Outdoor Education’s Relationship to Adolescent Behavior and Academic Performance in Two East Texas Middle Schools

<p>Historically, a key part of a child’s development was their exposure to and relationship with the world outdoors – nature. The current movement to promote the inclusion of environmental and outdoor education into curricular and extracurricular activities stems from the mounting evidence that experiences in the outdoors may improve a child’s behavior and mood, as well as improve their academic performance. This mixed-methods study hoped to discover whether or not, on average, children improve their academic performance and/or their individual behavior in school when provided with outdoor education learning experiences. The mindset used in outdoor education research may have to change as the results of this study showed that children typically spend more time outside than the literature shows. The children in this study although they want to utilize their phones and other technological devices more regularly still spend a rather abundant amount of time outside engaged in free play and exploration. This indicating that our perceptions of how the current generation may be biased and inaccurate.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science - Resource Interpretation

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Forestry

Year dc:date.available

2019

Author dc:creator

• stiefel, trenton

Contributors dc:contributor

• Dr. Shelby Gull Laird
• Dr Ray Darville
• Dr. Nathan Templeton

• Other Forestry and Forest Sciences
• Other Sociology
• Outdoor Education

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/265

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarworks.sfasu.edu:etds-1279