“Outdoor adventures- Study on the Highland Adventures School Journeys”

Outdoor adventures

“Outdoor adventures- Study on the Highland Adventures School Journeys”

Jakob F. Thorsteinsson University of Iceland, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Social Education and Leisure Studies

8th of October

Into the woods: About the significance of woods and wilderness for Youth work in Europe

Jakob F. Thorsteinssonadjunct at the University of Iceland [email protected]

Born in 1969 and a teacher by education with MA in Learning and Teaching Studies with emphasis on Outdoor Education.

I have a 12 years experience in social and leisure work, taught in primary school for two years and since 2004 in University of Iceland (Education - Faculty of Sports, Social Education and Leisure Studies) and at Hólar University (Rural Tourism).

Been working in a various experiential programs for over 10 years; as an trainer for The Challenge Ltd, and as an adjunct at the University of Iceland were I teach courses on Outdoor and adventure education, The outdoors, play and education, Outdoor Journeys and friluftsliv and Leisure studies, se more at http://www.hi.is/en/simaskra/4249 I have also been a active member in various voluntary organization such as the Scouts, Icelandic Association for Search And Rescue (ICE-SAR), The Icelandic Youth Association and a Sailing club.

Menue

1. The schools go into the woods in Iceland …2. Why did I do the research3. The Journeys – the Outdoor program in the school

4. Research questions5. Methods6. Findings

Into the woods … in Iceland


But why!How is our nature?


But why!What is our outdoor culture?

Why did I do the research?

The travel project

1st grade stays over night at the school (Oct).

2nd , 3rd and 4th. grade stay over night in a community center in the countryside and take part in a sheep round up (Sept)

5th grade stays over night in a environmental center (Alviðra).

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The travel project

6th grade takes a bicycle tour from the school to Grótta (15 km)

7th grade stays for five days in a Outdoor centre at Reykir in North of Iceland.

Extra: Every year a hill and a mountain walks for each year.

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8th grade takes a hiking journey, in separate gender groups. The teenagers hiked 50 km trek in four days in the Icelandic Highlands (interior),

9th grade takes a three days gender-mixed bicycle journey. They bik a distance of 100 km in the Icelandic Highlands.

10th grade takes a tow days gender-mixed bicycle journey. They biked a distance of 70 km in the Icelandic Highlands.

The focus of the research

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The Journeys

QUESTION FOR US!

What do we think the students could gain from such a program?

Research questions1. What is the ideology behind the Highland Adventures

School Journeys and how does it relate to friluftsliv, outdoor and adventure education?

2. How do the pupils and staff members (participants) experience the journeys?

3. How is it possible to work with ethics of care in adventure journeys?

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Research methods

Mixed research design

Quantitative Questionnaire

Parents

Teachers

Students

Qualitative

Interviews

Principal

Teacher

Students

Observations during the jouneys

Pictures from the journeys

Field notes

Short students journals

Spring 2008

Autumn 2007

Spring 2010

Four dimensions in analyzing the data

Students

Teachers

School curriculum

School master

Jakob ...

FINDINGS

The main conclusions• The main results are that the ideology and methods are

formed and the most obvious theoretical connection is to adventure education, and the methodology is partly connected with methods of experiential learning.

• The students participate in a profound experience that strengthens them, especially the group and also as individuals.

• Opportunities are created to practice care for oneself, for close and distant others, nature and ideas.

General

• Participation in the journeys 2007

Total Participation Rate

Boys Girls Total Boys Girls Total Boys Girls

8th grade 27 22 49 27 21 48 100% 95%

9th . grade 27 26 53 25 18 43 93% 69%

10th grade 25 32 57 20 17 37 80% 53%

79 80 159 72 56 128 91% 73%

RESEARCH QUESTION 1

What is the ideology behind the Highland Adventures School Journeys and how does it relate to friluftsliv, outdoor and adventure education?

Conclusions 1

1. The journeys have a founded pedagogy and fits best definitions on adventure education.– It was easier to find definition that fitted the journeys within

Outdoor Educaton than with Friluftsliv . Friluftsliv is a broad term that is difficult to handle.

• Example: A goal can be to work with personal and/or interpersonal growth or work with environmental responsibility.

