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Bridging the Gap: Teaching Physical Education Majors How to Teach Outdoor Adventure Education

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Title: Bridging the Gap: Teaching Physical Education Majors How to Teach Outdoor Adventure Education
Language: English
Authors: Christopher Stratton (ORCID 0009-0007-7368-4748), Ben Dyson (ORCID 0000-0001-5460-4836)
Source: Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance. 2025 96(2):7-14.
Availability: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 8
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Outdoor Education, Adventure Education, Physical Education, Physical Education Teachers, Majors (Students), Methods Courses, Program Development
DOI: 10.1080/07303084.2024.2438018
ISSN: 0730-3084
2168-3816
Abstract: Outdoor adventure education (OAE) is a branch of physical education grounded in outdoor physical experiences involving perceived risk and reflection. At many universities, physical education teacher education (PETE) majors must take at least one course in OAE methods. Previous research has suggested that PETE majors need more confidence to teach units or classes focused on OAE. This article presents information that was garnered from over 40 years of experience in the field and from PETE students' feedback. It aims to help PETE faculty design OAE courses so that PETE majors can more successfully deliver OAE in their future teaching placements. The article details how to build structured OAE methods courses that use experientially grounded active-learning methods to immerse students in an OAE program while teaching them how to teach OAE.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1500265
Database: ERIC
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  Value: <anid>AN0183273957;erd01feb.25;2025Feb28.01:28;v2.2.500</anid> <title id="AN0183273957-1">Bridging the Gap: Teaching Physical Education Majors How to Teach Outdoor Adventure Education </title> <p>Outdoor adventure education (OAE) is a branch of physical education grounded in outdoor physical experiences involving perceived risk and reflection. At many universities, physical education teacher education (PETE) majors must take at least one course in OAE methods. Previous research has suggested that PETE majors need more confidence to teach units or classes focused on OAE. This article presents information that was garnered from over 40 years of experience in the field and from PETE students' feedback. It aims to help PETE faculty design OAE courses so that PETE majors can more successfully deliver OAE in their future teaching placements. The article details how to build structured OAE methods courses that use experientially grounded active-learning methods to immerse students in an OAE program while teaching them how to teach OAE.</p> <p>Outdoor pursuits (OP) is a specific area that SHAPE America – Society of Health and Physical Educators includes in their new National Standards and grade-level outcomes (SHAPE America, [<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref1">18</reflink>]). OP in physical education can include activities such as backpacking, orienteering, kayaking, climbing, and challenge courses. Often, teachers use an experiential learning approach to teaching OP. This active learning model uses student experiences to promote learning (McKenzie, [<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref2">16</reflink>]). When teaching OP, many teachers follow a sequential adventure-based learning approach to forming group cohesion and team building while teaching physical skills in their selected activities (Bisson, [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref3">2</reflink>]). Adventure-based learning includes games, trust activities, problem solving, and/or team challenges to support educational and developmental outcomes (Education Outdoors New Zealand & New Zealand Recreation Association, [<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref4">10</reflink>]). For this article, when a sequential process is used to teach OP and group development, it is known as outdoor adventure education (OAE).</p> <p>Outdoor adventure education is a discipline often taught within physical education at the pre-K–12 level and is influenced by John Dewey's theories of experienced-based education (Dewey, [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref5">6</reflink>]) and Lev Vygotsky's social constructivism framework (Vygotsky & Cole, [<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref6">23</reflink>]). Four primary purposes of experiential learning have been identified within OAE, including education, social, recreational, and motor functions (Stoica et al., [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref7">20</reflink>]). Social function connects with the recreational approach of most OAE activities by allowing students to practice good communication and interpersonal skills. The specific activities presented in OAE lead to applying these principles through developing technical skills while balancing physical, social, and emotional risks. This makes OAE inherently experiential and active. Outdoor adventure education makes for a prime learning environment to meet the 2024 SHAPE America National Standards for Physical Education (SHAPE America, [<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref8">18</reflink>]) with multiple opportunities to demonstrate competency in the outcomes of Standards 1 and 2.