Canada has a long history of outdoor education (OE) in sectors including summer camps, K-12, and ... more Canada has a long history of outdoor education (OE) in sectors including summer camps, K-12, and post-secondary education (PSE). However, previous research has demonstrated that OE is sometimes poorly understood in the PSE sector leading to program closures and limited program development. As a result, scholars have called for national and international collaboration to promote the value of OE including identifying common OE learning outcomes and the theoretical and philosophical underpinnings guiding OE practices. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify common philosophies, learning goals, and characteristics of PSE OE in Canada. Results reported here are part of a larger three-phase, exploratory sequential mixed-method project and used a convenience sample of PSE outdoor educators recruited from across Canada. Findings indicate that PSE OE in Canada is influenced by six common philosophies and includes five common learning goals. Overall, this study demonstrates that O...
Background: Outdoor education (OE) should be understood in place, time, and culture because it is... more Background: Outdoor education (OE) should be understood in place, time, and culture because it is not a universal teaching approach. We currently know little about what constitutes the “Canadian ways” of doing OE or what students gain from the experience. Purpose: Our goal was to (a) identify the underlying factors guiding OE programs in Canada and (b) describe the learning outcomes and psychosocial benefits of engaging in OE from the students’ perspective. Methodology/Approach: We conducted a systematic review of qualitative studies that examined OE in Canada. We searched published studies from electronic databases (1980-2018). We used meta-ethnography to synthesize the findings. Findings/Conclusions: We reviewed 21 studies reporting on the experiences of 508 students. Using thematic analysis, we identified eight themes highlighting process, goals, and learning outcomes. We developed a model that describes the common teaching components, learning process, and short-term outcomes fo...
Canada has a long history of outdoor education (OE) in sectors including summer camps, K-12, and ... more Canada has a long history of outdoor education (OE) in sectors including summer camps, K-12, and post-secondary education (PSE). However, previous research has demonstrated that OE is sometimes poorly understood in the PSE sector leading to program closures and limited program development. As a result, scholars have called for national and international collaboration to promote the value of OE including identifying common OE learning outcomes and the theoretical and philosophical underpinnings guiding OE practices. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify common philosophies, learning goals, and characteristics of PSE OE in Canada. Results reported here are part of a larger three-phase, exploratory sequential mixed-method project and used a convenience sample of PSE outdoor educators recruited from across Canada. Findings indicate that PSE OE in Canada is influenced by six common philosophies and includes five common learning goals. Overall, this study demonstrates that O...
Background: Outdoor education (OE) should be understood in place, time, and culture because it is... more Background: Outdoor education (OE) should be understood in place, time, and culture because it is not a universal teaching approach. We currently know little about what constitutes the “Canadian ways” of doing OE or what students gain from the experience. Purpose: Our goal was to (a) identify the underlying factors guiding OE programs in Canada and (b) describe the learning outcomes and psychosocial benefits of engaging in OE from the students’ perspective. Methodology/Approach: We conducted a systematic review of qualitative studies that examined OE in Canada. We searched published studies from electronic databases (1980-2018). We used meta-ethnography to synthesize the findings. Findings/Conclusions: We reviewed 21 studies reporting on the experiences of 508 students. Using thematic analysis, we identified eight themes highlighting process, goals, and learning outcomes. We developed a model that describes the common teaching components, learning process, and short-term outcomes fo...
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Papers by Morten Asfeldt