Jakob F. Thorsteinsson University of Iceland, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Social Education and Leisure Studies 8th of October

1. Into the woods: About the significance of woods and wilderness for Youth work in Europe
Outdoor adventures
“Outdoor adventures- Study on the Highland
Adventures School Journeys”
Jakob F. Thorsteinsson University of Iceland,
Faculty of Sport Sciences, Social Education and Leisure Studies
8th of October

2. Jakob F. Thorsteinsson
adjunct at the University of Iceland
jakobf@hi.is
Born in 1969 and a teacher by education with MA in Learning
and Teaching Studies with emphasis on Outdoor Education.
I have a 12 years experience in social and leisure work,
taught in primary school for two years and since 2004 in
University of Iceland (Education - Faculty of Sports, Social
Education and Leisure Studies) and at Hólar University (Rural
Tourism).
Been working in a various experiential programs for over 10
years; as an trainer for The Challenge Ltd, and as an adjunct
at the University of Iceland were I teach courses on Outdoor
and adventure education, The outdoors, play and education,
Outdoor Journeys and friluftsliv and Leisure studies, se more
at http://www.hi.is/en/simaskra/4249
I have also been a active member in various voluntary
organization such as the Scouts, Icelandic Association for
Search And Rescue (ICE-SAR), The Icelandic Youth Association
and a Sailing club.

3. Menue
1. The schools go into the woods in Iceland …
2. Why did I do the research
3. The Journeys – the Outdoor program in the school
4. Research questions
5. Methods
6. Findings

4. Into the woods … in Iceland

5. Into the woods … in Iceland

6. Into the woods … in Iceland

7. Into the woods … in Iceland

8. Into the woods … in Iceland

9. Into the woods … in Iceland
But why!
How is our nature?

10. Into the woods … in Iceland
But why!
What is our outdoor culture?

11. Why did I do the research?

12. The travel project
1st grade stays over night at
the school (Oct).
2nd , 3rd and 4th. grade stay over
INTRODUCTION
night in a community
center in the countryside
and take part in a sheep
round up (Sept)
5th grade stays over night in a
environmental center
(Alviðra).

13. The travel project
6th grade takes a bicycle tour
from the school to Grótta (15 km)
INTRODUCTION
7th grade stays for five days in a
Outdoor centre at Reykir in
North of Iceland.
Extra: Every year a hill and a
mountain walks for each year.

14. The Journeys
8th grade takes a hiking journey, in
separate gender groups. The
teenagers hiked 50 km trek in four
days in the Icelandic Highlands
(interior),
INTRODUCTION
9th grade takes a three days gender-
mixed bicycle journey. They bik a
distance of 100 km in the Icelandic
Highlands.
10th grade takes a tow days gender-
mixed bicycle journey. They biked
a distance of 70 km in the
Icelandic Highlands.

15. QUESTION FOR US!
What do we think the students could gain from such
a program?

16. Research questions
1. What is the ideology behind the Highland Adventures
School Journeys and how does it relate to friluftsliv,
outdoor and adventure education?
2. How do the pupils and staff members (participants)
experience the journeys?
3. How is it possible to work with ethics of care in adventure
journeys?

17. Research methods
Parents
Quantitative Questionnaire Teachers
Students
Principal
Mixed research
design
Interviews Teacher
Students
Qualitative Pictures from the
journeys
Observations
Autumn 2007 during the jouneys
Field notes
Spring 2008
Short students
Spring 2010 journals 17

18. Four dimensions in analyzing the data
Jakob ... Students
School
curriculum
School
Teachers
master

19. FINDINGS

20. The main conclusions
• The main results are that the ideology and methods are
formed and the most obvious theoretical connection is to
adventure education, and the methodology is partly
connected with methods of experiential learning.
• The students participate in a profound experience that
strengthens them, especially the group and also as
individuals.
• Opportunities are created to practice care for oneself, for
close and distant others, nature and ideas.

21. General
• Participation in the journeys 2007
Total Participation Rate
Boys Girls Total Boys Girls Total Boys Girls
8th grade 27 22 49 27 21 48 100% 95%
9th . grade 27 26 53 25 18 43 93% 69%
10th grade 25 32 57 20 17 37 80% 53%
79 80 159 72 56 128 91% 73%

22. What is the ideology behind the Highland Adventures
School Journeys and how does it relate to friluftsliv,
outdoor and adventure education?
RESEARCH QUESTION 1

23. Conclusions 1
1. The journeys have a founded pedagogy and fits best
definitions on adventure education.
– It was easier to find definition that fitted the journeys
within Outdoor Educaton than with Friluftsliv .
Friluftsliv is a broad term that is difficult to handle.
• Example: A goal can be to work with personal and/or
interpersonal growth or work with environmental
responsibility.
= Adventure education or environmental education
2. Theoretical anchoring of pedagogical outdoor work
in Iceland is still in its early stages.
3. We have very limited or disordered discourse
(concepts) in Icelandic over friluftsliv, outdoor and
adventure education.

