We Are Wilderness Explorers: A Review of Outdoor Education in Canada

Abstract

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 for OE in Canada. Implications: Our results represent the first study to synthesize OE published research in Canada, which help form a unified voice and a distinctive national identity for OE in Canada. Our results serve as a catalyst for educators to share ideas, practices, and learning goals.

Outdoor education in Canadian post-secondary education: common philosophies, goals, and activities

“…While not specifically Canadian, there is growing evidence of the personal wellness benefits of spending time in outdoor and nature places (Gray, 2019 ; Thomsen et al, 2018 ). These wellness benefits have been further demonstrated in research growing out of the COVID pandemic (Pouso et al, 2021 ; Soga et al, 2021 ) and represent a timely and strategic opportunity for OE.…”

“…This study is part of a larger research project that employed a three-phase, exploratory sequential mixed-method approach to examine OE in Canada (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). The first phase involved a systematic review of the literature (Purc-Stephenson et al, 2019) and the second phase was a small, qualitative study to explore the range of issues and to generate ideas (Asfeldt et al, 2021). The present study is the third phase that used a non-experimental descriptive research design.…”

“…However, there have been many studies that have investigated the outcomes and benefits of specific PSE OE courses and programs in Canada which we will review shortly. But first, we summarize findings from Passmore, highlight ideas from a key conceptual paper (Henderson & Potter, 2001), and provide an overview of earlier stages of this project (Asfeldt et al, 2021;Purc-Stephenson et al, 2019). Passmore (1972) set out to answer two questions: "How well do our present educational programs meet the needs and interests of all students in our rapidly changing society?"…”

“…Driven by these concerns, this paper describes common philosophies, learning goals, and characteristics of OE in Canadian PSE. Earlier phases of this project are reported in Purc-Stephenson et al (2019) and Asfeldt et al (2021).…”

The Contribution Transport Time Makes to Outdoor Programs: A Third Place?

“…Outdoor educators design a range of experiences to meet particular learning intentions for their students, but there also exist myriad less-structured experiences which can have a significant impact on learning and program outcomes (Orford, 1994; Seed, 2008; Zink, 2004). These unstructured experiences may enhance students’ freedom to learn about their surroundings and others (Purc-Stephenson et al, 2019), but they have also been associated with negative outcomes such as clique formation (Mirkin & Middleton, 2014) and poor decision-making (Jordan et al, 2018). During transport, educators are often focused on driving, which leaves students in close proximity and with considerable unstructured time.…”