Real World Learning in Outdoor Environmental Education Programs: The Practice from the Perspective of Educational Research
Real World Learning in Outdoor Environmental Education Programs: The Practice from the Perspective of Educational Research
Contributor(s): Jan Činčera (Editor)
Subject(s): Environmental Geography, Applied Geography, School education, Methodology and research technology, Environmental interactions, Pedagogy
Published by: Masarykova univerzita nakladatelství
Keywords: Outdoor environmental education programs; values; advocacy; experimental learning; conceptual learning;
Summary/Abstract: This book analyzes the theoretical frameworks shaping the practice of outdoor environmental education programs. For the analyses, the authors applied the Real World Learning Model that defines the quality criteria for this kind of practice. They also further examined the Model from the perspectives of relevant theory and research, as well as from the perspectives of program leaders, accompanying teachers, and participating students. Specifically, the authors selected five programs, all three to five days long, offered by Czech outdoor environmental education centers for students in the 3rd to 7th grades and focused on shaping students’ environmental values and behavior.
- E-ISBN-13: 978-80-210-9758-2
- Print-ISBN-13: 978-80-210-9757-5
- Page Count: 197
- Publication Year: 2021
- Language: English
INTRODUCTION: OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS – BRIDGING THEORY AND PRACTICE
INTRODUCTION: OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS – BRIDGING THEORY AND PRACTICE
(INTRODUCTION: OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS – BRIDGING THEORY AND PRACTICE)
- Author(s):Jan Činčera
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Environmental Geography, Applied Geography, School education, Environmental interactions, Pedagogy
- Page Range:13-26
- No. of Pages:14
- Keywords:Outdoor environmental education programs; pedagogy; learning in the real world; learning through research;
- Summary/Abstract:Outdoor programs are a traditional form of environmental education. In this chapter, we open the main question of this book: How should these programs be designed to fulfill their potential? The chapter outlines the methodological approach applied, describes the Real World Learning Model developed to promote the quality of these programs, and introduces the programs we analyzed to find the answers.
PEOPLE, PLACE, AND THE PROGRAM: EXTERNAL FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS
PEOPLE, PLACE, AND THE PROGRAM: EXTERNAL FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS
(PEOPLE, PLACE, AND THE PROGRAM: EXTERNAL FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS)
- Author(s):Jan Činčera, Petra Šimonová
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Environmental Geography, Applied Geography, School education, Pedagogy
- Page Range:27-41
- No. of Pages:15
- Keywords:Outdoor environmental education programs; leaders; teachers; students;
- Summary/Abstract:Drawing on the existing scholarship and the authors’ professional experience, this chapter discusses the external factors that influence outdoor environmental education programs: students, teachers and leaders, and nature. It examines some of the issues that have emerged in our research, such as the unpreparedness of student groups to learn in outdoor settings, the market-based framing of the relationship between schools and outdoor centers, and the ambiguous effects of pushing students beyond their comfort zones in the outdoors. The chapter concludes by highlighting some of the key decisions related to program design, namely the program’s length and the program’s linking with school curricula.
POWER AND EMPOWERMENT IN OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS
POWER AND EMPOWERMENT IN OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS
(POWER AND EMPOWERMENT IN OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS)
- Author(s):Jan Činčera, Petra Šimonová, Bruce Johnson, Roman Kroufek
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Environmental Geography, Applied Geography, School education, Methodology and research technology, Environmental interactions, Pedagogy
- Page Range:43-57
- No. of Pages:15
- Keywords:Outdoor environmental educational programs; teaching methodology; power-sharing; Inquiry-Based Outdoor Program;
- Summary/Abstract:Student empowerment as an outcome of outdoor environmental education programs is connected with the question of who has control over these programs. In this chapter, we analyze how power is distributed among program designers, leaders, participating students, and accompanying teachers. We show that no model of dealing with the dynamic relationships among these program stakeholders can be considered wrong per se but that each brings with it particular implications for the other aspects of program design and implementation.
FRAMING OUTDOOR EXPERIENCES IN OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS
FRAMING OUTDOOR EXPERIENCES IN OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS
(FRAMING OUTDOOR EXPERIENCES IN OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS)
- Author(s):Jan Činčera, Miloslav Kolenaty, Roman Kroufek, Bruce Johnson
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Environmental Geography, Applied Geography, School education, Pedagogy
- Page Range:59-72
- No. of Pages:14
- Keywords:outdoor environmental education; educational methodology; framing theory;
- Summary/Abstract:How our outdoor experiences affect us depends on the meaning we derive from them. This meaning may be influenced externally by the frames created by program designers or leaders. In this chapter, we look at the design of outdoor environmental education programs from the perspective of framing theory. Accordingly, we analyze the ways in which program designers and leaders work with surface and deep frames, and how they use these frames to communicate the main messages of their programs. Based on our analyses, frames are considered important by program leaders. However, the application of frames in the practice of outdoor environmental education raises specific issues. This chapter briefly presents some of these issues and discusses their implications.
