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Residential outdoor education in Nebraska schools: Programs and teaching practices
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to document the following elements of residential outdoor education in Nebraska schools: (1) the extent and general nature of outdoor education programs, (2) the teaching practices that were commonly used, (3) the training and evaluation of instructors, (4) the differences between the size of the school district and community type and the existence of an outdoor education program, and (5) the relationships between special training that the outdoor education instructors had received and the teaching practices they used. A brief questionnaire was sent to 299 superintendents of Class II through Class VI school districts, and 283 were returned. A follow-up, eight-page questionnaire was mailed to the program directors of the 42 identified programs, and 42 were returned. Curriculum documents were examined and interviews were conducted with 19 outdoor education instructors who were selected by a random process. Large districts were much more likely to operate a program than small districts. Small school programs were less likely to provide curriculum guides and utilize evaluation procedures. They usually used teachers as program directors, although many of them did not have special outdoor education training. Typical programs served sixth graders, operated at camps near the Platte River, emphasized science and environment, and relied on direct experience teaching practices. The most common types of training were informal meetings led by the program director and workshops away from the district without college credit. Instructors asked for more workshops at outdoor sites, a newsletter that would facilitate networking, and more support for participation in training. Recommendations of the study include: (1) establish an outdoor education clearinghouse which would include a database for programs and personnel, resource file, and newsletter, (2) increase emphasis and support from state organizations as guided by a state outdoor education task force, (3) increase support for training and increase funding at the district level, (4) utilize findings of cognitive psychology to improve instruction, (5) emphasize formative program evaluation practices, and (6) provide more comprehensive training programs based on a trainer of trainers model.
Subject Area
Curricula|Teaching
Recommended Citation
Locke, William Arthur, "Residential outdoor education in Nebraska schools: Programs and teaching practices" (1992). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI9225480.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI9225480