An examination of Swedish and Cypriot “teachers”

Abstract: This research investigates and reveals the condition of outdoor education (ODE) in general in two specific countries, Cyprus and Sweden. Some more specific questions that this research tries to answer are: · What are some differences in ODE development between Sweden and Cyprus? · What are the opinions of teachers in Cyprus and Sweden with respect to ODE? · What are the conditions in Swedish and Cypriot schools that affect the development and implementation of ODE in schools? · What are some future plans for ODE in Cyprus based on these results? For the conduction of this research questionnaires were delivered and filled out from teachers of primary school for each country. The questionnaire was consisted from sixteen questions and includes two types of questions, ordinary scale questions and a combination if ordinary scale question with open type questions. The outcomes of the research generally show a positive attitude from behalf of the teachers towards ODE and a bigger acquaintance of Swedish teachers with the subject in compared to Cypriot teachers. However teachers seem to have also some reservations towards some issues concerning ODE. The research also reveals the gap in the field of training opportunities-especially in Cyprus, and also the teacher’s belief in the importance of training. The important role of factors like tradition, culture and different educational systems in the two countries concerning ODE is also stress out. Taking in mind the outcomes some comments and suggestions for future plants are discussed.