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Linköping University |Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning Master program Outdoor and Sustainability Education, 60 hp

Spring Semester 2020 | LIU-IBL/MOS-A-2020/005—SE

The Perceptions of Gambian

Basic and Secondary

Education Teachers about

Outdoor Education

Musa Baldeh

Supervisor: Lars Björklund Examiner: Emilia Fägerstam, PhD

Linköpings universitet SE-581 83 Linköping 013-28 10 00, www.liu.se

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ABSTRACT

Outdoor education is believed to be a new teaching approach and method in the education framework which relates to learning through natural places using direct experience. However, the teaching approach that is mostly used in the Gambian schools is based on the traditional approach of teachings as well as many African countries. As a relatively new teaching technique, outdoor education is gaining recognition from many researchers who are developing a keen interest in it. Thus, the aim of the current thesis is to investigate the perceptions of Gambian Basic and Secondary school teachers about outdoor education. in that regard, six (6) Gambian teachers from different teaching subjects, grades, and regions reported their views about outdoor education. A qualitative approach methodology with the use of semi-structured interview was employed to get teachers perceptions. After the data collection, thematic analysis was used for analyzing the collected data from which three (3) themes emerged to report the participants’ opinions. The participants revealed their basic knowledge and perceptions about outdoor education and presented some characteristics and examples of how the practice outdoor education. They emphasized that they view outdoor education as a teaching approach with the use of outdoors. However, according to them, any teaching activity that involves using the outside the four corners of the classroom or the school premises, is considered outdoor education. They noted that outdoor education can take place in the form of excursions, fieldtrips, classes outside the class under a tree or within the school premises. Besides, although the teachers indicated that the main teaching approach, they use is still the traditional teaching and learning approach, they showed willingness to enrich their classes with use of outdoor education. They further revealed that the main places they conduct outdoor education is the school yard, under a tree, a visit to places of interest, excursions to various historical places or museums and the like. The Gambian teachers acknowledged many potentials of outdoor education to the students including stimulation of multi-senses, increased understanding, improved social relation and cooperation, boosting of their health and wellbeing, developing curiosity, and giving students a sense of freedom and happiness. However, participants also revealed several barriers that suppress them from doing outdoor education effectively. Among the barriers mentioned includes, inadequate funding, lack of support from parents and school administrators, lack of pedagogical training, tight schedule, and limited time. Thus, further research is needed to help testifying the results of the current study and give more insight into the field of outdoor education in the Gambia and Africa at large.

Keywords:

Outdoor education, Gambian Basic and Secondary school teachers, Perceptions, Potentials, Barriers, The Gambia, Curriculum, Teaching approach, Place-based education, Experiential learning.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of tables and figures………ii

Acknowledgement………. iii

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION………1

Research aims and research objectives………2

Research contributions……….2

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW………3

Definitions of outdoor education……….4

Historical background of outdoor education………5

Theoretical concept of outdoor education………5

Basic aims of outdoor education………...5

Experiential learning……….6

Place – based learning………8

Potentials of outdoor education……….9

Previous research on teachers’ perceptions about outdoor education………11

The perceived benefits/potentials of outdoor education according to teachers……….11

The perceived barriers/challenges of outdoor education according to teachers………12

Characteristics of the Gambian education system……….13

Some basic facts about the Gambia………13

The Gambian education system……….14

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CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY……….16

Research area and sample………16

Research methods and tools………19

Interview schedule………...20

Use of computer………21

Data collections……….22

Data analysis……….23

Ethical issues……….26

Reliability and validity of the research……….26

CHAPTER 4: RESULTS……….27

Theme 1: Gambian teachers’ views about outdoor education………28

Theme 2: The teachers’ perceived benefits of outdoor education………31

. Theme 3: The perceived barriers of outdoor education………34

CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSIONS………39

Gambian teachers’ views about outdoor education……….38

Potentials of outdoor education………39

Barriers of outdoor education………40

CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS…….42

Summary of results……….42

Methodological implication and future research………44

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LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES

FIGURE 1: Kolb’s cycle of experiential learning……….7 TABLE 1: Information about participants……….19 TABLE 2: Thematic analysis of the results………28

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The current thesis is made possible not only because of my efforts and focus, but several people contributed towards making it a reality. As a result, it is fitting to say a word of appreciation to them.

