Teaching outdoor and adventure activities: an investigation of a primary school physical education professional development p

Outdoor and Adventure Education Research 
Research suggests that both teachers and children report favourably on the use 
of adventure and/or outdoor education as part of a physical education programme 
(Brown, 2006; Dyson, 1995; Prouty, Panicucci & Collinson, 2007; Stiehl & Parker, 
2010) which was an intended outcome of the professional development programme as 
requested by both the children and teachers in chapter four. Dyson (1995) investigated 
students perceptions of their physical education classes (they were undertaking a 
programme of outdoor and adventure activities using Project Adventure), and reported 

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that students claimed to have increased their enjoyment and learning and more 
importantly that they liked to challenge themselves in physical education. The O&AA 
subject content of the professional development programme (PDP) was planned to 
challenge the children appropriately throughout the unit of work and activities and 
challenges which were perceived and experienced by the facilitator as fun, were 
included. 
Many outdoor and adventure programmes take place off site at various types of 
centres accessible to the school, and these experiences are facilitated by centre 
employed leaders. However, in regard to school based programmes, Beedie (2000) 
reports that, the educational potential of internally led activities, (facilitated by the 
students’ usual teacher, rather than being contracted out to an external agency or 
outdoor education centre) is likely to be greater due to issues of continuity, the 
likelihood of transfer to other school – based activities and endeavours. He goes on to 
claim that ‘programmes can be delivered that require very little technical equipment and 
do not need wilderness locations to implement’ (p. 20). The study school availed of 
adventure centre facilities on occasion in the form of school tours for sixth class (Year 
8) children. These trips have been arranged for fun in the past and learning outcomes 
have not been a focus. Teachers, following the professional development programme, 
should in the future be able to select appropriate learning activities when trips to these 
facilities are planned, without negating fun or enjoyment. 
Resourcing for outdoor and adventure activities is more challenging than for 
other strands for the teacher as the initial preparation of materials and equipment can be 
lengthy (Hopper et al., 2000). Burrus-Bammel and Bammel (1990) reported that 
teachers indicated that the greatest barriers to outdoor education instruction are lack of 
teaching resources, and misgivings about their level of competence. However, once 
resources are prepared they can be re-used, used by colleagues and used in other 
curricular areas. The children should be taught to set up equipment which encourages 
them to work together and reduce organisational time allowing more activity time in a 
lesson. Hopper and colleagues (2000) also point out that some of this equipment is 
‘unorthodox’ and so all children should be taught how to use it within the outdoor and 
adventure context. Furthermore, they stress the importance of boundaries for trails and 
courses in order to ensure all children are safe. All of these aspects highlighted by 
Hopper and colleagues (2000) were considered in the programme design and contents, 
with many aspects outlined in the curriculum (Government of Ireland, 1999b; 

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Government of Ireland, 1999c) and resource materials (Primary Schools' Sports 
Initiative, 2006) as outlined in detail in chapter five, the development of the professional 
development programme.