Residential outdoor education in Scotland

Abstract

Throughout relevant literature and through the discourses attached to it outdoor education is often described in terms of its purposes. Among other things it is often said to be education out of doors, personal and social education, or education about self, others and the environment. While this reflects concerns among practitioners it has led to a relative scarcity of critical reviews of the field’s practice. The research reported in this thesis brings a new perspective to the study of outdoor education. A Practice Model is proposed from research that takes

a social constructionist epistemology and an interpretive perspective in a study of outdoor education. Using ideas of a community of practice the research examined the literature and interviewed outdoor education practitioners in residential outdoor centres. The residential context served to provide access to discrete communities of practice in outdoor centres and to focus the research on general outdoor adventure education. Through this an understanding of the practice of outdoor education was developed. Three dimensions of outdoor education practice were identified as ‘adventure’, ‘learning from experience’ and ‘new space’. These three dimensions of the Practice Model are proposed as a tool for analysis and critique of current practice and for re-thinking and developing practice.