</p> <p>However, physical education teacher education (PETE) majors report that they do not have the necessary skills to deliver OAE competently and confidently as initial educators (Atencio et al., [<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref9">1</reflink>]; Dillon et al., [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref10">8</reflink>]; Hovey et al., [<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref11">13</reflink>]; Sutherland & Legge, [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref12">21</reflink>]). As professionals in the field, the authors have seen first-hand the struggles that PETE majors and initial educators (teachers with less than five years of experience) have when trying to present OAE. Colleges and universities prepare PETE majors to teach OAE through pedagogical coursework (Sutherland et al., [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref13">22</reflink>]). Universities should ensure that a trained facilitator is purposeful in modeling OAE sequencing that includes physical activities that involve risk so that they can drive PETE students outside of their comfort zone and into their learning zone (Bisson, [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref14">2</reflink>]; Brown, [<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref15">3</reflink>]; Gass, [<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref16">11</reflink>]). To deliver an OAE experience to their future students, PETE majors must participate in OAE experiences to understand the proper techniques that will enable them to provide an appropriately sequenced curriculum. PETE students who participate in an OAE experience can learn the appropriate pedagogical techniques to increase their knowledge and confidence in teaching OAE.</p> <p>There is a delicate balance between participating in an OAE experience and learning how to teach using the process of OAE for future students (Sutherland & Legge, [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref17">21</reflink>]). Hovey et al. ([<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref18">13</reflink>]) reported that OAE methods courses could increase PETE majors' self-efficacy for teaching OAE. However, there is a dilemma for the instructor of an OAE course in balancing the teaching component of the methods and allowing them to experience the OAE activities for themselves. When creating an OAE methods course, the instructor must consider how learning opportunities are constructed so PETE majors can establish a knowledge base of OAE and how it should be taught. By the end of an OAE methods course, PETE majors should understand how OAE can be used in the physical education curriculum. They should know how to apply the adventure process, utilize risk management strategies, facilitate a ropes course, understand how to work with specialized gear, and facilitate group processing.</p> <p>Developing OAE curriculums in pre-K–12 schools is supported by SHAPE America. It serves to meet social–emotional learning standards that other general physical education classes cannot (Cross et al., [<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref19">5</reflink>]; Dyson et al., [<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref20">9</reflink>]; Gillard, [<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref21">12</reflink>]). Recently, Kurtzman et al. ([<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref22">14</reflink>]) argued for including adventure education in PETE and emphasized the value of adventure education for developing social–emotional learning. Ensuring that faculty teach PETE majors how to set up and teach future OAE units and courses is critical in developing competent OAE educators. Some information from this article was revealed from interviews and focus groups with current university students in the Midwest. Before collecting data from students, institutional review board approval from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro was received. Other information comes from personal experiences, because the authors have over 40 years of experience teaching OAE in multiple PETE OAE methods courses, elementary OAE programs, and challenge course management positions within school districts across the United States. The application of the information presented is from personal teaching experiences at both the secondary and postsecondary levels. The following includes details about how to structure an OAE methods course to ensure that PETE majors have comfort and confidence in delivering the content before they are assigned to teach it in their initial years. This article will share the lessons learned when reconstructing a university OAE methods course. Sharing these ideas should help PETE faculty when considering options for setting up a course for this specialized area of physical education.</p> <hd id="AN0183273957-2">Learning Intentions and Targets</hd> <p>To address pedagogical content knowledge, looking at course learning outcomes becomes critical (Shulman, [<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref23">19</reflink>]). Instead of writing new outcomes, the authors wrote new learning intentions and targets that could better measure what they were trying to do in their course. By writing clear learning intentions, PETE students better understood what they should be able to do after completing an assignment. The aim was to ensure that students were learning by doing versus listening to a lecture about course information. The goal was to keep the course as experiential as possible. With well-written intentions, it was easier to measure whether students understood and were hitting the learning target. Throughout the different lessons presented in the course, success criteria were given so that students knew what to focus on. With those success criteria in mind, giving students feedback on what they did effectively and what they still needed to improve upon was easier. Table 1 provides examples of learning intentions and targets for an OAE methods course. Every part of the course is tied to a learning intention and target. In Table 2, the course assignments are listed along with the purpose and connection to the learning intentions and targets.</p> <p>Table 1. Learning Intentions and Targets</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead><tr><td /></tr></thead><tbody valign="top"><tr><td>Learning Intention 1: Students understand the role that outdoor adventure education, outdoor pursuits, and recreation play within the physical education and community setting.