Adventure-based teaching can foster social and personal growth yet can scare and cause long-lasting anxiety in some group members. This study examined the effects of a simple distraction to lower stress levels during an approaching scary event. Forty-eight males (M = 20.2 years) were randomly assigned to one of four groups. The stressor involved…

This article considers the epistemological chain in adventure sports coaching through personal experiences of undergraduate adventure students using semi-structured interviews and qualitative thematic analysis. Findings showed many observable practices utilised by adventure sport coaches were epistemologically sophisticated. This included…

This research is an autoethnographic account of teaching and learning during outdoor education experiences in Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE). Through the process of writing as a method of inquiry, I use a framework of outdoor experiences that went wrong, to identify the symbiotic relationship between teaching and learning in outdoor…

Growth in the adventure sector has increased the demands on adventure sport professionals. Satisfying a diverse range of participatory motivations, however, requires an adaptable and flexible workforce. In this discursive paper, we suggested that a narrowing of service skills caused by commodification and sportification are compounded by general…

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between dominant brain areas, alexithymia and risk-taking behavior levels of nature and adventure recreation participants. The study was carried out on 652 outdoor adventure recreation participants in different categories (air, land, water) between the years 2016--2017. After meeting…

Research on individuals' experiences engaging in outdoor education programs suggests participants are impacted in a number of ways. This study investigated the impact of participation in a wilderness education course on undergraduates' experiences with public service. This study asked the research question, what is the impact of an Outward Bound…

Background: We present a unique study of adventure sports coaches teaching lead climbing. Expanding existing work on judgement and decision making, we examine the coaching process and the decision making employed to manage the pedagogical and security needs of climbers when they are being introduced to lead climbing. Research design and data…

Extreme sports are sport branches which include actions, adventures, risks and difficulties more rather than other sports. Special materials are used in sport branches such as surfing, kite surfing, sailing, snowboarding, paragliding, diving, mountaineering, motor sports and adrenaline release is more rather than in other sport branches. On the…

Adventure-based learning is used by behavioral health providers to connect clients to therapeutic activities outside traditional settings. These approaches often aim to build internal and external assets that support positive youth development. Here we evaluate the impact of an experiential learning curriculum on youth development and identify…

This exploratory study examined the benefits of participating in a three-week, multi-state bicycling trip for eight adolescents who participated in a first-generation, college-bound program. The primary purpose of this study was to explore participants' perceptions of their own resilience, independence, responsibility, and problem-solving and to…

The outdoor community has long been used to study motivation and sensation seeking. While sensation seeking is related to the personality traits extraversion and openness there has been little research conducted on the whole personality profile of this community. This study used the Five Factor Model and the Big Five Inventory to measure the…

Risk is a complex component of outdoor adventure education (OAE) that can both enhance and diminish meaningful learning experiences. Outdoor professionals are searching for the balance between providing a high level of safety and challenging students through outdoor adventure activities. This case study of Outward Bound New Zealand (OBNZ) utilised…

The purpose of this study was to provide insight into what occurs in moments of high challenge within participants during an outdoor adventure education (OAE) program. Given the inherent risk and remote locations often associated with OAE programs, it has remained challenging to measure selected psychological constructs while the program is taking…

"Risky" play is an important component of play, which positively affects the cognitive, social and emotional development of children. However, a growing culture of "risk aversion" may be limiting the degree of risk that children are allowed to encounter. We undertook qualitative interviews with eight schools to examine the…

The purpose of this article is to explore and problematise teachers' talk about outdoor education in New Zealand. The focus is on what can be said, how it is said and the discursive effects of such ways of speaking. The inquiry draws on Foucauldian theoretical insights to analyse interview transcripts derived from semi-structured interviews with…