p < 0.05). Satisfaction of basic needs at work was positively, and frustration of needs negatively, associated with work engagement (p < 0.001). Conclusions Practicing OE appears to have positive associations with teachers’ dedication to work and satisfaction of need for autonomy and competence, and a negative association with relatedness frustration. More research is needed to confirm and examine the direction of these associations. Key messages • Outdoor education (OE) may besides pupils’ learning and wellbeing also promote teachers’ work wellbeing. Work wellbeing among teachers was studied within the framework of self-determination theory. • Practicing OE seems to be positively associated with teachers’ dedication to work, a sub-dimension of work engagement, and satisfaction of the basic needs for autonomy and competence at work.

Pre-service teachers’ experiences of affective nature connection through intentional pedagogies on an extended expedition

AbstractEmotion plays a significant role in the human experience. Nevertheless, emotion (as an attribute of the affective domain), is often side-lined in formal learning environments (including Higher Education) in favour of a focus on the cognitive. This paper shares findings of a research project involving pre-service outdoor education teachers as they affectively experienced connections with nature on an extended expedition, while exposed to intentional nature connection pedagogies. It achieves this through the lens of the current shifts in outdoor education practice and pedagogy specifically, and curriculum and educational policies more broadly. The research was conducted as a case study, within a constructivist paradigm. The collection of data involved in-field observations on a six-day expedition, participant interviews, and researcher reflective journals. The data was analysed inductively which revealed a novel framework: the Affective Nature Connection Matrix. Through this matrix, the affective nature connection wave and heartbeat emerged. This theoretically derived and practice informed model highlighted the collective similarity of the expedition experiences, while acknowledging that these experiences were individually subjective. All participants experienced a rise and fall of affective nature connection, the wave, within individual and collective critical moments, the heartbeats, in response to intentional learning experiences which directly impacted and resulted in a deepened connection to self, others and nature.

Exploring the involvement of Italian primary and secondary school teachers in related outdoor education and scouting activities: findings from a survey

ABSTRACT This study investigated the involvement of Italian preschool and primary school teachers in outdoor education and scouting activities and their association with student cooperation and personal care. While outdoor education has various psychophysiological, psychosocial, social, and pedagogical benefits, some teachers express concerns about their readiness to implement such activities. We hypothesized that preschool teachers are more willing to participate in outdoor education and scouting than primary school teachers. We also hypothesized that outdoor education teachers would score higher in all survey items compared to regular teachers (see Table 2). The results indicated no significant difference between preschool and primary school teachers. However, there were differences in the survey items between outdoor education and regular teachers, except for item 11. The study suggests that providing appropriate instruction and teaching tools to teachers, their students’ schooling experiences and skills are likely to improve.

Moving beyond methodising theory in preparing for the profession

ABSTRACT For those preparing for outdoor education and related professions, formal theory has an important role to play in terms of informing professional practice and understandings of teaching-learning dynamics. Despite this, surprisingly little is understood about how pre-service outdoor educators (POEs) view and engage with it in their preparation courses. Drawing on findings of a case study in an Australian outdoor education teacher education (OETE) course, this article explores POE theory engagement focussing on a problematic tendency to methodise formal theory, that is, to treat theories as formula for action. The authors argue that this tendency is concerning because it ignores the complexity and problematic nature of both theory–practice relationships and outdoor education pedagogy. The discussion highlights contributing factors and implications for OETE, especially with respect to enabling aspiring outdoor educators in tertiary courses to move beyond methodising theory as they enter the outdoor profession.

Mistakes, risk, and learning in outdoor education

Within many contemporary social, workplace and sporting contexts, mistakes are often perceived to be negative, resulting in underperformance and something to be avoided. Within education, in contrast, prominent educational researcher Hattie (2012) suggests “mistakes are the essence of learning” (p. 26). For Hattie, the role of mistakes within the learning process needs to be seen as positive. Creating opportunities for students to learn from mistakes through effective feedback is key to raising achievement. Yet in traditional outdoor education, where risky activities are often a central feature, the role of mistakes in the teaching and learning process has seldom been examined. This paper, therefore, explores how secondary outdoor education teachers perceive the notion that mistakes are the essence of learning, and how they view the role that mistakes have in the learning processes in their outdoor education programs. Employing a qualitative approach, the findings of this study emphasise teachers’ beliefs that mistakes are indeed important in the learning process. The inclusion of mistakes and feedback in outdoor education programs is, however, less than clear. Many teachers spoke of constraints such as short duration programs, not knowing students, and risky activities which made it unlikely for mistakes to be welcomed. In contrast one teacher with a yearlong program sought opportunities for students to make mistakes and learn from these through feedback.

