What's new

The paper examines competing views of how pupils learn on residential outdoor education courses. One view is linear, moving from the social-affective to the academic-affective and then the cognitive domain. The other is non-linear and complex. Drawing on different course types (adventure, curriculum and combined), the paper concludes that individuals learn in complex ways, while outcomes at group or course level appear linearly related. An experiment with secondary pupils on a field studies course found significant cognitive gain, but this was not accompanied by the expected affective learning. Affective measures suggested a stable self-concept that may have inhibited affective learning.

Why it matters in Aotearoa

Schools in Aotearoa often justify camps by their social and emotional benefits as well as their curriculum benefits. This study suggests these outcomes do not follow automatically from every course type.

Putting it into practice

When planning a curriculum-focused trip, set and plan explicitly for any social or emotional outcomes you hope to achieve, without assuming they will happen alongside the academic learning.

How strong is the evidence

The paper combines theoretical analysis with an experimental study of one field studies course. The abstract does not give sample details, and it notes there is potential for further quantitative studies.

What to read

The experimental study of the field studies course and its discussion.

Who it's for