</td><td>Learning Target 1: Students can describe the adventure process and explain where it is used in the physical education curriculum and beyond. Learning Target 2: Students can identify where they see concepts from the adventure process in schools and the community.</td></tr><tr><td>Learning Intention 2: Students will develop and demonstrate leadership skills through real-world applications.</td><td>Learning Target 1: Students will co-facilitate the adventure process with a peer(s) to a group of people. Learning Target 2: Students will lead a group of peers in an outdoor pursuit activity.</td></tr><tr><td>Learning Intention 3: Students will plan and implement safety and risk management plans.</td><td>Learning Target 1: Students will create a risk management plan. Learning Target 2: Students will implement a risk management plan in a field experience.</td></tr><tr><td>Learning Intention 4: Students will demonstrate a working knowledge of the hard and soft skills used to facilitate an adventure program.</td><td>Learning Target 1: Students will demonstrate the hard skills in a climbing team: belayer, backup belayer, climber, and spotter. Learning Target 2: Students will demonstrate their knowledge of a self-selected outdoor pursuit and teach it to their peers. Learning Target 3: Students will co-facilitate with the instructor during a field experience.</td></tr><tr><td>Learning Intention 5: Students will demonstrate facilitation skills such as critical thinking, conflict resolution, and processing.</td><td>Learning Target 1: Students will keep a reflection journal detailing their experiences participating in and facilitating an adventure education experience.</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>Table 2. Example Course Assessments and Their Purpose</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead><tr><td /></tr></thead><tbody valign="top"><tr><td>Assignment</td><td>Purpose</td><td>Learning intention and targets</td></tr><tr><td>Facilitation notebooks</td><td>If students can describe and identify the concepts of adventure education, they will have the foundational knowledge to begin building their own OAE programs.</td><td>LI-1 (LT-1, LT-2)</td></tr><tr><td>Field experience journals</td><td>Students need hands-on learning in the classroom and field experience. These experiences help them demonstrate leadership in class and within field experiences. Students will be expected to co-facilitate and lead a group of peers. This ensures they have some experience in leadership before teaching in a formal or informal setting.</td><td>LI-5 (LT-1)</td></tr><tr><td>Leadership assignments</td><td>Students will be able to create a risk management plan, offer peer feedback, get additional instructor feedback, and then implement their plan.</td><td>LI-2 (LT-1, LT-2), LI-3 (LT-1, LT-2)</td></tr><tr><td>Skills assessments</td><td>Students will be required to pass hard skills checks and lead a group in an outdoor pursuit. Students need experience; testing ensures that they have skills and leading ensures that they gain experience.</td><td>LI-4 (LT-1, LT-2, LT-3)</td></tr><tr><td>Application questions</td><td>Students expressed that course assignments were useful but assignments did not directly connect with future facilitation. Through application questions they will gain insight into the why of OAE. These questions can be framed at the beginning of different class sessions to focus on topics that may be difficult for students.</td><td>LI-1 (LT-1, LT-2), LI-2 (LT-1, LT-2), LI-3 (LT-1, LT-2), LI-4 (LT-2), LI-5 (LT-1)</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <hd id="AN0183273957-3">Course Structure</hd> <p>Another consideration when developing an OAE methods course is its presentation. OAE methods courses are located and presented at different levels across universities. For some, their OAE methods course comes early in their PETE program when they have limited experience in the field. However, regardless of where an OAE methods course is within a major, what is essential to consider is how the instructor presents the course. What the authors found most important were that students yearned for time to build community with other PETE majors by participating in an OAE experience themselves, the timing of the course (when it is offered during the semester), and hands-on participation. Structuring an OAE methods course with PETE majors' needs in mind is pivotal to increasing PETE majors' success in teaching OAE in the future.</p> <p>Traditionally, universities and colleges build courses that meet a specific criterion for sessions and minutes per session depending on the credit load. These classes often happen in a lecture hall or classroom and devolve into direct instruction with limited student involvement. Conceptually, OAE is grounded in experiential learning theory. John Dewey's philosophy states that experience gives knowledge (Dewey, [<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref24">7</reflink>]). Dewey believed that all knowledge is somehow based on what people do and experience. Research suggests that teaching an OAE methods course with a traditional pedagogy is less likely to allow PETE majors to share the "natural feelings" that OAE produces (Dillon et al., [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref25">8</reflink>]). Lecture-based coursework allows for minimal reflective sessions based on what a person or a group experienced during class activities. Upon initial development of an OAE methods course, universities need to consider setting up their class in ways that allow students to experience the activities. At the same time, they learn high-quality pedagogical strategies for the OAE activities. Table 3 includes an example of a schedule for a course offered over two successive weekends. Presenting the course over the period of two weekends allows students to become more immersed in the experience and makes the lessons more impactful.