Those who teach learn : Near-peer teaching as outdoor environmental education curriculum and pedagogy

Near-peer teaching is used within higher education because of its efficacy for both student teachers and learners. Our purpose in this paper is to highlight the possibilities of applying near-peer teaching pedagogies in outdoor and environmental higher education contexts. We begin by reviewing its u...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of outdoor and environmental education 2017-04, Vol.20 (1), p.35-46
Main Authors: Bester, Lucas, Muller, Gregg, Munge, Brendon, Morse, Marcus, Meyers, Noel
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Curriculum Studies
Education
Educational Practices
Environmental and Sustainability Education
Environmental Education
First year students
Foreign Countries
Higher Education
Learning Experience
Outdoor activities
Outdoor Education
Peer relationship
Peer Teaching
Qualitative Research
Refereed Article
Sociology of Education
Student Satisfaction
Teaching Assistants
Teaching Methods
Undergraduate Students
University students
University teaching
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Near-peer teaching is used within higher education because of its efficacy for both student teachers and learners. Our purpose in this paper is to highlight the possibilities of applying near-peer teaching pedagogies in outdoor and environmental higher education contexts. We begin by reviewing its use in the higher education sector, mainly focusing on health and medical education where it is regularly used. We then employ a qualitative methodology to examine the initial experience of near-peer teaching, in which third-year university undergraduate students teach first-year students in the field during a higher education outdoor environmental education programme in Australia. Both sets of students (teachers and learners) report valuing the experience for its authentic preparation for future outdoor environmental education, explicit outdoor environmental education curriculum and pedagogy content, and role in inducting first-year students into the community of professional practice within the programme. We also highlight distinct elements of the programme that contribute to the success of this unique near-peer teaching and learning experience and further discuss the limitations as a useful signpost for extending near-peer experiences across outdoor environmental education, and higher education more broadly. [Author abstract]
ISSN:2206-3110
2522-879X
DOI:10.1007/BF03401001