First, I thanked the Almighty Allah for giving me the strength and good health to be able to complete this thesis. I also thanked my parents and family for the continued support and

encouragements. My late Father, Pateh Baldeh while you are not alive to rip from what you have sown, I am grateful and thankful for your foresight in enrolling me to school even though during the time few people in the village thought of such. May Allah admit you to his kingdom of paradise. My mother who has served as everything since I lost my Dad, I cannot thank you enough. You are indispensable and I pray that Allah give you long life.

Besides, without the support of my supervisor – Lars Björklund, this work would have been difficult to accomplish. You have immensely help in shaping this work through your assuring, motivating and wonderful comments and corrections. You did not just correct my text, but you keep motivating me throughout the journey. I say a very big thank you Sir! Moreover, I want to register my sincere appreciation to all my lecturers especially Emilia Fägerstam and Ola Uhrqvist who have been with us throughout our master’s studies, imparting both knowledge and skills into our brains. Your teaching skills are unmatched, and your insightful lectures kept us thirsty for knowledge. Thank you so much.

Additionally, to my, friends both home and abroad and my outdoor colleagues, you are the best thing that happened to me. Especially my muslim brotherhood friends in the Blue Tree mosque who have been very helpful to me during my difficult days. You provided me with company when I feel lonely and motivation when I feel demotivated. Your efforts are recognized.

Furthermore, I would like to thank my participants who gave me their valuable time and energy to respond to my questions. Also, to my fellow Cluster monitor, Alh Muhammed Secka and my own brother, Demba Baldeh who help me in recruiting the participants. For Demba have been my source of motivation and inspiration. You do not just motivate me to do more, but you support me in it. In addition, without funding, it would have been impossible to achieve my dream of securing an international degree and thanks to the Swedish Institute (SI) who made this dream a reality. SI did not only pay my full tuition fees, but also gave me a standard stipend to enable me to cater for my needs while studying. I say a big thanks to you.

Finally, I want to thank my family back home for being patient and supportive throughout the period. To all the people of Sareh Nyanga Village, I am grateful for the trust and confidence you have in me.

ON NJAARAAMA!!! THANK YOU ALL!!!

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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

In this thesis, my wish is to investigate the perceptions of teachers about outdoor education in the Gambian Basic and Secondary Schools with a view to unravelling the under researched area in education in The Gambia. By providing insight in the findings of this thesis, teachers, education officers, curriculum development experts, researchers, and other stakeholders of the educational sector will be given the opportunity to improve the education system in the Gambia. Currently there are many Research Studies done in the outdoor education field, but little if any, research is done in the context of the Gambia. So, my aim is to break that barrier by conducting my thesis around this field in the Gambia. The research also aims to stimulate interest in the field of outdoor education and inspire teachers, education officials etc., to embrace the field and help in the implementation in the country. In the thesis there are some issues I want to unravel, such as the perceptions of teachers in the field, their perceived barriers to the field as well as the potentials or benefits attached to outdoor education. It is my hope that when teachers know the benefits attached to the field, it will enable most of them to consider the outdoor education teaching approach and hence making it a way of teaching in the daily routine. Also, when the barriers are known it will inform the

responsible authorities to see how to break the barriers for a better implementation. In the Gambia, the main teaching approach is classroom teaching and little outdoor activities as the curriculum seldom mentioned anything about outdoor education. This could be one of the factors causing some teachers to see it as just a venture for exercise rather than a teaching approach, as learning in the cultural and authentic environment is more than just getting fresh air and exercising, (Szczepanski, 2016).

Outdoor Education as a type of teaching and learning approach has been an area that is gaining a lot of prominence over the years for many researchers within the educational field (Dyment & Potter, 2016). As we may know, outdoor education is not only intended for experiencing nature and having fun as many people think, but also about connecting people with nature as well as linking human beings with their daily life experiences. It is about practical and real learning experiences. Outdoor education recognizes that the experience and firsthand knowledge or information should be the hallmark for learning as learning should not only be abstract and consuming of facts. Having this in mind, I hope to see what the views of teachers about the field of outdoor education in the Gambian Basic and Secondary schools are, which will pave the way for more research about its practice in schools.