Case-based teaching of fatal incidents in outdoor education teacher preparation courses

ABSTRACTThis article examines the use of case-based approaches to fatal incidents in outdoor education (OE) with a view to fatality prevention. Fatalities are rare in OE and therefore it is nearly impossible for teachers to learn how to avoid fatalities from their own past experiences. It is, however, possible to learn from the mistakes of others through studying accounts of fatalities. Andrew Brookes, working with specialist OE undergraduates nearing the end of their course, develops the argument for reframing fatality cases as narratives in order for students to not simply analyse the incident in hindsight, but to view the accounts from the perspectives of the people involved at the time. Chris North discusses how he examined the impact of case-based fatality learning on pre-service teachers with a range of outdoor experience levels. The responses of students to studying fatalities required him to reframe his approach and consider how to better differentiate learning. The article argues that case-based learning can make a unique and important contribution to safety, but requires reflexive consideration of both curricular and pedagogical aspects.

The return home: Transitioning from a 28-day remote outdoor education programme

Transitioning This article shares the findings of a research project on the transition process experienced by year 10 girls (aged 14) moving from a residential 28-day outdoor education programme at a remote campus called Te Kahu (a pseudonym) back to their school and family life in the city. The school is a high achieving private school for girls, located in a major city in New Zealand. As an outdoor education teacher with experience working in girls' schools, I wanted to explore not only the impact of significant time immersion in the outdoors, but also how adolescent girls adjusted back into a city environment and how the wider social implications of the transition are addressed. As defined in the Oxford English Dictionary, a transition is a "a passing or passage from one condition, action, or (rarely) place, to another" ("Transition," 2015). This process of adaptation effects physical, mental, and emotional changes in a person's life. Bridges and Bridges (2009, p. 3) describe a life transition as a "process that people go through as they internalise and come to terms with the details of the new situation that change brings about." Such transitions involve adaptive developmental processes. Bronfenbrenner (1994) proposed a framework of ecological factors that impact on development, suggesting that a person's capacity is impacted by the wider systems of culture, customs, and economy (macrosystems) and the relationships and interactions between the person, family, school, peers, and social roles (microsystems). He proposed that optimal combinations of such diversities possibly suggest "a potential for human natures yet unseen" (p. 41). Literature on transitioning to school describes how this process of adaptation impacts on children's stress, anxiety, and learning which "could influence their life trajectory" (Landsberg, 2013, p. 31). Research on youth transitions to adulthood recognises the importance of relationship factors, which can influence or constrain adolescents' development towards their life goals. Bynner (2005, p. 379) points out that "social relations identified with family, school, leisure and workplace contexts can reinforce stagnation or motivate growth." This suggests that an ability to adapt and transition to new situations and develop relationships in wider social networks can positively impact on growth and maturation. Educational opportunities provided through direct experiences in a contrasting environment can challenge students' existing levels of understanding and encourage a change of thinking and behaviour. In the transition from this contrasting environment, students must decide how to adopt and integrate changes to their regular life (Cushing, 1997; Leupp, 2007; Whittington, 2006). Research findings on the transition to school for new entrants suggests that strong relationships between students, teachers, and families have the potential to assist students positively with the transition process (Landsberg, 2013). I start with the background to the programme and explore its origins, philosophy, and structure. I then introduce the research questions and explain the methodology and methods used to conduct the research. The results and discussion section is divided into six main subsections that explore: the process of leaving Te Kahu; the social uncertainties of transitioning from Te Kahu; methods of coping with transition; returning to school in the city; adapting to life in the city; and the girls' perceptions of Te Kahu as a healthy passage to adulthood. I examine the readjustment process involved in the transition between leaving Te Kahu where the girls are introduced to new experiences, values, and perspectives, and their return to very different lives in the city. Background to the Te Kahu remote outdoor programme Development of the Te Kahu remote outdoor programme (which opened in 2008) began when the school's principal identified a need to promote further the personal development of her students, especially in relation to levels of resilience. …

In and out of place: exploring the discursive effects of teachers’ talk about outdoor education in secondary schools in New Zealand

The purpose of this article is to explore and problematise teachers’ talk about outdoor education in New Zealand. The focus is on what can be said, how it is said and the discursive effects of such ways of speaking. The inquiry draws on Foucauldian theoretical insights to analyse interview transcripts derived from semi-structured interviews with eight outdoor education teachers who work at secondary schools in New Zealand. Findings suggest that different discourses co-exist and are intertwined in the participants’ talk. Associated with a dominating discourse of adventure are subdiscourses of risk and safety, pursuit-based activities, skill and assessment. Connected to a discourse of learning are subdiscourses of environment, sustainability and social critique. Resistance towards a dominating discourse of adventure with pursuit-based activities can be traced in a discourse of learning in the form of a more place-responsive pedagogy.

