Jumping Deadfall: Overcoming Barriers to Implementing Outdoor and Environmental Education.

Overview & Synopsis

This paper discusses some of the common barriers confronting outdoor and experiential education teachers and presents strategies for surmounting them. The identified concerns and suggested solutions were obtained from in-depth open-ended interviews conducted with 10 outdoor education/environmental education consultants and teachers in Alberta (Canada). Existing curriculum can be used to develop a support system including teachers, students, and parents to counteract administrative barriers such as withdrawal of funding and lack of support. Teachers need to take advantage of team teaching or personal training to increase their experience and confidence in implementing outdoor education programs. In addition, teachers should design a risk-management plan for their program to deal with safety and liability concerns of outdoor education programs. Creative scheduling and staffing for field trips can help to resolve time conflicts during traditional class periods. Areas and sites for field trips should match a particular program's objectives with the experience of the teacher and students. Available resources such as transportation and equipment should be considered prior to planning an outdoor education program. Finally, budget issues were among the most common obstacles encountered by teachers in outdoor education programming. To resolve the problem, the costs should be kept low initially and fundraising can be conducted through grant writing and student activities. Overcoming barriers means commitment, organization, and persistence on the part of teachers who deliver outdoor and environmental education programs. (LP)