= Adventure education or environmental education

2. Theoretical anchoring of pedagogical outdoor work in Iceland is still in its early stages.

3. We have very limited or disordered discourse (concepts) in Icelandic over friluftsliv, outdoor and adventure education.

Definitions of Adventure Education

Adventure education – the one usedDirect, active, and engaging learning experiences that involve the whole

person and have real consequences. Educational activities and experiences, usually involving close interaction with the natural environment and within a small group setting that contain elements of real or perceived risk. The outcome, while uncertain, focuses on the intrapersonal and interpersonal development of the individual or group. (Prouty, Panicucci og Collinson, 2007:229).

Beint og virkjandi reynslunám sem tekur til persónunnar í heild og hefur áhrif á hana í reynd. Um er að ræða virkt nám og reynslu sem oftast gerist í nánum samskiptum við náttúruumhverfi, á sér stað innan lítilla hópa og felur í sér raunverulega eða skynjaða áhættuþætti. Niðurstaðan er bundin óvissu en áhersluatriði eru þroski einstaklings og hóps, innri þroski einstaklings og félagslegur þroski

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Definitions of Friluftsliv - official

Sweden:• Friluftsliv is living outside in the nature- and culture landscape

for the purpose of well-being or to gain experience of our natural surroundings without the demands of competition. (Erik Backman transaltion)

• Friluftsliv är vistelse och fysisk aktivitet utomhus för att uppnå miljöombyte och naturupplevelse utan krav på prestation eller tävling. (Näringsdepartementet, 1999:20).

Norway:• Friluftsliv is abiding and being physically active in the open air in leisure time, with the

purpose of environmental change and nature experience. (Dag T. Elgvin translation)• Friluftsliv er opphold og fysisk aktivitet i friluft i fritiden med sikte på miljøforandring og naturopplevelse. (Miljøverndepartementet,

2001).

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RESEARCH QUESTION 2

How do the pupils and staff members (participants) experience the journeys?

I and We

• The overall effect on self-esteem and self confident of the individual participant were not clear– Self-esteem (on the Rosenberg scale) were not done

shortly after the journeys.– The interview with the teenagers indicate that at least part

of the group say that the journeys had a positive effect on their self-esteem.

• The data is much clearer about the overall effect on the connections in the group– Many things indicate that the highland journeys has a

strong positive effect on friendship and a strengthens the relationship between the participants.

I, the effect on me

Sjálfstraust mitt hefur aukist eftir ferðina, bekkir.My self-esteem has increased after the journey.

Strongly disagree Disagree Agree Strongly agree

Grade Grade Grade

We, the effect on the group

In the journey we the students became better friends.



After the journey I made more friends

Important elements for...• The teenager are the hardship, fun, being together, getting to know etch

other, separate gender groups, the pride, increased self-esteem and more physical endurance

• The teachers are fun journeys, well organized, better connection with the students, proud over the children accomplishments and a positive personal experience for them self.

Learning's ...

“This is all a big adventure kids. I strongly recommend that you go. One gets to know the others better. One gets to know your self much better. The endurance goes up and you learn a lot that you can´t learn from no one ells than your self. This is just fun and nothing ells.”

„We don’t receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us

or spare us“ Marcel Proust (1871–1922).

The main elements - summary

• The circumstance / situation has the strongest influence on the individuals, the group and the communication. – The factors are nature, weather and the challenges. – Social environment: travel companions and being

together in the huts and walking or biking in the Highlands

• Overcome risk and challenges.• The journey are based on choice and that gives the

participant more ownership of their learning.

A short introduction of the Journeys link

CLO

SIN

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Thank you!

References

Prouty, D., Panicucci J. &Collinson R. (ritstj.) (2007). Adventure Education. Theory and Application. Champaign IL: Human Kinetics.

Näringsdepartementet (1999). Statens stöd till friluftsliv och främjande organisationer. Ds 1999:78.

Miljøverndepartementet (2001). Friluftsliv – En veg til høgare livskvalitet. 27. júlí 2010 on http://www.regjeringen.no/nn/dep/md/dokument/proposisjonar-og-meldingar/stortingsmeldingar/20002001/stmeld-nr-39-2000-2001-.html?id=194963

“Outdoor adventures- Study on the Highland Adventures School Journeys”

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