Perceptions of Malawian Secondary School Teachers about Outdoor Education
Abstract: As a cultural construct, outdoor education includes outdoor activities, personal and social development, and environmental education. However, the majority of the learning process within the Malawian educational system is based on traditional teaching approaches. As a relatively new and evolving mode of instruction, outdoor education strives to identify and solidify its place within the existing educational system. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the perceptions of secondary school teachers in Malawi regarding outdoor education. Six secondary school teachers were interviewed online. The research employed a qualitative approach technique, namely thematic analysis which was used to analyse data gathered through semi-structured interviews. The participants disclosed their basic understanding and perceptions of outdoor education and provided examples demonstrating some of its qualities. However, they prioritized indoor lessons more and tended to view outdoor education as environmental education, ignoring other fundamental objectives, philosophies, and practices that constitute outdoor education. As such outdoor lessons are conducted depending on specific topics and subjects. In addition, despite the fact that Malawian education is still focused on a traditional approach to teaching and learning, the participants shown a readiness to enrich their teaching in numerous ways. The secondary school teachers in Malawi acknowledged several benefits of outdoor education, including promoting learner participation, stimulating multiple senses to enhance experience, enhancing social relationships, promoting educational knowledge, and fostering interaction with the actual environment. The participants cited various obstacles, including teachers' lack of experience and confidence, harsh weather, dangerous forests, a lack of funding, large classes, an overcrowded curriculum and lack of time. The aforementioned findings contribute to the limited scientific understanding of the practice of outdoor education in Malawi. Thus, additional qualitative research is required before the results of the current study can be validated and discussed further.
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