Signature pedagogies in outdoor education

The new National health and physical education curriculum in Australia includes outdoor education activities as a viable way to achieve intended learning outcomes. However, most health and physical education teacher education courses do not provide a strong focus on the theories, skills and pedagogies that are unique to the effective use of outdoor education activities. In this paper, Shulman’s concept of signature pedagogies is used to explore the types of teaching and learning that are fundamental to developing outdoor education teachers who are able to think, perform and act with integrity. Drawing on data collected through semi-structured interviews with six experienced outdoor education teacher educators, this paper identifies practical fieldwork as the signature pedagogy for the outdoor education profession. The key characteristics of practical fieldwork, identified by the participants, include learner centeredness, the transition from participant to leader/teacher and the use of reflection to integrate theory and practice. The findings of this study will be helpful for health and physical education teacher educators who want to prepare their students for a more diverse health and physical education curriculum that capitalizes on the educative potential of outdoor education activities.

Pedagogical approaches to exploring theory–practice relationships in an outdoor education teacher education programme

Understanding theory–practice relationships in pre-service teacher education is an enduring concern for many teacher educators. Drawing on data from an investigation into the theory–practice nexus in an outdoor education teacher education programme, this article examines pedagogical approaches to exploring theory and practice with pre-service teachers. The investigation, a qualitative case study, examined the views of the programme’s teacher educators (authors) using an analytical lens informed by two similar theoretical models.The article focuses on elements that were found to be central to pedagogical approaches within the programme: self-awareness, experience, reflexivity, and a “community of learners.” While the approaches represent a departure from “theory application” and “theory–practice integration” approaches, and a move towards praxis development, the study highlighted challenges and issues including the need for teacher educators to scrutinise theory–practice relationships in their own teaching and discourse. Implications and possibilities for future practice are considered.

Curriculum development in outdoor education: Tasmanian teachers’ perspectives on the new pre-tertiary Outdoor Leadership course

The paper examines how outdoor education teachers in Tasmania, Australia have implemented and perceive a new pre-tertiary Outdoor Leadership curriculum document. It draws on an analysis of in-depth semi-structured interviews with 11 outdoor education teachers. The results revealed that teachers were generally welcoming of the new higher-order curriculum and associated assessment strategies. They also believed that the new course appealed to a broad range of students, including those primarily focused on tertiary entrance scores, and that students were benefiting from the new curriculum. However, the teachers’ support was tempered by strong critique around the lack of direction in the actual curriculum document, the failure to provide a teaching resource document, concerns around assessment strategies as well as the lack of adequate professional development. Despite these critiques, the apparent short-term success of the roll-out has come from a strong community of practice among the outdoor educators. The results of this curriculum change process are analysed using a socio-cultural model. They are also considered in light of curriculum change processes in other marginalized curriculum areas, such as health and physical education. The implications are discussed in light of the marginalization of outdoor education within education circles at a state and federal level.

Learning from leisure: Developing nature connectedness in outdoor education

The “greening” of outdoor education has received increasing attention from educators in Aotearoa-New Zealand and internationally. Given contemporary global concerns about the scale of environmental issues and the associated recognition that educating for sustainability is a matter of urgency, the continuing exploration of pedagogies promoting human connection to nature is arguably a central concern for outdoor educators. This paper contributes to professional dialogue about outdoor education pedagogies that may facilitate the development of students' connectedness to, and care for, non-human nature. It draws from an interpretative research project that explored the meanings of nature-based leisure for eleven women aged 40 to 65 years. Findings from that research highlighted an important interplay between women's conceptions of nature and their participation in leisure. The paper directs attention to three interconnected pedagogical principles that are teased from the women's stories: repeated immersion in local nature environments, the decentring of traditional performance discourses, and critical reflection. These are presented as key considerations for outdoor education teachers and teacher educators in promoting nature connectedness and care. Recommendations are made for outdoor education researchers and teacher educators for future research directions.

