Critical factors in the adolescent experience of an outdoor experiential education programme

This study was based on the experiences of a sample (n=15) 14 and 15 year old students at Sea to Sky Outdoors School, an experiential outdoor education programme located on Keats Island, British Columbia. The purpose of the study was to gain insight into the experience of an outdoor education programme from the perspective of the students, and to discuss issues of gender in the context of this experience. The retrospective data was collected using the Critical Incident Technique (Flanagan, 1954). The interviews were audio taped and transcribed verbatim. Data analysis was based on creating categories of critical incidents based on the themes expressed by the students. The results reflect common themes which describe the experiential outdoor education programme from the perspective of the students. The findings of this study led to the general conclusions that; 1) outdoor and experiential education is a positive experience for most students; 2) there are differences between the males and females both in the expression and type of critical incidents recorded and 3) outdoor experiential programmes can be beneficial experiences for enhancing relationships, increasing awareness and providing an opportunity for enjoyable experiences for both sexes. In addition to these general conclusions, the findings of this study identify several important characteristics of "voice" in adolescents and provide preliminary support for the idea that participation in outdoor education programmes serves to decrease sex-role stereotyping in adolescence. The study also identifies several important aspects of an outdoor education programme from the perspective of the students.Education, Faculty ofEducational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department ofGraduat