ORCID

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8665-0770

Document Type

Article

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Disciplines

Education | Outdoor Education

Publication Details

Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Engineering, 2024. © The Author(s) 2024.

Abstract

Very little empirical research has been conducted on Irish outdoor education practice(s). This inquiry aims to critically explore outdoor education practices in public Outdoor Education and Training Centres in the Republic of Ireland. First, an overview of the development of Irish outdoor education from the mid-twentieth century onwards is provided to locate the study within its unique cultural and historical background. Data were generated through document analysis, participant observation, and informal conversation with practitioners and management through multiple field visits. Creative non-fiction was used as a method to organise and present the data in a coherent and anonymised manner. Thematic analysis revealed three principal findings: a lack of engagement with theory, programming by logistics, and ideological dissonance. How these findings affect practice are discussed in terms of a place-based focus to practice as well as a need for more direction for practice to be informed by research and theory.

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