Physical Education & Outdoor Education: complementary but discrete disciplines

The Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation (ACHPER) includes Outdoor Education (OE) as a component of Physical Education (PE). Yet Outdoor Education is clearly thought of by many as a discrete discipline separate from Physical Education. Outdoor Education has a body of knowledge that differs from that of Physical Education. This in turn has mandated that OE teachers be trained differently to PE teachers. Some teacher registration boards acknowledge this. Most importantly, the socio-cultural imperatives that are shaping the contributions of Physical Education in schools differ from those of Outdoor Education. In this paper we examine the differences between Outdoor Education and Physical Education. We argue that an inclusion of Outdoor Education as a component of Physical Education is misleading and demonstrates a lack of contemporary understanding of the distinctive contributions made by these two separate disciplines to education. In light of Physical Education's inclusion in the Australian National Curriculum, clarity of the respective contributions of PE and OE is even more compelling. Clarifying the respective roles of PE and OE will ultimately benefit curriculum planners, teachers, students and the wider community.

Teacher qualification guidelines, ecological literacy and outdoor education

A key signpost to a profession is clarity of disciplinary knowledge. In this paper I describe the content and outcome of a process to refine the qualification guidelines for outdoor education teachers in Victorian, Australia. The guidelines, developed for the Victorian Institute of Teaching, include both practical skills and disciplinary knowledge. These can help differentiate outdoor education from other areas such as physical education. The practical skill areas that form the basis of the outdoor education teacher guidelines are summarised in the paper. The disciplinary knowledge required of outdoor education teachers includes content such as human interaction with natural environments, activity knowledge, safety and ecological literacy. Ecological literacy has been less often described in past editions of AJOE. In the latter half of the paper I therefore describe, with reference to David Orr (1992, 2004), the value and relevance of ecological literacy for outdoor education. I conclude that ecological literacy could be developed as a key rationale and practice for outdoor education in schooling.

‘Is what you see what you get?’ The production of knowledge in-between the indoors and the outdoors in outdoor education

Background: Many believe the ‘outdoors’ is a key factor influencing student learning in ‘outdoor education’ because it is so different from the ‘everyday’ indoor contexts of students' lives. In much of the outdoor education literature the outdoors is construed as a neutral and simplified space which allows students to have more ‘real’ and meaningful experiences than is possible in mainstream or ‘indoor’ schooling. Purpose: In this paper we draw on Foucauldian theoretical insights to interrogate some of the ways this binary distinction of indoor/outdoor is both produced and sustained in outdoor education and the effect this has on practice. We examine how this presumed indoors/outdoors distinction works to make particular assumptions about what and how students learn in outdoor education appear coherent and plausible while excluding possibilities of alternative student learning in this field. Participants and settings: This article focuses on one aspect of a larger ethnographic study of the outdoor education programme in a New Zealand all girls secondary school. Data collection: The first author observed and participated in the outdoor education programme of this school during 2002. Students were interviewed about their perceptions of their experiences on camp at the end of each residential camp. The two outdoor education teachers were interviewed about their perceptions of outdoor education at the end of the year. Findings: The rhetoric of the role of the outdoors in outdoor education provides a limited and partial understanding of students' experiences and what it is possible for them to learn in the outdoors. We argue that this indoors/outdoors binary produces particular knowledge of self and others and environment and specific ways of understanding students that are not necessarily advantageous to all. Conclusion: We conclude by urging a re-consideration of the sanctity of the indoors/outdoors divide—one that attends to the potential effects on students, teachers and outdoor education as a subject area, of continuing to premise outdoor education philosophy and practice on its unproblematised ‘existence’.

