Signature pedagogies in outdoor education

Abstract

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.

What future/s for outdoor and environmental education in a world that has contended with COVID-19?

“…Field trips are a central part of outdoor education (OE) (Thomas, 2015a and b ) and I believe particularly critical in exploring the myriad relationships between people and land. Under COVID-19, my field trips were cancelled and students dispersed to their “homes” around the country and around the world.…”

Life Skills Transfer through Outdoor Education for Positive Youth Development

“…In several neighborhood countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore, outdoor education (OE) has been integrated into their national sports and health curriculum [33]- [35]. Realizing the benefits and positive values of outdoor education, children can get real learning through direct experience in the field [36], [37].…”

Opinions of Prospective Biology Teachers about “Outdoor Learning Environments”: The Case of Museum Visit and Scientific Field Trip

“…Aktın (2017) determined in her study on a museum trip that children used their own prior knowledge in describing the socio-cultural elements of the past and in explaining the functions of the tools in the museum, and spotted evidence of culture in their personal life experiences. Thomas (2015) argues that practical fieldwork is the basic pedagogy of outdoor education, the main elements of which are a student-centered experiential pedagogy, transition from participant to teacher, and reflection. Studies show that teaching outside the classroom increases student curiosity, fosters collaborative learning, and offers opportunities for authentic science learning (Braund & Reiss, 2006).…”