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Article
Author(s)
Mark C. Mifsud
Full-Text PDF XML 848 Views
DOI:10.17265/2161-6248/2018.01.001
Affiliation(s)
University of Malta, Msida, Malta
ABSTRACT
Young people are becoming more
detached from nature through a number of causes, including their increased use of
digital media. This detachment from nature results in a lowering in the sense of
ownership of the land and its resources, and subsequently, results in less motivation to conserve it. In order to
reverse such behaviours and attitudes, a new programme termed “Lifelong Learning through Nature (LLN)” was devised. This study
is an analysis of the LLN programme and its potential of making links among outdoor learning, fieldwork, and education for sustainable
development. These results shed light
on the effectiveness of the programme in influencing knowledge and attitudes, and in turn, lead to formulate
a way forward in the programme’s evolution. Outdoor
education is an essential element of education for sustainable development (ESD), which is key to address
the current situation for a sustainable future. The data is collected
through an extended questionnaire from a number of different schools in the Maltese islands, which is analysed
through Statistic Package for
Social Science (SPSS). The results reveal a great
sense of detachment in the young students, and eventually, a greater sense of pointlessness
in the older students. This study reveals that
the field visit does have an influential role in the knowledge and attitudes of
school children towards nature. This study continues to uphold the vision that outdoor
education should be considered as a main activity, which involves and results in ESD. In response to these
findings, a model illustrating the emerging links between the field visit programme
and various factors is presented. This paper directly illustrates how university
research in teamwork with non-governmental organisations can impact the local community. Also, the study will be useful to anyone who is interested in carrying out
effective programs and research in the links between ESD and outdoor education.
KEYWORDS
field visit, education for sustainable development (ESD), quantitative methods, outdoor education
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