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What outcomes are we trying to achieve in our outdoor education programs?

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Abstract

In this paper we examine the effect an outdoor and experiential education program on the life effectiveness skills of its participants. A private boys school in Melbourne focused on the challenging time of year nine to implement a program they hoped would enable the boys to develop life effectiveness skills in the areas of time management, social competence, achievement motivation, intellectual flexibility, task leadership, emotional control, active initiative and self confidence. The program involved a progression through a variety of curriculum areas including a number of outdoor education components and trips. We specifically considered two major areas of the program. The first, an examination of the boys life effectiveness skills after the program; and secondly whether participation in the outdoor education component had a more significant impact on life effectiveness skills compared to the other programs. Results showed the life effectiveness skills of the boys increased after each aspect of the program, with a significant difference found between the life effectiveness skills of the boys who participated in two outdoor education programs compared to only one.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia

    Beth McLeod & Sandy Allen-Craig

Authors
  1. Beth McLeod
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  2. Sandy Allen-Craig
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Beth McLeod.

Additional information

Beth McLeod is a currently teaching outdoor education and physical education. She completed Honours in Exercise Science at the Australian Catholic University in 2003 and completed a Graduate Diploma of Education in Outdoor Education and Physical Education in 2004. Her passion is helping young people to develop to their fullest potential. She is always planning the next adventure in natural places.

Sandy Allen Craig is currently lecturing in outdoor education for the school of Exercise Science at the Australian Catholic University. Previous to this she lectured in outdoor education and physical education at Deakin University and was Director of Outdoor Education at a private school in Melbourne. Her research interests are the use of the outdoors for educational and behaviour change and the development of relationships with the natural world. Her passions are her family, her students, the mountains and the ocean.

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McLeod, B., Allen-Craig, S. What outcomes are we trying to achieve in our outdoor education programs?. Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education 11, 41–49 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03400856

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