"Understanding the contribution of wilderness-based educational" by Trever Waage, Karen Paisley et al.

Research in Outdoor Education

Article Title

Understanding the contribution of wilderness-based educational experiences to the creation of an environmental ethic in youth

Authors

Trever Waage, University of Utah
Karen Paisley, University of Utah
John Gookin, National Outdoor Leadership School

DOI

10.1353/roe.2012.0003

Print Reference

p. 18-27. 10p.

Abstract

The purpose of this exploratory study was to deepen our understanding of the ways in which a wilderness-based educational experience may serve as a significant life experience and how that experience may impact the development of an environmental ethic in youth. Students on 30-day courses from the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) were asked to respond to the question, “Did your NOLS experience make an impact on your environmental ethics? If so, how?” The responses of 771 students indicated that a 30-day NOLS course did, in fact, positively influence both cognitive and emotional aspects of participants' environmental ethics and shared some characteristics of a significant life experience. Recommendations for future research are discussed.

Recommended Citation

Waage, Trever; Paisley, Karen; and Gookin, John (2012) "Understanding the contribution of wilderness-based educational experiences to the creation of an environmental ethic in youth," Research in Outdoor Education: Vol. 11, Article 5.
DOI: 10.1353/roe.2012.0003
Available at: https://digitalcommons.cortland.edu/reseoutded/vol11/iss1/5

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