</p> <p>Table 3. Example Course Schedule</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><tbody valign="top"><tr><td>Suggested time</td><td>Course activities</td><td>Learning intentions and targets</td></tr><tr><td>Example course schedule: Day 1</td></tr><tr><td>Hour 1</td><td>Name games and ice breakers</td><td>LI-1 (LT-1)</td></tr><tr><td>Hour 2</td><td>Welcome, discussion and definitions of OAE, discussion of students' past participation in OAE activities, challenge by choice, and full value contracts</td><td>LI-1 (LT-2), LI-1 (LT-2), LI-5 (LT-1)</td></tr><tr><td char=".">Hours 3–4</td><td>Communication and problem-solving activities. Within this time students are also presented various ways to process with different types of students. Opportunities for students to facilitate these activities to their peers</td><td>LI-1 (LT-1)</td></tr><tr><td char=".">Hours 5–6</td><td>Students are introduced to bouldering wall, top rope climbing, and various rock-wall and ropes-course climbing systems. Discussions of specialized equipment</td><td>LI-4 (LT-1), LI-5 (LT-1)</td></tr><tr><td>Example course schedule: Day 2</td></tr><tr><td>Hours 1.5</td><td>Trust activities, spotting, and their application on low ropes course elements</td><td>LI-1 (LT-1), LI-3 (LT-2), LI-4 (LT-1)</td></tr><tr><td char=".">Hours 1.5–4</td><td>A continuation of the discussion of specialized equipment from Day 1 and students begin learning appropriate belay techniques. Students are given time to practice belaying and climbing various high-ropes elements and rock-wall challenges. During this time local teachers also help by offering students individualized feedback on their belay techniques and can answer questions students have about OAE in their curricula.</td><td>LI-2 (LT-2), LI-3 (LT-2), LI-4 (LT-1), LI-5 (LT-1)</td></tr><tr><td char=".">Hours 5–8</td><td>A community group is invited to participate in an OAE experience co-facilitated by PETE students. Each student is assigned a specific task to help facilitate. PETE instructor helps as needed to ensure that both parties (PETE students and OAE participants) are safe.</td><td>LI-2 (LT-2), LI-4 (LT-1), LI-4 (LT-3)</td></tr><tr><td>Example course schedule: Day 3</td></tr><tr><td>Hour 1</td><td>Students are allowed time to carpool to an OAE guide or educator.</td><td>N/A</td></tr><tr><td char=".">Hours 2–3</td><td>Discussion and hands-on activities that focus risk management strategies, how to create policy and procedure manuals, and examples of what this looks like in a community setting. Students spend time writing operating procedures and obtain feedback from PETE instructor and OAE guide.</td><td>LI-3 (LT-1), LI-5 (LT-1)</td></tr><tr><td char=".">Hours 3–5</td><td>A further dive into facilitation. Time to process through the community group PETE students facilitated the previous weekend. Students co-teach with one another various activities from various stages of the adventure process, outdoor pursuits, and outdoor living skills.</td><td>LI-1 (LT 1), LI-3 (LT-2), LI-2 (LT 2)</td></tr><tr><td>Hour 6</td><td>Students are assigned groups to camp with. Allow time to drive to a local state park for camp setup.</td><td>LI-1 (LT 1)</td></tr><tr><td>Example course schedule: Day 4</td></tr><tr><td char=".">Hours 1–2</td><td>Wake up, 2-mile hike on local trails; students are given reflection questions to consider as they walk and talk with other PETE students. Breakfast and tear-down after. Students depart back to OAE guide.</td><td>LI-5 (LT-1)</td></tr><tr><td char=".">Hours 3–6</td><td>Students get to participate in an OAE experience co-facilitated by PETE instructor and local guide. Modeling and discussions of effective pedagogy throughout the experience</td><td>LI-1 (LT-1), LI-1 (LT-2), LI-5 (LT-1)</td></tr><tr><td char=".">Hours 7–8</td><td>Discussion of course assignments, professional development opportunities in OAE, and future needs. Allow students time to drive back to campus.</td><td>LI-5 (LT-1)</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>Immersing PETE majors in an active experience by increasing face time during a specific number of PETE sessions can help boost confidence. Amassed face time allows classes to go on field trips and explore the community while participating in an immersive OAE experience with classmates. PETE students' comments regarding extended sessions included, "That was a lot of fun to learn about, and I think the actual field trips made the experience much better" and "It was something new. Usually, everything is on school grounds. It was cool to get away for a weekend or two; that was the coolest thing in the world." Other students expressed that engaging in longer sessions over multiple weekends gave them more of an opportunity to focus on the course content and embrace the experience. The immersive part of an OAE methods course lays a foundation for PETE majors to draw upon when considering how they will one day teach their classes. Extended class periods are beneficial because they allow for longer experiences and more time for PETE majors to reflect on the activities that are taking place. Although longer sessions are valuable, they do not necessarily give them the pedagogical content knowledge they need to support them in teaching OAE. Providing PETE majors with an appropriate experience will help them change their perspectives of teaching and learning, which will one day help them confidently set up an appropriate OAE program (Carlson & McKenna, [<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref26">4</reflink>]). Sutherland and Legge ([<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref27">21</reflink>]) suggested that PETE programs need to address both content knowledge (what teachers know about a subject) and pedagogical content knowledge (how to deliver content so that students understand a subject; Shulman, [<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref28">19</reflink>]).