Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 3 of 3
Full-Text Articles in Outdoor Education
Where’S The E In Oe? A Critical Analysis Of Irish Outdoor Education, John Pierce, Simon Beames
Where’S The E In Oe? A Critical Analysis Of Irish Outdoor Education, John Pierce, Simon Beames
Publications
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 …
From Mcdonaldization To Place-Based Experience: Revitalizing Outdoor Education In Ireland, John Pierce, John Telford
From Mcdonaldization To Place-Based Experience: Revitalizing Outdoor Education In Ireland, John Pierce, John Telford
Publications
Outdoor education in Ireland, as in many countries, takes place in a variety of physical locations ranging from urban to wilder, minimally human influenced environments. Irish public outdoor education providers have traditionally placed little emphasis on cultural understandings of the places where learning occurs. Moreover, outdoor education commonly demonstrates characteristics of a McDonaldized experience as opposed to a place-based experience. This paper explores two topics that may help to explain why place is not to the fore in teaching and learning in Irish outdoor education practice: historico-cultural relationships with the land, and the impact of the rationalisation of place on …
Where’S The E In Oe? The Mcdonaldization Of Irish Outdoor Education, John Pierce, Simon Beames
Where’S The E In Oe? The Mcdonaldization Of Irish Outdoor Education, John Pierce, Simon Beames
Publications
This paper presents key findings from a study that aimed to critically examine the practice of outdoor education in the Republic of Ireland. It consisted of 10 months of fieldwork across four public Outdoor Education and Training Centres (OETCs). Data were generated through participant observation, informal conversation, as well as centre websites. Findings from the thematic analysis are presented in the form of a creative non-fiction story—principally to protect the identities and centres involved. The findings were then interpreted through the theoretical lens of McDonaldization. Considering the dearth of outdoor education research in Ireland, McDonaldization provided a lens through which …