Exploring student teachers’ motivations and sources of confidence: the case of outdoor learning

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.

KEYWORDS:

• Initial teacher education
• outdoor learning
• motivation
• self-efficacy

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all of the participants for their time and insight, as well as the staff at Ardroy Outdoor Education Centre whose passion about outdoor learning is contagious!

Disclosure statement

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Notes

1. The word ‘confidence’ is used here, as it is the term that is used in the outdoor learning literature cited. However, in the rest of the article, the more precise term, and construct of, ‘self-efficacy’ will be used. The difference between the two is outlined by Bandura himself in the following excerpt: ‘Perceived self-efficacy refers to belief in one’s agentive capabilities, that one can produce given levels of attainment. A self -efficacy assessment, therefore, includes both an affirmation of a capability level and the strength of that belief. Confidence is a catchword rather than a construct embedded in a theoretical system.’ (Bandura 1997, 382) The term ‘confidence’ is used again in some of the findings, as it was the term the participants themselves used in those instances.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Alexia Barrable

Dr Alexia Barrable is a Lecturer in the School of Education and Social Work at the University of Dundee. She works at the intersection of psychology and education, and in particular outdoor learning. She explores the interaction and relationship of human and non-human nature in a variety of educational and other contexts.

Anna Touloumakos

Dr Anna K. Touloumakos, has been studying and working over 20 years now in the areas of education and psychology in Greece (University of Athens), US (New York University), UK (University of Oxford). She loves research methods and has developed an expertise in both quantitative and qualitative methods. Her DPhil was on the development of soft skills; she now works as post-doctoral scholar at the University of Athens, researching the development among children in foster care (University of Athens, Greece); she also teaches educational psychology and school psychology as an adjunct lecturer (Panteion University, Greece).

Linda Lapere

Linda Lapere is a Lecturer in the School of Education and Social Work at the University of Dundee. Her work is focussed on literacy, numeracy and outdoor learning in education.