</p> <hd id="AN0183273957-4">Student Experiences</hd> <p>During discussions with students, they expressed that they desired an immersive experience worth their time. However, what constitutes a worthy experience for a PETE student? As discussed earlier, extended class periods allowed for more time to facilitate an OAE experience, while taking the time during the process to present the activity, process it, and discuss how and why it was facilitated the way it was. The hope was that modeling different ways they could teach OAE would help them as they begin planning their own OAE unit or class. The extended experiences included a first class block from 4 to 10 p.m. on Friday and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. The second class block was the following weekend, starting Friday at 4 p.m. and finishing Saturday afternoon around 3 p.m. The second weekend included an overnight stay at a state park. Table 3 shows an example schedule of how to set up an OAE course to maximize students' time and create valuable learning experiences for PETE students.</p> <p>PETE majors' experiences often come from different places, such as with their family, from past experiences in K–12, and at overnight camps. Although participation helps them feel more comfortable, past experiences do not provide the necessary knowledge and skill-building for a future OAE teacher. Bringing them to destinations within their local communities where they can practice teaching their peers with limited to no experience helps them better understand what will be expected of them when they enter the field. Students can be assigned different content to teach one another. In the example provided, on day one, students are allowed to practice facilitating their peer's communication and problem-solving activities. On day two, they co-facilitate a selected activity with a peer and a community group. During the second weekend, students continue to expand teaching practice by being assigned something to teach the group on day three or four. Topics students help co-facilitate include low ropes course challenges, shooting field bearings, creating waypoints with a Global Positioning System, night hiking, star gazing, and camping basics like building a fire, setting up a tent, and cooking at camp. As a PETE instructor, utilizing students' past experiences to determine what to assign them to teach is critical.</p> <p>In addition to practicing teaching, bringing in community members can help enhance the student experience. Students often feel less pressure when working with someone who is an active participant in the field and has no bearing on their grade for the course. Individuals and organizations that make good partners include Association for Challenge Course Technology professional vendor members, Department of Natural Resources wardens, local outdoor gear shop employees, trail organization members, and adventure outfitters. Working with these types of professional organizations serves students twofold. They are getting more valuable feedback on their skills from people who work professionally in the field daily, and they can see a greater vision of OAE for their students. There are entire industries devoted to getting people active outside. These industries can also serve as a partner for students to gain the valuable field experiences discussed earlier. Making a greater connection to what their students can do outdoors can give PETE majors a different perspective on how to run a high-quality OAE course for their students. Table 4 provides an overview of some of the industry professionals used in the past within the authors' OAE courses for PETE majors.</p> <p>Table 4. Overview of Industry Professionals</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead><tr><td /></tr><tr><td>Organization</td><td>Website</td><td>Overview of partnership</td></tr></thead><tbody valign="top"><tr><td>Adventure Based Experiential Educators (ABEE Inc.)</td><td><ext-link ext-link-type="url" href="https://abeeinc.com/" /></td><td>ABEE Inc. is the professional vendor member most local school districts use to inspect, train, and certify individuals when working on climbing walls and ropes courses. This partnership ensures that the course curriculum is up to date and that students can use the skills they learned in class to "challenge-in" as a level 1 practitioner after finishing the course.</td></tr><tr><td>Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WI DNR)</td><td><ext-link ext-link-type="url" href="https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/" /></td><td>The WI DNR has been helpful with assisting during overnight sessions. They allow students a place to rest their head and to practice stewardship, and it connects PETE students with free resources they can use upon teaching OAE.</td></tr><tr><td>Recreational Equipment Incorporated (REI)</td><td><ext-link ext-link-type="url" href="https://www.rei.com/" /></td><td>REI partnerships are twofold. First, REI offers free online videos for many of the skills PETE students need to know (tying knots, belaying, communication for climbing). REI professionals also offer students a place to ask questions about the purchasing of specialized gear. REI offers group sales, which is helpful for someone in charge of purchasing outdoor gear.</td></tr><tr><td>Door County Adventure Center (DCAC)</td><td><ext-link ext-link-type="url" href="https://www.dcadventurecenter.com/" /></td><td>DCAC provides adventures in indoor rock climbing, static ropes courses, kayaking, zip lines, team building, and trip planning. The partnership with DCAC has allowed the program to take a greater dive into the role that risk management plays in OAE. The owner of DCAC co-facilitates the second weekend as students learn how to facilitate an OAE experience while they participate in one.</td></tr><tr><td>Northeast Wisconsin Trails Association (NEWT), a member of the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA)</td><td><ext-link ext-link-type="url" href="https://newtrailswi.org/" /><ext-link ext-link-type="url" href="https://www.imba.com/" /></td><td>NEWT serves as a community partner where students learn about trail stewardship and give back to the community by completing service-learning hours helping with trail maintenance and put on an event called Take a Kid Mountain Biking.