VALUES IN OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS: BETWEEN EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY
VALUES IN OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS: BETWEEN EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY
(VALUES IN OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS: BETWEEN EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY)
- Author(s):Jan Činčera, Bruce Johnson, Roman Kroufek
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Environmental Geography, Applied Geography, School education, Methodology and research technology, Environmental interactions, Pedagogy
- Page Range:73-90
- No. of Pages:18
- Keywords:environmental values in outdoor programs; Organization of the Values; Schwartz model;
- Summary/Abstract:Should or shouldn’t outdoor environmental education programs promote particular values? This chapter focuses on the tension between trying to avoid manipulation and trying to pursue the aims of environmental education. We summarize the discussion of values in environmental education and outline Schwartz’s theory of universal values, then we analyze what program leaders think about values and how they deal with the issue in their practice. We argue that no education is value-free. Based on our research study, we found a normative, value-laden approach in outdoor environmental education to be controversial but still the most suitable approach for these types of programs. In the conclusion, we examine various methods of shaping environmental values in outdoor programs.
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING IN OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS: A SOURCE OF LEARNING AND CONFUSION
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING IN OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS: A SOURCE OF LEARNING AND CONFUSION
(EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING IN OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS: A SOURCE OF LEARNING AND CONFUSION)
- Author(s):Jan Činčera, Roman Kroufek, Bruce Johnson
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Environmental Geography, Applied Geography, School education, Pedagogy
- Page Range:91-106
- No. of Pages:16
- Keywords:experimental learning; Outdoor environmental education; leadership;
- Summary/Abstract:This chapter focuses on program leaders’ personal theories of experiential learning. While the program leaders in our study all agree that outdoor environmental education programs should be experiential, the individual leaders’ personal theories of what and how students should learn by experience vary considerably. In this chapter, we identify three distinctive types of leaders’ personal theories and show that each type provides different answers for program design and implementation. We also analyze these personal theories’ weak points, their deviations from research-supported educational theories, and their other inconsistencies. Finally, we discuss the potential relationships between program leaders’ personal theories and the other crucial decisions regarding program design that were covered in the previous chapters.
CONCEPTUAL LEARNING IN OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS
CONCEPTUAL LEARNING IN OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS
(CONCEPTUAL LEARNING IN OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS)
- Author(s):Jan Činčera, Bruce Johnson
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Environmental Geography, Applied Geography, School education, Environmental interactions, Pedagogy
- Page Range:107-118
- No. of Pages:12
- Keywords:conceptual learning; outdoor environmental education; learning models;
- Summary/Abstract:In this chapter, we summarize the relevant literature on conceptual development and link it with the practice of the programs we analyzed in our study. While we found many examples of good practice, we also identified certain limitations. Based on these findings, we discuss potential opportunities for connecting outdoor environmental education programs more closely with school curricula and for sharing some level of control over the programs between program leaders and school teachers.
OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE PARTICIPATING STUDENTS AND THE ACCOMPANYING TEACHERS
OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE PARTICIPATING STUDENTS AND THE ACCOMPANYING TEACHERS
(OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE PARTICIPATING STUDENTS AND THE ACCOMPANYING TEACHERS)
- Author(s):Jan Činčera, Roman Kroufek, Bruce Johnson
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Environmental Geography, Applied Geography, School education, Environmental interactions, Pedagogy
- Page Range:119-132
- No. of Pages:14
- Keywords:outdoor environmental education program; student-teacher relationship; experimental learning; social game;
- Summary/Abstract:This chapter returns to some of the issues mentioned in the previous parts of the book, reflecting on them from the perspective of the participating students and accompanying teachers. We found that students’ and teachers’ perceptions of the programs sometimes differ from what program leaders and designers might expect. Regardless of the high level of students’ and teachers’ satisfaction with the programs, the chapter opens a discussion of how their expectations need to be balanced with the programs’ aims.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: WEAVING THE THREADS TOGETHER
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: WEAVING THE THREADS TOGETHER
(DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: WEAVING THE THREADS TOGETHER)
- Author(s):Jan Činčera
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Environmental Geography, Applied Geography, School education, Environmental interactions, Pedagogy
- Page Range:133-152
- No. of Pages:20
- Keywords:learning experience; values; outdoor educational programs; distribution of power;
- Summary/Abstract:This chapter weaves together all the threads defined in the Real World Learning Model and discussed in this book. It goes back to some of the questions tackled in the previous chapters, highlighting the main crossroads. In particular, the chapter reviews how decisions made about outdoor environmental education programs’ aims, distribution of power, framing of the learning experience, communication of values, and facilitation of experiential learning influence one another, and what impact they have on the other aspects of designing these programs.
APPENDIX 1 - THE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY APPLIED IN THE PROJECT: AN OVERVIEW OF THE INSTRUMENTS
APPENDIX 1 - THE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY APPLIED IN THE PROJECT: AN OVERVIEW OF THE INSTRUMENTS
(APPENDIX 1 - THE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY APPLIED IN THE PROJECT: AN OVERVIEW OF THE INSTRUMENTS)
- Author(s):Not Specified Author
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Methodology and research technology
- Page Range:155-171
- No. of Pages:17
- Keywords:Research methodology; outdoor environmental education programs;