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Outdoor Environmental Education
Palmberg and Kuru found that participation in outdoor activities had a major impact on how students react and respond to their environment. Students acquired more awareness and had a greater respect for the environment and their surroundings. The results showed an increase in self-confidence and improved social behaviour. It also resulted in greater empathy for the environment and a desire to protect it. This approach has the students learning about the environment by participating in an outdoor activity. However, other educators believe that to instill responsible behaviour, it is important to teach students the necessary values and attitudes before engaging in outdoor activities. I prefer a combination of these two teaching styles, similar to that of John Charles Amesse. His approach is the †three-phase Brief/Activity/Debrief cycle†(Prouty & Radcliffe, 188). Students are given an introduction to the activity and given any necessary information. They are briefed on what to expect from the activity, and certain things to look for or pay attention to. Then the activity is carried out. Finally, in the third phase, the students and the teacher discuss their experiences, noting the positives and negatives. They discover the purpose of the activity and relate it to present and future behaviours.
Involvement in outdoor activities and experiencing nature improves one’s self-confidence. Confronting personal fears and apprehensions about nature, with the guidance and care of teachers and outdoor experts, slowly eases this fear. This ultimately results in willingness to participate in future activities, regardless of whether they are outdoors or not. For example, a child who is afraid of fire can be taught to build a campfire under the guidance and supervision of an instructor. He will learn the safety precautions and the do’s and don’ts of building a safe and successful fire. In accomplishing this task, the child not only overcomes his fear of fire, but recognizes his ability to do so. The child will recognize this increase in self-esteem, and it will be reinforced when he is debriefed about his experience. He will better recognize his accomplishment and realize what he is able to achieve. This self-esteem then leads to more confidence in trying new activities that present a challenge. Overcoming a fear of fire by building a campfire can be connected to the same type of fear a child might have of dogs. A dog can be a very frightening thing to any child, but in the company of an adult or the owner of the dog, the child can eventually overcome this fear. Slow steps are taken - the child might first observe the dog from a protected distance, then the child might watch the dog from a closer distance, next an adult might hold the dog, and eventually the child might come to pet the dog. Once this step is taken, the child will, in time, become comfortable in the presence of the dog. This self-esteem leads to confidence when confronted by another dog, or any other animal. However, it is important to remember that a student will not overcome his fear just by doing the activity one time. For a positive change in behaviour, †educators must not assume that one course or one unit or one year of training will accomplish the task needed even though a number of studies have shown that certain strategies for changing behaviour are successful†(Hungerford & Volk, 10). When the child builds one fire, or pets the dog once, there will still be fear present the second, or third, time when carrying out these tasks. It usually takes a number of times before they will feel comfortable and confident.
Familiarity with the natural environment enforces feelings of comfort and empowerment. Students are able to recognize similarities and differences between their own sense of place and the environment. They can identify the environment as their own. †By bonding with a particular place in the natural environment, through a series of activities over time, children can come to feel protective and develop a sense of stewardship for that place†(Dresner & Gill, 14). This bond that the children create is not only with the environment, but with others as well. This comfort zone allows the students to become more expressive when describing their experiences and what they see. Rather than describing a flower as ‘nice’, the flower might now be described as ‘beautiful’ or ‘fragrant’. Also, instead of just recognizing the destruction of trees and forests, the students feel sad, or sorry for the plants and animals who now have no home.
As students get older, they start making connections between their actions and the consequences of these actions on the environment. A young child knows that certain hazards occur, but cannot see or understand why or how. As the child gets older, and becomes more educated and experienced about his surroundings, the more he becomes aware of these consequences. He can then take measures into his own hands, and prevent or minimize some of the destructive behaviour. †Their understanding of concepts of interdependence and adaptations grows. And they learn outdoor skills with which to enjoy nature in low-impact ways†(Dresner & Gill, 14). For example, students recognized littering as a form of pollution. They understand it is necessary to use garbage containers and recycling facilities to reduce the amount of waste pollution. They mentioned the exhaust fumes from cars are harmful to the environment, and bicycles and car pooling should be used more often. These children have recognized the problems and have been able to think of possible solutions, whereas as younger children or uneducated children could only list a few problems but were unable to give solutions. The more educated our students are about the environment, the more willing they are to get involved.
I agree with the information presented in this article, however, I also feel it needs to be taken to another step. Not only is it important for students to participate in outdoor activities with a debriefing, but they also need to be briefed before the activity takes place. From personal experiences, as a participator and as an educator, I have found that the response from students is more positive and more reflective when the students are briefed beforehand. When children are not aware of the purpose of the activity, I have found that they lose interest and attention. When they are given previous instruction and information, they usually have a better understanding of the activity, and therefore become more enthusiastic and involved. They are more aware of what they should be looking for and experiencing. I have also found that when children are briefed beforehand, they tend to work and cooperate in groups better. There are usually less careless - mistakes, and accidents do not occur as often. Students also become more aware and attentive when briefed. They look for connections to the real world when participating in the activity, as opposed to making connections after the activity is finished. For example, when children are rock climbing, they might realize that it takes a lot of trust, communication, and teamwork to participate in effective rock climbing. They can easily relate this to working on school projects in groups, working at their own part-time job, or even ,perhaps, in family situations at home. There are many examples in real-life situations that involve trust, communication, or teamwork, and children will be able to connect these with the outdoor activity in which they are participating.
There are several different approaches for teaching awareness of the outdoor environment. Palmberg and Kuru’s ‘learning by doing’ approach, Amesse’s three-phase approach, ‘learning by telling’,’ learning through reflection’, are just a few. They are all successful approaches and can be used in any combination of the others. As mentioned before, from experience, I personally prefer Amesse’s three-phase approach, because I have received the best results from the different groups in which I have been involved. It is sometimes merely a matter of preference of the educator or outdoor leader. It can also depend on the age group of the students you are working with. The younger groups usually find it harder to reflect on their experience, unless they are asked direct, basic questions. The older groups are responsive to any approach, depending on how the educator outlines the activity. It comes down to how you phrase your questions and to whom you direct them. When educators do not receive any response, the questions should be rephrased or made simpler. The approach that the educator or leader chooses will often depend on they style he feels most comfortable with. This being the case, the approach that is chosen, should be effective.
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