</td></tr><tr><td>Appleton Area School District (AASD)</td><td><ext-link ext-link-type="url" href="https://www.aasd.k12.wi.us/programs-services/programs/summit-challenge-course" /></td><td>By partnering with a local school district that has a challenge course, students are able to spend time observing and gain hands-on experience working with local teachers who teach OAE.</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <hd id="AN0183273957-5">Practical Suggestions</hd> <p>Making changes to a course can be a significant task. The following are practical suggestions for transforming a primarily lecture-based course into a comprehensive experiential learning course for PETE majors. What is important to remember is that change takes time. Implementing one or two changes each time the course is taught will pay dividends for students and the program for years to come.</p> <hd id="AN0183273957-6">Liability and Consent</hd> <p>Meeting with the campus risk management team is critical before making changes within the course. Before doing this:</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> Reach out to universities in your state to see what they are doing. This helps better inform you, the instructor, whether you are within the scope of practice of what similar schools are doing.</item> <p></p> <item> Bring a plan of what your class will look like to your risk management team.</item> <p></p> <item> Consider the activities you will be doing with your class and ensure you are following industry best practices.</item> </ulist> <p>The course instructor must stay within their scope of practice. They can utilize community partners to present and lead skills and activities they are not qualified to lead.</p> <hd id="AN0183273957-7">Logistics</hd> <p>Communicating early and often with PETE students is critical. Before the course begins, develop a plan, and post it to the course homepage. Ask the students to be open about the experience and contact you immediately if they need any support, whether with equipment or social and emotional support. Leading up to the trip, make shorter posts regarding how to obtain equipment, what and how to pack, and how to dress for the weather. In the course presented here, the authors have modeled their plans as if they were planning for a K–12 school group.</p> <hd id="AN0183273957-8">Supplies</hd> <p>Encourage students not to buy equipment but to seek out where they can borrow it. On campus, the student recreation and wellness center offers free and low-cost rentals to students. The authors' department also budgets $200 to $300 annually to purchase common items like sleeping pads, tents, and sleeping bags that students can borrow. Over a few years, they have gathered a significant amount of gear. They have also partnered with local retailers to purchase outdoor gear they want to remove from their inventory. After obtaining approval from their college, the authors added a $50 course fee to cover the cost of local guides. The course fee is connected to each student's student fees that are paid with tuition.</p> <hd id="AN0183273957-9">Camping</hd> <p>For many, this will be their first overnight experience. Encourage students to obtain their equipment early and test it out. Schedule an optional class period or encourage students to set up an appointment during office hours where they can come in to get support learning how to set up a tent. Encourage students to seek out additional learning opportunities at their outdoor recreation center on campus or at local stores such as REI. Inform students about what camping can feel like. Use storytelling to inform students of common mistakes that are made by novice campers. Encourage those with experience to share stories as well.</p> <hd id="AN0183273957-10">Transportation</hd> <p>In the past, the authors have scheduled buses to take students to locations within the community. However, students expressed that they preferred to carpool with other students. Students are encouraged to offer the driver a minimum of two gallons of gas at whatever the going rate is at that time. Labeling the course "off campus" on the university's scheduling system is an important indicator for students to know they will need to find transportation. If your university offers more than one section a year, it is suggested to offer one option off campus and another on campus. Even the on-campus option allows you to set up unique opportunities, such as camping in an athletic field and exploring what opportunities are within the university backyard. For the off-campus option, have students sign a transportation waiver to keep on file. Check with the risk management team on rules for students transporting themselves and others to off-campus courses.</p> <hd id="AN0183273957-11">Concluding Thoughts, Implications for Practice, and Transforming a Current Course</hd> <p>Presenting OAE to PETE majors is a labor-intensive and complex process. Students need a strong understanding of content and pedagogical content knowledge (Sutherland et al., [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref29">22</reflink>]) to successfully implement a sequenced program (Bisson, [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref30">2</reflink>]). OAE is inherently tied to experiential learning theory that is student centered. PETE students are learning through this method and learning how to teach OAE using this method. Positive aspects of this approach include a favorable attitude toward learning, giving students a greater ability to study and work on what they have low confidence in, and allowing students to understand better how individuals learn (Neutzling et al., [<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref31">17</reflink>]).