The Effects of Outdoor School Programmes on the Resiliency of Five Year Olds
This study looked at the effects of Outdoor School (OSS) programmes on the resiliency of five-year-olds by examining children’s mastery motivation. Mastery motivation reflects children’s willingness to engage in moderately challenging tasks, persisting in an independent focused manner.
A mixed-methods approach with teacher questionnaire ratings for children before and after their programme, in-field observations, and child-friendly interviews with drawings was used.
The results showed children demonstrated improvements in persisting with tasks, taking on challenges, and approaching problems with increased competence. Qualitative findings complemented these results, children integrated their experiential learning into their drawings and narratives, and effectively reflected developing personal strategies to problem-solve moderately challenging tasks.
Overall, the study demonstrates that OSS programmes foster children’s mastery motivation and resilience, support broader developmental outcomes, and underscores the value of experiential outdoor experiences in early childhood.