Narratives of teaching in outdoor and environmental education: What can we learn from a case study of outdoor education pedagogy?

Journal Publication ResearchOnline@JCU
Evans, Neus (Snowy);Acton, Renae
Abstract

There is an identified need to explore specific teaching and learning strategies used in outdoor education. This paper draws on data collected during an outdoor education camp in regional Australia, where the researchers observed the teaching practice of a veteran outdoor educator. We first situate the study in a summary of the outdoor education literature and policy that informed our research. We then present the observed teaching strategies, detailing narratives of role-based learning and a yarning circle. These demonstrate the educator’s intentional enactment of a range of teaching and learning strategies that span across the behaviourist – constructivist – socio-constructivist spectrum to facilitate learning. Discussion then focuses on two distinguishing features of the educator’s pedagogic practice: nurturing expanded understandings of self through place-responsive teaching and pedagogic agility. In exploring the practice of an experienced outdoor educator, this research provides insight into the intentional use of a suite of specific teaching and learning strategies, which extends and enhances the current field.

Journal

Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning

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Volume

22

ISBN/ISSN

1754-0402

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Issue

3

Pages Count

14

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Publisher

Routledge

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Publisher Location

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Date

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EISSN

N/A

DOI

10.1080/14729679.2021.1902828