</p> <p>Past research has examined the effects of methods courses but has yet to look at the structure of how courses are designed to meet PETE majors' needs. Maurer and Curtner-Smith ([<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref32">15</reflink>]) suggested that an OAE methods course instructor must help their students demonstrate effective teaching behaviors. This can be done in several ways within a course, such as modeling effective teaching behaviors, giving specific feedback to students on their teaching behaviors in role-playing lessons, and providing students with specific resources such as articles, books, and examples for them to gain more knowledge as they continue to practice teaching OAE. PETE programs need to provide students with enjoyable, immersive experiences that use active learning strategies to engage them in learning how to teach OAE. As our world continues to change, educators are encouraged to promote OAE methodologies that will effectively teach and prepare future OAE physical education instructors.</p> <hd id="AN0183273957-12">Disclosure Statement</hd> <p>No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.</p> <ref id="AN0183273957-13"> <title> References </title> <blist> <bibl id="bib1" idref="ref9" type="bt">1</bibl> <bibtext> Atencio, M., Tan, Y. S. M., Ho, S., & Ching, C. T. (2015). 'The strawberry generation... they are too pampered': Pre-service physical education teachers' perspectives on outdoor education in Singapore. European Physical Education Review, 21 (1), 31 – 50. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336X14550939</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib2" idref="ref3" type="bt">2</bibl> <bibtext> Bisson, C. (1998). Sequencing adventure activities: A new perspective [Paper presentation]. Sequencing Adventure Activities: A New Perspective. AEE International Conference, Lake Tahoe, CA. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED425904.pdf</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib3" idref="ref15" type="bt">3</bibl> <bibtext> Brown, M. (2006). Adventure education and physical education. In Handbook of Physical Education (pp. 685 – 702). SAGE. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781848608009.n38</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib4" idref="ref26" type="bt">4</bibl> <bibtext> Carlson, T., & McKenna, P. (2000). A reflective adventure for student teachers. Journal of Experiential Education, 23 (1), 17 – 25. https://doi.org/10.1177/105382590002300104</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib5" idref="ref19" type="bt">5</bibl> <bibtext> Cross, R., Sanchez, P., & Kennedy, B. (2022). Adventure is calling, kids are listening. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, 93 (1), 7.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib6" idref="ref5" type="bt">6</bibl> <bibtext> Dewey, J. (1916). Democracy and education: An introduction to the philosophy of education. Macmillan.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib7" idref="ref24" type="bt">7</bibl> <bibtext> Dewey, J. (1997). Experience and education (Reprint edition). Free Press.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib8" idref="ref10" type="bt">8</bibl> <bibtext> Dillon, M., Tannehill, D., O'Sullivan, M. (2010). Learning to teach adventure education: Pre service teachers' perspectives and experiences. Leeds Beckett Repository. <ulink href="http://eprints.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/3712/">http://eprints.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/3712/</ulink></bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib9" idref="ref20" type="bt">9</bibl> <bibtext> Dyson, B., Howley, D., & Wright, P. M. (2021). A scoping review critically examining research connecting social and emotional learning with three model-based practices in physical education: Have we been doing this all along? European Physical Education Review, 27 (1), 76 – 95. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336X20923710</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Education Outdoors New Zealand, & New Zealand Recreation Association. (2018). Adventure based learning (ABL) activities good practice guide.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Gass, M. A. (1999). Adventure programs in higher education. In J. Miles & S. Priest (Eds.). Adventure programming (pp. 373–383). Venture Publishing. https://<ulink href="http://www.researchgate.net/publication/262875344%5fGass%5fM%5fA%5f1999%5fAdventure%5fprograms%5fin%5fhigher%5feducation%5fIn%5fJ%5fMiles%5fSPriest%5fEds%5fAdventure%5fprogramming%5fVenture%5fPublishers">www.researchgate.net/publication/262875344%5fGass%5fM%5fA%5f1999%5fAdventure%5fprograms%5fin%5fhigher%5feducation%5fIn%5fJ%5fMiles%5fSPriest%5fEds%5fAdventure%5fprogramming%5fVenture%5fPublishers</ulink>.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Gillard, A. (2020). Teachers' perspectives of students' social and emotional changes during an adventure-based program. Journal of Outdoor Recreation, Education, and Leadership, 12 (3) Article 3. https://doi.org/10.18666/JOREL-2020-V12-I3-10207</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Hovey, K., Niland, D., & Foley, J. T. (2020). The impact of participation in an outdoor education program on physical education teacher education student self-efficacy to teach outdoor education. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 39 (1), 18 – 27. https://doi.org/10.1123/jtpe.2018-0288</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Kurtzman, A. E., Beddoes, Z., & Gaudreault, K. L. (2023). Social–emotional learning through adventure education in PETE: Strategies for PETE faculty. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 94 (6), 13 – 20. https://doi.org/10.1080/07303084.2023.2221714</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Maurer, M. M., & Curtner-Smith, M. D. (2019). Influence of adventure education instructor education on the perspectives and practices of preservice adventure educators. Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education, 22 (2), 127 – 143. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42322-019-00034-6</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> McKenzie, M. (2013). Rescuing education: The rise of experiential learning. Independent School, 72 (3), 24–28. https://login.libproxy.uncg.edu/login?url=<ulink href="http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1020547&site=ehost-live">http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1020547&site=ehost-live</ulink>.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Neutzling, M., Pratt, E., & Parker, M. (2019). Perceptions of learning to teach in a constructivist environment. The Physical Educator, 76 (3), 756 – 776. https://doi.org/10.18666/TPE-2019-V76-I3-8757</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> SHAPE America – Society of Health and Physical Educators. (2024). National Physical Education Standards. https://<ulink href="http://www.shapeamerica.org/standards/pe/new-pe-standards.aspx">www.shapeamerica.org/standards/pe/new-pe-standards.aspx</ulink></bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Shulman, L. (1987). Knowledge and teaching: Foundation of the new reform. Harvard Educational Review, 57 (1), 1 – 23. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.57.1.j463w79r56455411</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Stoica, L., Enoiu, R. S., & Bădău, D. (2019). Functions of outdoor adventure education programs. Health, Sports & Rehabilitation Medicine, 20 (1), 35 – 38. https://doi.org/10.26659/pm3.2019.20.1.35</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Sutherland, S., & Legge, M. (2016). The possibilities of "doing" outdoor and/or adventure education in physical education/teacher education. Jou-rnal of Teaching in Physical Education, 35 (4), 299 – 312. https://doi.org/10.1123/jtpe.2016-0161</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Sutherland, S., Stuhr, P. T., & Ayvazo, S. (2016). Learning to teach: Pedagogical content knowledge in adventure-based learning. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 21 (3), 233 – 248. https://doi.org/10.1080/17408989.2014.931365</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Vygotsky, L. S., & Cole, M. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press. <ulink href="http://archive.org/details/mindinsocietydev00vygo">http://archive.org/details/mindinsocietydev00vygo</ulink></bibtext> </blist> </ref> <aug> <p>By Christopher Stratton and Ben Dyson</p> <p>Reported by Author; Author</p> <p></p> <p>Christopher Stratton () is an assistant professor in the Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh in Oshkosh, WI.</p> <p>Ben Dyson is an associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in Greensboro, NC.</p> </aug> <nolink nlid="nl1" bibid="bib18" firstref="ref1"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl2" bibid="bib16" firstref="ref2"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl3" bibid="bib10" firstref="ref4"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl4" bibid="bib23" firstref="ref6"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl5" bibid="bib20" firstref="ref7"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl6" bibid="bib13" firstref="ref11"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl7" bibid="bib21" firstref="ref12"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl8" bibid="bib22" firstref="ref13"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl9" bibid="bib11" firstref="ref16"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl10" bibid="bib12" firstref="ref21"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl11" bibid="bib14" firstref="ref22"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl12" bibid="bib19" firstref="ref23"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl13" bibid="bib17" firstref="ref31"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl14" bibid="bib15" firstref="ref32"></nolink>
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  Data: Bridging the Gap: Teaching Physical Education Majors How to Teach Outdoor Adventure Education
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Christopher+Stratton%22">Christopher Stratton</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0009-0007-7368-4748">0009-0007-7368-4748</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ben+Dyson%22">Ben Dyson</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5460-4836">0000-0001-5460-4836</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Physical+Education%2C+Recreation+%26+Dance%22"><i>Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance</i></searchLink>. 2025 96(2):7-14.
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  Data: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Outdoor+Education%22">Outdoor Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Adventure+Education%22">Adventure Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Physical+Education%22">Physical Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Physical+Education+Teachers%22">Physical Education Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Majors+%28Students%29%22">Majors (Students)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Methods+Courses%22">Methods Courses</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Program+Development%22">Program Development</searchLink>
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  Data: Outdoor adventure education (OAE) is a branch of physical education grounded in outdoor physical experiences involving perceived risk and reflection. At many universities, physical education teacher education (PETE) majors must take at least one course in OAE methods. Previous research has suggested that PETE majors need more confidence to teach units or classes focused on OAE. This article presents information that was garnered from over 40 years of experience in the field and from PETE students' feedback. It aims to help PETE faculty design OAE courses so that PETE majors can more successfully deliver OAE in their future teaching placements. The article details how to build structured OAE methods courses that use experientially grounded active-learning methods to immerse students in an OAE program while teaching them how to teach OAE.
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