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The current Basic Education curriculum frame seldom mention about outdoor education even though it stated that fieldworks should be used as an essential element of Social and Environmental Studies, (Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, 2011). This also could be a factor that limits the practice of outdoor education in schools, but the research will dig into it and better inform us on the real challenges and barriers of practicing outdoor education. Gambian Basic and Secondary school mainly use the traditional teaching approach which is mainly the classroom based teaching indoors rather than outdoors, but in certain subjects like history and science, it is usual to see

teachers taking students on fieldtrips and excursions to places of interest. The curriculum is clear on this as it is stated that certain pedagogies like the enquiry based as well as experiential learning, will be more actively promoted to enable learners find a deeper meaning in their learning, (Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, 2011). Although some teachers are not well informed of what outdoor education is all about, they are unconsciously doing it.

RESEARCH AIMS AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The above-mentioned aims guided my research topic which, is to find out what teachers’ perceptions of outdoor education in Gambian Basic and Secondary school are. Once their perceptions are known, it will pave the way to looking into ways of implementing outdoor education in the Gambia.

As a guiding tool to finding out the above aim, the following research questions are highlighted. Research aim – To Investigate Teachers’ Perceptions about Outdoor Education in Gambian Basic and Secondary Schools.

Research questions –

1. What are the teachers’ perceptions with regards to outdoor education in Gambian Basic and Secondary schools?

2. What are the potentials/benefits attached to outdoor education according to teachers? 3. What are the barriers/challenges to doing outdoor education according to teachers? These questions will serve as my guiding tool throughout this research and I will highlight the Gambian education system clearly and succinctly for better understanding.

RESEARCH CONTRIBUTIONS

As a matter of fact, every research should help address an issue or issues which can help in the production of knowledge and advancement of the field, thus this research will also equally help in opening up a new opportunity for Gambian educationist and curriculum experts in formulating research which will help in the promotion of outdoor education in schools. The research findings can also be used as a guiding tool for teachers in the teaching field in looking into ways of ensuring

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that they incorporate outdoor education into their planning and teaching activities. To the best of my knowledge, there is currently very few, if any research about outdoor education conducted in the Gambia so, this will be a very useful research about it and these will help a lot in giving people who are interested in such a source of information to rely on.

In the aspect of the curriculum, it will reveal the limited knowledge about outdoor education being mentioned in the current curriculum and as a result, it will enable curriculum developers to see the gap in terms of inclusion of the outdoor education approach for better implementation. As teachers most of the time rely on the curriculum in executing their functions as a teacher, when there is no mention of outdoor education it will be difficult for them to come up with ideas as to how to conduct outdoor teaching. But when this is considered and included in the curriculum, it will thus enable them to investigate the approach and this will help a lot. Additionally, it will make them familiar with the approach and hence making them aware of it from the planning of their lessons to its execution.

Moreover, head teachers will use the finding in permitting teachers in going outdoors with students when the need arises without hindrance. They will also encourage and even advise teachers on the approach and support them in tackling of the challenges faced during outdoor teaching.

Additionally, the school administrators can suggest to the Ministry of Basic and Secondary

Education which is the ministry responsible for planning and policy matters in considering outdoor education in their policies, programs and in the curriculum.

Furthermore, apart from the educational aspects it can help to give parents insight in the importance of outdoor education for their kids, so they will be more willing to allow their children to go

outdoors without any fear. They will also know what they need to do to offer their support to the teachers towards the implementation of the teaching methodology. Finally, it can motivate the parents to inform others and sensitize them on the significance of outdoor education.

Despite the interview sample being too small to be representative at a general level, according to Cohen, Manion and Morrison (2011), such research findings can still be sufficient and interesting.

