Exploring the Possibilities of Outdoor/Adventure Education

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Kent Griffin
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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1123/kr.2020-0041
First Published Online:
27 Oct 2020
In Print:
Volume 9: Issue 4
Page Range:
299–304
Restricted access

Physical education in recent years has undergone modifications in order to meet the changing demands of students. The traditional paradigm has been to teach physical education from a sport- and skill-based approach, whereby traditional teams and individual sports are emphasized (e.g., basketball, volleyball, flag football). However, this curriculum may be less impactful on student learning than alternatives and is not viewed favorably by administrators because it is perceived as lacking relevance to broader educational goals. The purpose of this paper was to reintroduce a curriculum that has the potential to address student learning in physical education and broader educational goals. The outdoor/adventure education curriculum, while neglected in recent years, is demonstrating promising gains as a viable model.

The author (lkg37@txstate.edu) is with the Department of Health and Human Performance, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, USA.

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