Peer-reviewed research2017–2026 update
Exploring high mountain environments: high school students' perceptions from a place-based field trip
On an Austrian mountain field trip, students aged 14–16 were drawn to physical features, climate-related change and ecology, and responded with feelings ranging from curiosity and joy to a sense of risk.
What's new
Forty-three high school students aged 14–16 shared their perceptions during a field trip to the Gaisberg Valley in Tyrol, Austria. Data came from focus groups, peer-to-peer interviews and a photo-hike. Students were especially interested in physical features, environmental change related to climate change, and ecological elements. They wanted to engage with the area from different perspectives, and their emotional responses ranged from curiosity and joy to feelings of risk.
Why it matters in Aotearoa
Alpine and glacial environments in Aotearoa also show the effects of climate change. This study points to elements that can make such places work for place-based climate learning, while noting that students may also experience them as risky.
Putting it into practice
On a mountain or glacier-area field trip, plan stops around visible physical features and signs of change, and give students time to record what they notice and how they feel, for example through a photo-walk.
How strong is the evidence
This is a multi-method case study of 43 students on a field trip to one valley. It describes student perceptions and does not measure learning outcomes.
What to read
The results on the environmental, social and emotional elements that shaped students' sense of place, and the discussion of implications for designing field trips.