24. Definitions of Adventure Education
Adventure education – the one used
Direct, active, and engaging learning experiences that involve the whole
person and have real consequences. Educational activities and experiences,
usually involving close interaction with the natural environment and within a
small group setting that contain elements of real or perceived risk. The
outcome, while uncertain, focuses on the intrapersonal and interpersonal
development of the individual or group. (Prouty, Panicucci og Collinson,
2007:229).
Beint og virkjandi reynslunám sem tekur til persónunnar í heild og hefur
áhrif á hana í reynd. Um er að ræða virkt nám og reynslu sem oftast gerist í
nánum samskiptum við náttúruumhverfi, á sér stað innan lítilla hópa og felur í
sér raunverulega eða skynjaða áhættuþætti. Niðurstaðan er bundin óvissu en
áhersluatriði eru þroski einstaklings og hóps, innri þroski einstaklings og
félagslegur þroski
Back

25. Definitions of Friluftsliv - official
Sweden:
• Friluftsliv is living outside in the nature- and culture
landscape for the purpose of well-being or to gain experience
of our natural surroundings without the demands of
competition. (Erik Backman transaltion)
• Friluftsliv är vistelse och fysisk aktivitet utomhus för att uppnå miljöombyte och
naturupplevelse utan krav på prestation eller tävling. (Näringsdepartementet, 1999:20).
Norway:
• Friluftsliv is abiding and being physically active in the open air in leisure time, with the
purpose of environmental change and nature experience. (Dag T. Elgvin translation)
• Friluftsliv er opphold og fysisk aktivitet i friluft i fritiden med sikte på miljøforandring og naturopplevelse. (Miljøverndepartementet,
2001).
Back

26. How do the pupils and staff members (participants)
experience the journeys?
RESEARCH QUESTION 2

27. I and We
• The overall effect on self-esteem and self confident
of the individual participant were not clear
– Self-esteem (on the Rosenberg scale) were not done
shortly after the journeys.
– The interview with the teenagers indicate that at least part
of the group say that the journeys had a positive effect on
their self-esteem.
• The data is much clearer about the overall effect on
the connections in the group
– Many things indicate that the highland journeys has a
strong positive effect on friendship and a strengthens
the relationship between the participants.

28. I, the effect on me
Strongly disagree Disagree Agree Strongly agree
Grade Grade Grade
My self-esteem has increased after the journey.
Sjálfstraust mitt hefur aukist eftir ferðina, bekkir.

29. We, the effect on the group
Strongly disagree Disagree Agree Strongly agree
In the journey we the students became better friends.
Strongly disagree Disagree Agree Strongly agree
After the journey I made more friends

30. Important elements for...
• The teenager are the hardship, fun, being together, getting to know etch
other, separate gender groups, the pride, increased
self-esteem and more physical endurance
• The teachers are fun journeys, well organized, better connection with the
students, proud over the children accomplishments and a positive
personal experience for them self.

31. Learning's ...
“This is all a big adventure kids. I strongly
recommend that you go. One gets to know the
others better. One gets to know your self much
better. The endurance goes up and you learn a lot
that you can´t learn from no one ells than your self.
This is just fun and nothing ells.”
„We don’t receive wisdom; we must discover it for
ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us
or spare us“ Marcel Proust (1871–1922).

32. The main elements - summary
• The circumstance / situation has the strongest
influence on the individuals, the group and the
communication.
– The factors are nature, weather and the challenges.
– Social environment: travel companions and being
together in the huts and walking or biking in the Highlands
• Overcome risk and challenges.
• The journey are based on choice and that gives the
participant more ownership of their learning.

33. Thank you!
CLOSING
A short introduction of the Journeys link

34. References
Prouty, D., Panicucci J. &Collinson R. (ritstj.)
(2007). Adventure Education. Theory and
Application. Champaign IL: Human Kinetics.
Näringsdepartementet (1999). Statens stöd till
friluftsliv och främjande organisationer. Ds
1999:78.
Miljøverndepartementet (2001). Friluftsliv – En
veg til høgare livskvalitet. 27. júlí 2010 on
http://www.regjeringen.no/nn/dep/md/dokument/proposisjonar-og-meldingar/stortingsmeldingar/20002001/stmeld-nr-39-2000-2001-.html?id=194963