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

Abstract

Canada has a long history of outdoor education (OE) in sectors including summer camps, K-12, and post-secondary education (PSE). However, previous research has demonstrated that OE is sometimes poorly understood in the PSE sector leading to program closures and limited program development. As a result, scholars have called for national and international collaboration to promote the value of OE including identifying common OE learning outcomes and the theoretical and philosophical underpinnings guiding OE practices. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify common philosophies, learning goals, and characteristics of PSE OE in Canada. Results reported here are part of a larger three-phase, exploratory sequential mixed-method project and used a convenience sample of PSE outdoor educators recruited from across Canada. Findings indicate that PSE OE in Canada is influenced by six common philosophies and includes five common learning goals. Overall, this study demonstrates that OE is well aligned with the common goals and missions of PSE in Canada.