Date of Award

2023

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Health Sciences)

Schools and Centres

Health Sciences

First Supervisor

Gerard Hoyne

Second Supervisor

Ben Piggott

Third Supervisor

Caroline Bulsara

Fourth Supervisor

Duncan Picknoll

Abstract

Outdoor adventure education (OAE) programs encompass practical outdoor activities, such as hiking or canoeing, and activities promoting interpersonal and intrapersonal development. Participants are challenged in a manner that appeals to typical risk-taking behaviours common in adolescents, resulting in benefits such as resilience development, personal growth, individual empowerment, and self-efficacy. OAE is commonly used to support positive physical, emotional, and psychological changes among adolescents.

This research aimed to determine the most impactful OAE activities for adolescent wellbeing. A sequential mixed-methods research design using a pragmatic approach was undertaken to identify the most impactful OAE elements for participant wellbeing. This research involved three phases, with Phase One identifying program elements from the literature using a systematic review and meta-analysis of OAE programs. Based on Phase One findings, Phase Two gathered data from adolescent students and OAE teachers using focus groups and key informant interviews, and a proposed draft intervention program based on this formative work was validated through an e-Delphi study that was conducted with local (Western Australian), national (Australian), and international OAE experts from the education, research, mental health, and psychological fields to gain expert insights into the most impactful OAE program elements for adolescent wellbeing. Finally, Phase Three synthesised all collected data to formulate recommendations for future OAE interventions.

It was anticipated that overcoming the challenges of adventurous activities (those involving risk for participants) would provide the greatest impact on adolescents. However, data analysis highlighted that opportunities for social connections and relationship development, time spent in natural settings, authentic experiences with tangible consequences, and universally equitable learning environments provided greater impacts on wellbeing amongst the participants.

This research provides a comprehensive evidence base to inform future OAE interventions to impact adolescent wellbeing, and concludes with a new model intended to be used as a guide to design a wellbeing-focused OAE intervention. Future research is recommended to assess the efficacy of this study’s findings for adolescents in secondary schools.

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