This study characterizes the content and internal
structure of a set of conceptions of outdoor education.
Fifty-four English speaking Canadian university programs or
courses which were labelled, or contained as essential parts
of their descriptions. The term outdoor education or any of a
series of related terms provide the basis for analysis. A
conception is defined as a coordinated set of central
concepts, values and procedures which are explicit or implicit
in course documents.
The study employed a methodological triangulation.
Content analysis of course documents provided the description
of the values, central concepts and procedures associated with
each course. Q methodology was performed by course conductors
to review the 'values' and 'central concepts' components found
in the content analysis and to express their views of the
significance of those values and central concepts. A focused
interview was conducted with fourteen course developers to
confirm, refute or extend previously obtained data.
Q methodology produced a typology of outdoor education
comprising five primary conceptions¹ and one secondary
conception: The Outdoor Recreationist, The Adventurer, The Education, The Life Skills Entrepreneur, The Environmentalist, Distinguishing features of each conception and features
common among the primary conceptions are discussed. Focused
interviews produced information about course conductor
attitudes and training , the program's relationship with other
fields of study, the concept's need for clarification, the
need for a common knowledge base in outdoor education, and its
relationship with the natural environment, teaching,
recreation and education. Suggestions for further
investigation are briefly discussed.
"Environmentalist", "The Educator", "The Life Skills Entrepreneur",
and "The Administrator" are heuristic devices which refer to an
ideal type of individual who embodies a co-ordinated set of central
concepts, values, and procedures which are explicit or implicit
a conception of outdoor education.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/3392 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | Hirsch, Judith Elizabeth |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Relation | UBC Retrospective Theses Digitization Project [http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/retro_theses/] |
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