Adventure-Based Learning in an Undergraduate PETE Program

Purpose

Adventure based learning (ABL) consists of a deliberate sequence of activities to positively impact the personal and social development of participants (Cosgriff, 2000). Recent research has indicated that physical educators assign a low level of importance to ABL as a curricular model and seldom request it as in-service training (Collier & Herbert, 2000). One reason for the minimal use of ABL as content in physical education is that many teachers lack experience and formal preparation in this curriculum. The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of participation in an undergraduate ABL course upon attitudes toward adventure based learning and its use as a curriculum model within physical education.

Methods

The ABL course occurred for 10 weeks, 4 hours per week and was structured to introduce experiential learning and ABL, the importance of sequencing in ABL, role of the facilitator, the importance of processing, experience and facilitation of ABL activities. Experiential learning (Jarvis, 2004) was used as the lens for this interpretive qualitative study. The study was conducted with two different undergraduate physical education cohorts taking the class in separate years. Data were collected using open-ended questionnaires, 30 observations, 40 face-to-face semi structured interviews, and document analysis of student reflections, exams, and unit plans.

Analysis/Results

Data were analyzed using line by line coding and constant comparison (Strauss & Corbin, 1984). Trustworthiness was established through prolonged engagement, triangulation of data, member checking, peer debriefing, and negative case analysis. The findings show that the students' understanding of ABL and its utility in physical education evolved over the ten week course. There was a continuum of buy-in to the ABL unit from “I really believe in it” to “I would use the icebreaker games, but not much else”. The majority of the students felt they would use an ABL unit at the beginning of the year to provide a foundation for their classes. Some students expressed concern about the lack of physical activity during an ABL unit. The course allowed the students to build a stronger community within their respective cohorts.

Conclusions

Through this experiential process, the undergraduate students reflected how ABL provided them with an effective method to build a caring community within their physical education classes that allowed each student to feel valued, respected, and physically and emotionally safe. These results suggest that experiential learning in an ABL course can impact undergraduate students' belief in the utility of ABL within physical education.