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The current chapter will present the background information about outdoor education by delving into the definitions of the term from different perspectives, the historical perspective of the field as well as some related theoretical aspects of outdoor education. I will talk about few concepts like experiential learning and place – based learning as they are all relevant to the main item – outdoor education or outdoor learning.

With a view to introducing the Gambian educational system, I will thus delve into the education system as relating to outdoor education and a general background of the country – The Gambia. As stated, the research is about the perceptions of teachers about outdoor education in the Gambia, therefore I will dig into some earlier research dealing with teachers’ perceptions about outdoor education/learning and also some previous research findings around the benefits/potentials as well as the barriers/challenges of outdoor education.

DEFINITION OF OUTDOOR EDUCATION

Over the years, the outdoor education field have been gaining momentum both in research and practice. This made people contemplate as to what is the most appropriate definition of the term “Outdoor education”. Many practitioners and researchers tried to frame a befitting definition for it, but as Dayment and Potter stated, it is a difficult concept to define because of the manner in

which people have their focus on outcomes, areas, processes and/or purposes, (Dyment &Potter 2015). Outdoor education is “education in, for and about the outdoors”, (Donaldson & Donaldson, 1958, cited Priest 1986, p.13). From the above definition we can deduce few things from it. The “in” refers to where we have the outdoor activities, could it be within the school yard, the forest, the nature reserve, or a visit to a museum. The “for” is outdoor education for who? Who is outdoor education for, is it only for students, or other people in society? But according to Priest (1986) the “for” refers to outdoor education for the protection of mother earth, while the “about” refers to learning about nature. The discussions shift towards a broader concept that includes experiential knowledge and emphasizes the interactions between people and natural resources (Priest,

1986). However, Rickinson et al. (2004) argue that there is a lack of consensus about what ‘outdoor education’ really is. According to Dahlgren and Szczepanski (1998), the main ideas of outdoor education are experience and action, and understanding of nature, culture, and society. In this case, it called for a total interaction with nature as well as society for it to be really considered outdoor education. Going further, Beard and Wilson (2004) argued that through outdoor education, educators expect to facilitate the connection between personal and social development. Still now others define the term as “education which takes place in the outdoors” and “using the outdoor as a laboratory for learning” (Hammerman et al. 2001, p.5). Rickinson et.al. (2004) categorizes learning

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outdoors in the following way: a) field work and study trips, b) adventure education and c) activities on the schoolyard and in the nearby community. To sum it up, Nicol (2002) lamented that to

elucidate the nature and the basic characteristics of outdoor education and concludes that, since it is not clearly defined by a body of knowledge, it is then a teaching approach rather than a simple subject. For this thesis, I will be using the Hammerman’s definition of the term.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF OUTDOOR EDUCATION

It can be argued that outdoor education dates to the Stone-Aged and Neolithic “revolution”, as early man were hunter-gatherer and as time goes by, he learns through hands-on experiences which were necessary for his needs and survival (Harman, 2008). During this era, human beings came together to share knowledge and experiences through hands-on experience and practice to survive. It is, however, important to note that the historical root of Outdoor Education can be traced back from the Ionic and Greek natural philosophers who are known for their strong belief in knowledge of the hand and through first-hand experience in natural environmental of the outdoors (Dahlgren & Szczepanski, 1998). These attributes can also be seen both in old (Comenius, 1967; Rousseau, 1991; Dewey, 1997) and contemporary (Nicol, 2002a, 2002b; Higgins & Nicol, 2002) educators’ works. They argued that Outdoor Education is a cultural construct that offers three main areas of outdoor activities, namely, personal development, social and environmental education (Nicol, 2002a, 2002b; Higgins & Nicol, 2002).

As generations passed by, changes occur where the industrial revolution replaced humans and animals as the main sources of production by using more technological advancement like motors using gas energy (Stearns, 2013). Through these industrialization and urbanization, the traditional schools became more widespread: teachers began by using teacher-centered approach, and these made children lose their freedom of thinking, judging and movement as Dewey argued (Dewey, 1963, p. 61). Dewey is seen as an important thinker in outdoor education as he supported students learning through practical as well as theoretical experiences (Dewey, 1990). Here the key concept of outdoor education is a combination of theoretical and practical learning experiences.

