ABSTRACT

Outdoor learning has become an important part of policy and practice across several European contexts. While research indicates that outdoor experiences can enhance learning and mental health outcomes, studies have also identified a number of barriers to providing such experiences the most prevalent being that of teachers’ confidence. Acknowledging the role of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) in preparing teachers for the demands and complexities of providing meaningful, safe and relevant outdoor learning experiences, this article explored teachers’ experiences both in general, and within a one-year ITE course in Scotland, employing a qualitative methodology. In particular, semi-structured interviews were used with seven ITE students. Results yielded through thematic analysis revealed mastery experiences as being preferred, while vicarious experiences were also seen as useful. In addition, previous experiences in adulthood and childhood impact on the motivation of student teachers to teach outdoors. Implications for ITE programmes are presented.

摘要

户外学习已成为欧洲多个国家政策和实践的重要组成部分。虽然研究表明户外体验可以增强学习和心理健康成果，但研究还发现了提供此类体验的一些障碍，最普遍的是教师的信心。承认初始教师教育 (ITE) 在让教师为提供有意义、安全和相关的户外学习体验的需求和复杂性做好准备方面的作用，本文探讨了教师在苏格兰一年 ITE 课程中的总体经验，采用定性方法。特别是，对七名 ITE 学生进行了半结构化访谈。通过主题分析得出的结果表明，掌握经验是首选，而替代经验也被认为是有用的。此外，以前的成年和童年经历会影响学生教师在户外教学的动机。提出了对 ITE 计划的影响。