Name: Australian Journal of Outdoor Education Publisher: Outdoor Council of Australia Audience: Academic Format: Magazine/Journal Subject: Education Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2010 Outdoor Council of Australia ISSN:1324-1486
Issue:
Date: Jan, 2010 Source Volume: 14 Source Issue: 1
Accession Number:
228675705
Full Text:
Welcome to first issue of the Australian Journal of Outdoor
Education for 2010. In this edition it is our pleasure to publish five
refereed papers, and one book review. Six of the eight authors involved
in these five papers are new to AJOE and it is excellent to have new
perspectives. Together, their papers will hopefully stimulate your
reflection on outdoor education theory and practice.
The first paper by Steve Georgakis and Richard Light presents a
summary of the development of school camping in NSW between 1890-1960.
Readers from all states of Australia (and perhaps international readers
as well) will find it interesting to consider the various influences
that have shaped outdoor education and school camping in NSW. Georgakis
and Light's paper illustrates the potential contribution of
historical reviews when reflecting on our own practice.
The second paper by Mike Brown, from across the Tasman Sea,
presents a challenging critique of the principle of learning transfer.
Brown explores how the outdoor adventure education field has embraced
what he argues is a flawed concept. He suggests that we can resolve some
of the problems by drawing on a situative perspective that focuses on
participation and the dynamics of social interaction.
The University of Tasmania team of Heidi Smith and Dawn Penney
present a paper based on work that Smith is currently undertaking in her
PhD study. Their paper addresses the inconsistencies in the language
that is used to describe leadership in the outdoor education literature.
They present a conceptual framework which seeks to more clearly
distinguish between the different levels of leadership in order to
facilitate inquiry into extraordinary outdoor leaders and leadership.
Allen Hill, the author of the fourth paper in this issue, is a
teaching fellow and PhD student from the University of Otago. His paper
presents the findings of a study that explores teachers' beliefs
about outdoor education and the complex relationships between beliefs,
values, and self-perceptions of pedagogical practice. Hill's
findings make for interesting reading, especially when compared to the
findings of similar studies that have been conducted with Australian
outdoor educators.
In the last paper, Andy Martin and Jenny Fleming share the findings
of their action research which evaluates how a cooperative education
model can be included within an outdoor education undergraduate degree
to develop reflective practitioners. With the current emphasis on
graduate capabilities in the Australian Higher Education sector this
study provides a good opportunity to reflect on our expectations of
graduating, tertiary outdoor education students, and the potential role
that workplace learning can have in their learning process.
Finally, Scott Polley our avid book reviewer from South Australia
provides his perspective on a new book called Quality Lesson Plans for
Outdoor Education. Enjoy the reading and I trust that as the seasons
change you not only get time to read, but that you also get outdoors and
enjoy what nature provides in your part of the world.
Glyn Thomas Editor
Gale Copyright:
Copyright 2010 Gale, Cengage Learning. All rights
reserved.