In this case, even though outdoor education has not reached in all schools, it is done through hands-on experience which can be in nature and books in the classroom.

THEORETICAL CONCEPT OF OUTDOOR EDUCATION BASIC AIMS OF OUTDOOR EDUCATION

It is important for us to know why outdoor education. What are the main reasons for outdoor education? This is key to know when talking about outdoor education. According to Dahlgren & Szczepanski (1998), one basic aim of outdoor education is the acquisition of knowledge and the

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creation of bonds between nature, culture, and society, through activities and experiences in the outdoors. When we examine this statement, we will realize that outdoor education is critical for the attainment of knowledge through the interaction with nature and in the process, build environmental awareness. The outdoor environment can be used for the teaching of knowledge as well as gaining first-hand experience through interaction with nature (Quay & Seaman, 2013). In this case, outdoor education supports the notion that experience is the focus of knowledge acquisition. Moreover, the promotion of personal and social development and the acquisition of life skills are important aims that outdoor education seeks to accomplish (Beard & Wilson, 2006).

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

This outdoor education theory was heavily influenced by David Kolb through the idea of experiential learning. Kolb heavily based his work on that of Dewey, Piaget, Lewin, and Montessori. Learning through first-hand experience constitute the key component of this

educational approach and enable the learner to connect real people with real life situations (Higgins & Nicol, 2002). This means that learning through experience has the potential to give learners a real and meaningful education as it is based on real life circumstances. It enables the learner to connect with the natural world. When the students are learning outside, they are gaining knowledge while also experiencing it. According to Dewey (1997) direct experiences are the catalytic power that leads to knowledge; “every experience is a moving force” (Dewey, 1997, p. 38). In this case, through experience students can be able to learn by interacting with the material itself rather than just abstract learning, because learners have a direct contact with the natural environment thereby using most of their senses to feel and see what they are being taught. “The stimuli that children engage from the outdoor environment through sensory organs allow them to adopt new data, awaken within them the need to raise questions and to learn even more” (Chauvel & Chauvel 1998, p.12). This is very significant as far as outdoor education is concerned because it will enable both the teachers and the learners to explore and interact more with a view of gaining deeper meanings to the outdoors. In contrast to traditional teaching and learning method which is usually done in the classroom, the experiential learning type is wider in scope as the place can be the school premises, a nature reserve, a farm, a park, a forest, a river, a hill, the ocean, a mountain, or a lake and the like (Dahlgren & Szczepanski,1998).

Moreover, as Fox (2008) states, although some experiential educators have hinted at nonphysical and noncognitive elements, the primary focus of experiential education is a linear, hands-on, involvement of the body and mind with cognitive and verbal processing. It is also important to note that experience with nature is important because it does not only help in the acquisition of

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knowledge, but also for instilling of morals and promoting personal and social development (Nicol, 2002; Higgins & Nicol, 2002; Bögeholz , 2006; Szczepanski, 2009).

Experiential learning processes can be presented through the “Kolb’s experiential learning

theory” (Higgins & Nicol, 2002). It provides a framework for thinking how the four different stages of an activity works based on learning experience:

Figure 1. The Kolb cycle of experiential learning

Experience stage: this is where the learner gains direct experience through the direct

interaction with nature or the material. The learner uses first-hand experience and give meaning to abstract concepts.

Reflective observation: in this stage the learner review or reflects on the experience by

combining previous experience and exploring new findings. It also means the learner now explains the experience.

Conceptualization stage: in this stage, the learner reflects on the experience with a view to

generating new idea from an abstract concept. This indicates that the learner has learn from the experience and can theorize things.

Active experimentation stage: this is the stage where the learner uses what he has learn to

apply it. The learner applies their ideas or the theory to future experience. Here the learner becomes a pragmatist by experimenting the theory.

(Healey & Jenkins, 2000)

In experiential learning, we use multiple senses which is very important for knowledge acquisition and skills development, as Fredman, P. Stenseke, M. Liljendahl, H. Mossing, A. Laven, D.

