LET’S GO OUT! A GROUP-BASED INTERVENTION IN OUTDOOR ADVENTURE EDUCATION AS A SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT

Authors

  • Erika Sarivaara University of Lapland, Finland UiT- The Arctic University of Norway, Norway
  • Pigga Keskitalo University of Lapland, Finland
  • Satu-M. Korte University of Lapland, Finland
  • Suvi Lakkala University of Lapland, Finland
  • Ari Kunnari University of Lapland, Finland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v9i9.4443

Keywords:

teachers as reflective practitioners, intervention study, attention and executive functions, special education, outdoor adventure education

Abstract

This article deals with the group-based behavioral, cognitive, and skill-training intervention program Maltti as a special educational support action applied with outdoor adventure education at the primary school level. The need to apply the group-based intervention arose from the special education teachers’ (N=2) desire to reinforce and expand their pedagogical methods in order to improve the students' development in special education. The special education teachers had a group of pupils with special educational needs, aged from 10 to 11 (5th graders in Finland). These pupils faced challenges in social and emotional development, for example, in the areas of psychological regulation, self-regulation, and emotional regulation. This article is a case study which presents how outdoor adventure education can be implemented in special education. It also describes how special education teachers experienced the group-based intervention intersecting with outdoor adventure education. The research findings indicate that together, the intervention and the outdoor adventure education encouraged pupils’ emotional and social development, well-being, relaxation, a sense of belonging, successful experiences, positive group experiences, and strengthened executive functions. The findings promote the use of outdoor adventure education methods in the group-based intervention Maltti with children with special needs.

 

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Author Biographies

  • Erika Sarivaara, University of Lapland, Finland UiT- The Arctic University of Norway, Norway

    Dr. Sarivaara, Erika is currently a university lecturer at the University of Lapland and Associate Professor at the UiT- The Arctic University of Norway. She holds a title of docent in language and culture education at the University of Helsinki. Sarivaara research interests are mainly in the field of indigenous education, sociolinguistics, outdoor education and indigenous language didactics. https://research.ulapland.fi/fi/persons/erika-sarivaara

  • Pigga Keskitalo, University of Lapland, Finland

    Dr. Pigga Keskitalo, PhD, MA, works as a professor in education, specifically with Arctic perspectives at the University of Lapland, Faculty of Education. She holds a Title of Docent in multicultural education at the University of Helsinki, Faculty of Education. In addition, she is a network researcher at the Migration Institute, Turku, Finland. Her research interest are Sami education, Sami language teaching, Indigenous research methods, linguistic consciousness, diversity in education, teacher education, psychosocial wellbeing, digital solutions in education and distance teaching.

  • Satu-M. Korte, University of Lapland, Finland

    Dr. Satu-Maarit Korte (PhD) is a researcher and University Lecturer of Media Education at the Faculty of Education, University of Lapland, Finland, and an Associate Professor of Education at the Sámi University of Applied Sciences in Norway. Her key research interests are technology mediated communication and learning, embodied cognition, neural foundations of learning and memory, Arctic and Indigenous pedagogical approaches together with social learning. https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=q2IzuHkAAAAJ&hl=en

  • Suvi Lakkala, University of Lapland, Finland

    Dr. Suvi Lakkala (PhD) is a senior lecturer on inclusive education at the University of Lapland. Her research fields cover inclusive education, inter-professional team work, educational transitions and teachers’ professional development. She holds a title of Docent of Special Education at the University of Eastern Finland and acts as a Visiting Professor at the Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3186-3944

  • Ari Kunnari, University of Lapland, Finland

    Dr. Ari Kunnari (PhD) is a university lecturer in physical education at the University of Lapland. His research interests cover the experiences of physical education and outdoor education. Link to his academic network: https://research.ulapland.fi/fi/persons/ari-kunnari

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2022-09-04

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Vol. 9 No. 9 (2022)

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