The interdisciplinary values of outdoor education within the learning context

Abstract

This contribution aims to demonstrate the underlying epistemology of outdoor education
(o.e.), a practice recently rediscovered, but whose supporting knowledge and purposes
are not always clearly defined. The outdoor approach is often limited to being associated
with experimenting with generic outdoor learning paths. Given the interdisciplinary
nature of each o.e. proposal, it becomes necessary to explore how the various interpretations
may interact in educational terms: physical-biological, geographical-landscape,
environmental, historical-political, psychological and ethical. It is thus about understanding
which research methodology must characterise outdoor education within
environmental education, in order to identify a construct and outdoor learning model,
which draws on the valuable contributions of human and natural sciences. Only via such
clarifications can o.e. distinguish itself as an educational practice that allows individuals
to understand themselves and develop in ways that include “sustainable” relations with
themselves, with others and the physical and anthropic world.