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mentioned, outdoor experience is very much about capturing the moment” (Fredman et al., 2012) with multiple senses during the outdoor activities and those senses would be generally motivated by various teaching purposes, such as specific subjects, team building, environment, self-reliance, etc. (Fredman et al., 2012). It is very clear that when teachers went outdoors with learners, they use more than one sense, they sometimes see, touch, smell, feel and the like which made learning memorable and understandable.

To sum up, it is important to note that outdoor education does not reject theoretical knowledge, but instead it is in the opposite as (Jordet, A.N., Bjørnebye, M., Bartunek, D., Hronzova, M., Kätting, E. & Brage, C., 2009) puts it “…outdoor learning, in combination with a more traditional classroom teaching has a great potential and can have a significant impact on the individual pupil’s learning as a whole human being” (p14). Thus, in as much as we appreciate experiential learning and its

benefits, we must also appreciate that theoretical knowledge is also important as it forms the foundation of knowledge.

PLACE BASED LEARNING

One of the most highly explored theories of outdoor education is that of place-based learning. As we are aware any form of learning activity or activities, occurs in a place, being it indoor like in a classroom or a lab; or outdoor, like the school yard, forest, museum, farm, garden, or somewhere else. Therefore, place – based learning is very important in outdoor education. When we talk about outdoor education, we mostly refer to education in a place outside the classroom, hence nature is very important place for learning as it offers us to use our senses more which is important for our understanding. Nature is an authentic place and as Higgins & Nicol (2002) mentioned, authentic places give students the opportunity to learn about the linkage between the surroundings and individuals. It is clear also that place attachment is important for environmental awareness and love for its protection, because when people are attached to a particular place, they develop a sense of belonging to the place and hence, will protect it which is important to nature, as Gruenewald (2003, p. 4) puts it “while critical pedagogy offers an agenda of cultural decolonization, place-based education leads the way toward ecological "reinhabitation”. We also become more concerned about an environment when we are connected to nature, which is why outdoor education is important for environmental awareness. Place based education is also very important for students understanding as it gives them an opportunity for experience and exploration, (Sobel, 1996). In outdoor education, the outdoor environment also becomes the place-based learning as it is where the learning takes place, thus it is important to select a suitable and authentic environment. For this environment to be termed as original or inventive and lead to first-hand experiences, it should be variable and

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unstructured (Dewey, 1997; Szczepanski, in Higgins & Nicol, 2002). It is, however, important to note that not only natural environment can serve the purpose of place – based learning, but also man-made environment in as much as it serves the purpose.

According to Szczepanski (2009), children today are disconnected from the natural world, mainly due to man-made ‘protective fences’; for example, human constructed forms of teaching (like school buildings), information (like media, books and visual images) and entertainment (like shopping centers, indoor playrooms). Therefore, children do not experience the outdoors so often, as they are captured into a ‘triangular form of life’ – the school, home, shopping center

(Szczepanski, 2009, p.3). Richard Louv (2005) termed this separation of children from nature as a ‘nature-deficit disorder’, a cultural phenomenon that is characterized by the “diminished use of senses, attention difficulties and higher rates of physical and emotional illness” (Louv, 2005, p.36). In our today’s world where urbanization is taking its toll, this is very common especially in cities. Children are separated from nature and they often have some health issues from this separation from nature.

Let us examine some questions that are often raised when it comes to outdoor education. Some will be tempted to ask why outdoors? Why do we teach in an authentic environment or natural

environment? What can we achieve outdoors? Why not in the classroom? To answer some of these pertinent questions, Sandell et al. (2005), support that opening up the doors in the walls of society to the outdoors, through education in nature, can establish an understanding about human –

nature relationship and dependency on the environment, as well as create an authentic and cultural bonds within the society. This is particularly important for environmental sustainability because unless and until we have a strong bond with nature, we cannot have regards for it and hence we may not protect it. This is further supported by Sandell (2006), who believed that bringing students in the outdoor landscape can strengthen the relationship between human beings and nature.

To summarize however, Harisson (2010) supports the role of the place in outdoor education but states that it needs to be further investigated as it is under researched and not well documented.

