Students caring for each other

Quay, John J. (2000) Students caring for each other. Masters Research thesis, Faculty of Education, University of Melbourne.

Abstract

The major focus of this study is on the outdoor education subject as a learning context in which caring and community are educational achievements. The review of the literature is necessarily selective as the scope of the research touches upon the discipline areas of community, caring, moral development and education, friendship, outdoor education, experimental education and camping. The research is based upon a two step process within which both quantitative and qualitative methods are used. The first step in the process utilises phenomenological methods. The second step in the process uses the survey method.

The evidence amassed in this study supports the outdoor education context as more supportive of learning in the areas of community and caring than other classes at school. The research was carried out with Year 9 students at a coeducational school and identified twenty two different experimental components of caring. These experimental components were used to compare the outdoor education context to that of other classes at school in a questionnaire. Results of the questionnaire can be summarised in the following statements:

The level of caring for "close friends" is virtually the same in outdoor education and other classes. The level of caring for "other people" in outdoor education is significantly higher than caring for "other people" in other classes. The level of caring for "close friends" and the level of caring for "other people" are very similar in outdoor education. The level of caring for "close friends" in other classes is significantly higher than the level of caring for "other people" in other classes.

What emerged from the investigations was a picture of outdoor education as aunique learning context in its ability to achieve positive outcomes for students in the areas of caring and community.