Some outdoor educators’ experiences of outdoor education

Abstract The phenomenological study presented in this paper attempts to determine, from outdoor educators, what it meant for them to be teaching outdoor education in Victorian secondary schools during 2004. In 1999, Lugg and Martin surveyed Victorian secondary schools to determine the types of outdoor education programs being run, the objectives of those programs, who was teaching them, the work conditions of the outdoor education staff and issues those staff faced. In this paper connections or disconnections are drawn between the backdrop provided by Lugg and Martin's survey and the lived experience of some outdoor education teachers. Introduction If ever conducted, we would probably be alarmed at, or wouldn't want to see the results of a research study that examined the effects of our profession on the destruction of our interpersonal and family relationships. (Gass, 1998, p. 16) School staff made 910 stress claims in the five years to 2000, while police, prison and fire brigade staff made 995. (Webber, 2001, p.1) The comments above suggest a disconcerting picture of the situation of people involved in either outdoor educating or teaching respectively. Gass (1998) argues that the very attributes that make outdoor educators effective, for example independence, strong commitment and lifestyle investment, are the ones that most threaten their longevity in the field. The recognition of high stress levels among teachers is not uncommon (Dinham, 1993; Dinham & Scott, 1996; Webber 2001) and has been connected to the rapid social, cultural and economic changes occurring in contemporary industrial societies (Ball & Bowe, 1992; Bessant & Woock, 1997; Dinham & Scott, 1996). These changes have created tensions in education and altered the nature of teaching. Yet little is known of the lived experience of the people who work in the outdoor education field. The research project described in this paper investigates the lived experience of the research participants as teachers in Victorian secondary schools and, more specifically, as outdoor educators and provides insight into the nature of teaching outdoor education in Victorian secondary schools. Specifically, this paper will focus on a comparison between the lived experience of teaching outdoor education as reported by the participants in this project and a survey completed in 1999 by Lugg and Martin (2001) looking at the nature and scope of outdoor education in Victorian schools. Methodological considerations The most appropriate method for investigating the lived experience of teaching is a qualitative one. The reduction of human experience to numbers or standard descriptive phrases, as is often the case in quantitative research, does little to inform the reader of the actual experience of the people involved. Teaching is a very human experience, a very emotional project (Connell, 1985; Dinham & Scott, 1996) and, therefore, the lived experience of teaching can be affected by a wide variety of factors. The time of the year, time of the week and time of the day can all have significant impacts. Outside-of-school experiences will impact on teachers' and students' inside-school experience; location of the school and even the weather can make a difference. With teaching providing such a diversity of possible experiences in a wide range of contexts any attempt to establish a priori variables, as is required in quantitative research, becomes extremely difficult. Qualitative methodologies provide a more apposite means of researching complex human experience (Guba & Lincoln, 1994, Porter, 1998). As a qualitative methodology, phenomenology guards against the risk of overgeneralisation as it focuses on the essential themes of a particular lived experience (Crotty, 1996; Van Manen, 1990; Willis, 1999). Phenomenology questions the assumption (that seems foundational to much quantitative research) that we all experience the world in the same way. …

Use of national parks for outdoor environmental education: An Australian case study

The need for environmental education through outdoor education experiences is becoming increasingly evident in outdoor education theory and practice. In Australia, this environmental focus is reflected in recent outdoor education curriculum documents, particularly in the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE). For many outdoor education teachers who do not have expertise in environmental education, this curriculum development presents a challenge. Outdoor education teachers frequently use National Parks to help them address this challenge. The study examined the educational objectives and roles of teachers and park staff involved in environmental education through outdoor education in National Parks in Victoria, Australia. This paper discusses findings related to the teachers' educational objectives and roles while those of the park staff are examined in a separate paper. The findings indicate that the teachers often lack the environmental knowledge and skills needed to teach some aspects of the curriculum thus making the role of the park ranger or education officer particularly significant in educating teachers as well as students. Issues are raised about the training of outdoor education teachers and of park rangers to meet the environmental education needs of outdoor education students. Questions are also raised about the appropriateness of using National Parks for outdoor education purposes.

The Nature And Scope Of Outdoor Education In Victorian Schools

In 1999 a collaborative project between the Victorian Outdoor Education Association (VOEA) and the Department of Outdoor Education and Nature Tourism at La Trobe University Bendigo investigated the nature and scope of Outdoor Education being offered in Victorian secondary schools. The aim of the study was to attain a clearer understanding of who is teaching Outdoor Education, where it is being taught, what programmes are being offered, what objectives are emphasised and what issues or problems are encountered by Outdoor Education teachers or principals in the implementation of Outdoor Education in Victorian schools. Findings paint a picture of Outdoor Education in schools as personal development education, conducted beyond school hours, by staff who are largely lacking in qualifications. Significant findings are: (1) the majority of Outdoor Education teachers do not have specific Outdoor Education training, (2) most principals and Outdoor Education teachers responding to the survey see the development of group cooperation, self esteem and responsibility as the main objectives of Outdoor Education, (3) most Outdoor Education teachers are expected to work during out of school hours but receive minimal or po compensation for this, (4) the nature of programmes offered in Government schools is significantly different to that offered in Independent schools (non-Catholic). Many practical issues identified related to the difficulties of including Outdoor Education in the traditional school programme structure and particularly to problems with finding appropriate staff for Outdoor Education practical trips.