POTENTIALS OF OUTDOOR EDUCATION

In our today’s generation people tend to be more indoors in an artificial environment which is said to be harmful to our health and wellbeing. We spend most of our times on screens and indoor buildings doing our daily activities and this poses a serious challenge to our interaction with nature. There are many studies conducted in outdoor education which proved that exposure to nature is

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very important in many ways. According to Szczepanski outdoor education can enhance students’ physical activities, promote their curiosity, creativity, and cooperation (Szczepanski, 2008). This is further supported by (Higgins &Nicol, 2002 and Mygind, 2009), who indicates that it improves students’ social relations as it induces their positive emotion of cooperation. This is so, because when we are outdoors, there are many challenges that we will face which ranges from the physical structure of the place as well as the safety of the place, so when we are able to overcome these challenges it will absolutely result into our creativity and physical enhancement. There is also a lot of group or team activities in outdoor education, so this will boost cooperation amongst students, hence building their social cooperation. Apart from positive cooperation, outdoor education also helps in promoting attitudes in environmental awareness, (Fančovičová & Prokop,2011). As a result, it will also lead to a strong connection between students and their natural surroundings which will enhance their concern and empathy for nature (Emmons, 1997; Johnson & Manoli, 2008). It is very difficult for one to love something and cherish it without having any connection and interacting with that thing, but once this connection is enhanced, it will develop to love, and this brings in care. Through the concern and feeling of empathy, students can live harmoniously with nature which will help in reducing pollution and some other harmful environmental practices while creating eco-friendly new technology when they grow up, and live physically and mentally healthy (Emmons, 1997; Johnson & Manoli, 2008). To further support this notion of environmental

awareness, (Gill, 2011) has found evidence that children who are regularly interacting with nature develop an increased environmental awareness and a stronger feeling for the local environment when they become adults. Nature can also be used as a spiritual house for reflection and recreation and it should not only see as a leisure time hub, (Dahlgren & Szczepanski, 1997). Studies also found that exposure to nature can reduce stress and anxiety while giving people a free mind and a sense of freedom to express oneself, (Kanters et al, 2002). Furthermore, many research findings proved that direct experience teaching in the out-of-doors results in broader and richer educational opportunities and provides a conducive climate for learning (Blomberg, 1967). Moreover,

Fjortoft (2001) reports that research from Scandinavia demonstrated that children who play in flexible, authentic landscapes appear to be healthier; have improved motor skills, demonstrate more creativity, and have enhanced balance and coordination. This is further supported by Szczepanski (1998) who reiterated that students with better access to the outdoors, are healthier, concentrate better and get better motor skills. Given the potentials of outdoor education on the lives of people and education and considering the fact that children spend less time with the natural environment, it is important for educational institutions to take the mediatory role in bringing children outdoors (Louv, 2009).

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Despite the importance of outdoor education, there are some limitations to doing outdoor teaching due to teachers’ perceived risk as a ‘cultural protectionism’, mainly originating from the

combination of inadequate access to outdoor spaces (city environments) and fear for physical harm or inappropriate adult threats (Maynard and Waters, 2007). This is further supported by Backman, who considered outdoor teaching a risk to apply and it also depends on the school location to nature (Backman, 2011).

PREVIOUS RESEARCH ON TEACHERS PERCEPTIONS ABOUT

OUTDOOR EDUCATION

There are many studies conducted in this topic looking at teachers’ perceptions about outdoor education in schools, but there is none to the best of my knowledge done in the Gambian context this is why I would like to fill this research gap . As teachers are at the center stage of conducting outdoor education in schools which is commonly being referred to as outdoor learning despite it is taking place in school related activities with a view to teaching students, knowing their perceptions of the field is very important. It is teachers who are usually applying the alternative teaching techniques and methodologies, their perceptions about outdoor education is very useful to discussing the development of outdoor education (Richardson, 1996; Neophytou & Valianides, 2012). Through practicing outdoor teaching activities, teachers have different ideas or perceptions about what outdoor education entails, and besides they are at the focal point in the implementation of curriculum, thus their opinions are very useful in educational research (Tsaggaridou, 2008).

