Curriculum development in outdoor education: Tasmanian teachers’ perspectives on the new pre-tertiary Outdoor Leadership course

Abstract

The paper examines how outdoor education teachers in Tasmania, Australia have implemented and perceive a new pre-tertiary Outdoor Leadership curriculum document. It draws on an analysis of in-depth semi-structured interviews with 11 outdoor education teachers. The results revealed that teachers were generally welcoming of the new higher-order curriculum and associated assessment strategies. They also believed that the new course appealed to a broad range of students, including those primarily focused on tertiary entrance scores, and that students were benefiting from the new curriculum. However, the teachers’ support was tempered by strong critique around the lack of direction in the actual curriculum document, the failure to provide a teaching resource document, concerns around assessment strategies as well as the lack of adequate professional development. Despite these critiques, the apparent short-term success of the roll-out has come from a strong community of practice among the outdoor educators. The results of this curriculum change process are analysed using a socio-cultural model. They are also considered in light of curriculum change processes in other marginalized curriculum areas, such as health and physical education. The implications are discussed in light of the marginalization of outdoor education within education circles at a state and federal level.

Keywords:

• Curriculum change
• Outdoor education
• Education reform
• Assessment

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Janet Dyment

Janet Dyment is Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education at the University of Tasmania, Australia. She teaches in the areas of outdoor learning, health and well-being and research methods. Her research interests include outdoor and sustainability education, reflective practice and place-based education.

Marcus Morse

Marcus Morse is a Lecturer in Outdoor and Environmental Education at La Trobe University, Australia. He has extensive experience guiding and teaching Outdoor and Environmental Education in Australia and overseas. Marcus’ research interests are in the areas of facilitation, meaning making and people’s experience of nature.

Simon Shaw

Simon Shaw is a Lecturer in education at the University of Tasmania, Australia. He is currently completing his PhD on pre-service teachers’ use of digital technologies in assessment.

Heidi Smith

Heidi Smith is a Lecturer in Outdoor Education and teacher education at the University of Tasmania, Australia. Her doctoral research entitled ‘Extraordinary Outdoor Leaders: An Australian Case Study’ focuses on exploring the fundamental nature of extraordinary outdoor leadership. Other research areas of interest include outdoor education, praxis, curriculum and online learning.