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.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Amesberger, G. (1996). Evaluation of experiential learning programmes qualitative and quantitative approaches. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Leadership, 13(2), 58–62.
Brookes, A. (2003). Character building. Why it doesn’t happen, why it can’t be made to happen, and why the myth of character building is hurting the field of outdoor education. Keynote presentation. In S. Polley (Ed.), 13th National Outdoor Education Conference (pp. 19–24). Marion, Australia: Outdoor Educators Association of South Australia.
Buckingham, J. (1999). The puzzle of boys’educational decline. Sydney: CIS.
Coleman, J., & Hendry, L. (1999). The nature of adolescence. London: Routledge.
Cortis, N., & Newmarch, E. (2000). Boys in schools. What’s happening? In Proceedings: The International Interdisciplinary Masculinities Conference. Queensland, Australia: QUT.
Davidson, L. (2001). Qualitative research and making meaning from adventure: A case study of boys’experiences of outdoor education at school. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 1(2), 11–20.
Edelman, C., & Mandle, C. (1998). Health promotion throughout the lifespan. New York: Mosby.
Fosh, S., Phoenix, A., & Pattman, R. (2002). Young masculinities. New York: Palgrave.
Gray, T. (1999). Do boys and girls obtain the same benefits from a 12-month outdoor education program? — A longitudinal study. In Proceedings: 11th National Outdoor Education Conference. Perth, Australia (pp.63–74). Camping and Outdoor Education Association of Western Australia.
Gray, T., & Perusco, D. (1993). Footprints in the sand: The value of outdoor education in the school curriculum. The ACHPER National Journal, 2, 17–20.
Hanna, G. (1992). Ripples in the water: Reflections on experiential education research designs. In Proceedings: 20th International Conference of the Association for Experiential Education, October 8–11, Banff, Canada (pp. 231–235).
Henderson, K. (1993). The yin-yang of experiential education research. The Journal of Experiential Education, 3(16), 49–54.
Hattie, J., Marsh, H., Neill, J., & Richards, G. (1997). Adventure education and outward bound: Out-of-class experiences that make a lasting difference. Review of Educational Research, 67(1), 43–87.
Henderson, J., & Barnett, P. (2001). Rites of passage to adulthood: The classroom, the home, the bush and the street; where they meet. In Proceedings: 12th National Outdoor Education Conference: Education Outdoors-Exploring our Sense of Place, Bendigo, Australia (pp 159–164). Victorian Outdoor Education Association.
Henderson, A., Champlin, S., & Evashwick, W. (1998). Promoting teen health. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
Lugg, A. (1999). Directions in outdoor education curriculum. Australian Journal of outdoor education, 4(1), 25–33.
Marsh, H., Parker, J., & Barnes, J. (1985). Multidimensional adolescent self-concepts: Their relationship to age, sex and academic measures. American Educational Research Journal, 22, 422–44.
Marsh, H., & Richards, G. (1988). The Outward Bound Bridging course for low-achieving high school males: Effect on academic achievement and multidimensional self-concepts. Australian Journal of Psychology, 40(3), 281–298.
Neill, J.T. (1994). The effect of Outward Bound high school programs on adolescents’self-concept, mental health, and coping strategies. Honours Thesis, Canberra, Australia: Australian National University.
Neill, J.T. (1997). Outdoor education in schools: What can it achieve? In Proceedings: 10th National Outdoor Education Conference. Sydney, Australia (pp. 193–201). The Outdoor Professionals.
Neill, J.T. (1999). The melting pot of outdoor education effects: Testing the flavours of program type, duration and participant age. In Proceedings: 11th National Outdoor Education Conference. Perth, Western Australia (pp. 112–118). Camping and Outdoor Education Association of Western Australia.
Neill, J.T. (2000). The life effectiveness questionnaire: A tool for measuring change. Canberra: University of Canberra.
Neill, J.T., & Flory, M. (2000a). A pilot study of the short-term and long term effects of the women’s wilderness institute “girlz in the wood” courses on adolescents’personal effectiveness and self-esteem. Unpublished. Retrieved January 18, 2003, from www.unh.edu/outdoor-education/leq.html
Neill, J.T., & Flory, M. (2000b). Brief report on the effects of a Colorado outward-bound school program on the life effectiveness of adult gay and lesbian participants. Unpublished. Retrieved January 18, 2003, from www.unh.edu/outdoor-education/leq.html
Neill, J.T., & Heubeck, B. (1997). Adolescent coping styles and outdoor education: Searching for the mechanisms of change. In Proceedings: First International Adventure Therapy Conference, 1–5 July, Perth, Australia (pp. 227–243). Camping and Outdoor Education Association of Western Australia.
Neill, J.T., Marsh, H.W., & Richards, G.E. (1997). The life effectiveness questionnaire: Development and psychometrics. Sydney: University of Western Sydney.
Richards, G.E. (1999). Sugar and spice and puppy dog’s tails: Physical self-concept and outdoor education. In Proceedings: 11th National Outdoor Education Conference. Perth, Australia (pp. 1–47). Camping and Outdoor Education Association of Western Australia.
Ross, L., & Nisbett, R. E. (1991). The person and the situation: Perspectives of social psychology. New York: McGraw Hill.
Scott, C. G., Murry, G. C., Mertens, C., & Dustin, E. R. (1996). Student self-esteem and the school system: Perceptions and implications. Journal of Educational Research, 89(5), 286–293.
Teese, R., Davies, M., Charlton, M., & Polesel, J. (1995). Who wins at school? Boys and girls in Australian secondary education. Melbourne, Australia: Department of Education Policy and Management, University of Melbourne.
Thompson, L., Battersby, T., & Lee, A. (1999). Initiation the rights of passage into young adulthood. In Proceedings: 11th National Outdoor Education Conference. Perth, Australia (pp. 250–257). Camping and Outdoor Education Association of Western Australia.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
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.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
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
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03400856