THE PERCEIVED BENEFITS/POTENTIALS OF OUTDOOR EDUCATION

There are certain potentials that teachers have discovered during outdoor teaching activities, usually many people think it is only for the learners who benefits from outdoor learning, but even teachers get some of those benefits as Braund & Reiss (2004) intimated that during the outdoor education process, teachers’ knowledge about learning are enhanced and they equally enjoy the entire process like the students. This shows that the teachers also indeed benefits from the outdoor education activities. This is further supported by Gilbertson G., Bates, T., McLaughlin, T., & Ewert, A. (2006) who also indicates that being outdoors is different from staying indoors even if teachers apply the same activity because in outdoors you are having direct connection with nature. So even where in the same kind of activities are conducted both indoors and outdoors the impacts will not be the same as there are different environments which have huge impacts on learning. Still on connection with nature Goldenberg (2001) added that being in the outdoor surroundings to learn about the

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environment and other related issues, learners can improve their theoretical thinking skills. According to Ogilvie, “outdoor challenges may involve some risk and uncertainty” (2005, p.32). The writer supports the belief that during outdoor learning, it is impossible to do away from risk altogether, participants have to take some degree of responsibility and it depends on their strength, but this is important for them as it will give them more independence and promotes learning and personal development in the future. This is further supported by Little et al 2011, who noted that practitioners of outdoor play spoke about the necessity for children to take physical risks when learning new skills, “not only for skill development but also for confidence building and learning how to avoid injury” (Little et al 2011, p.123). Outdoor educations activities also help students in applying multiple senses when doing outdoor learning. Many researchers (Szczepanski, 1998; Higgins &Nicol,2002; Gilbertson et al, 2006; Fägerstam,

2012) support that sensory experience within the outdoor environment is helpful to a learning process. This is also supported by several studies including (Zhao, 2016 and Oikonomou,

2012) who both conducted their thesis on teachers’ perceptions of outdoor education and found out that in both studies, teachers believed that outdoor education do help in stimulation of senses. They both stated that, according to teachers when students are taken outdoors, they are more motivated, and their senses being activated. Furthermore, many studies also argued that outdoor learning have been found to promote health and wellbeing (Dahlgren & Szczepanski, 1998; Kanters et al, 2002; Higgins & Nicol, 2002). To further validate this notion, Zhao (2016) conducted a thesis on the perceptions of Chinese teachers about outdoor education and found out that they also belief that outdoor learning supports health and wellbeing as per the following quote, “almost all

participants mentioned the improvement of both mental health, including reducing stress, exciting the mood, and moving the body” (Zhao, 2016; p.37). To sum it up, outdoor education is also believed to help teachers in connecting theory to practice during outdoor teaching (Oikonomou, 2012).

THE PERCEIVED BARRIERS/CHALLENGES OF OUTDOOR

EDUCATION

We will all believe that outdoor education has a lot of potentials or benefits, but equally there are some barriers to teachings and learning in the outdoors which many teachers have highlighted during different research by outdoor education enthusiast. Firstly, many studies indicate that one of the barriers for the realization of outdoor education is a tight time schedule and a curriculum that is too overcrowded because outdoor education is not stated in the school curriculum (Backman, 2011). This poses a serious challenge to outdoor education as school teachers are of the view that applying

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outdoor lessons is challenging as time of teaching is limited and schedule is tight (Robertson & Krugly-Smolska, 1997; Tan & Pedretti, 2010; Write, 2010; Backman, 2011). This is further supported by Oikonomou (2012), who investigated academic teachers’ perceptions and experiences of outdoor education in her previous research. She mentions that seven teachers report time

constrains for preparing and implementing outdoor lessons, such as tight semesters, short lesson duration as well as lack of systematic student attendance. Apart from time constrain, there is also weather issues and the distance to outdoor places which affects the implementation of outdoor education (Wright, 2010; Backman, 2011). Another barrier highlighted by research is the fact that some teachers are not well trained on how to conduct outdoor education and as result they are unconfident and find it difficult to control the class outdoors (Backman, 2011) and there is limited support coming from both fellow teachers and the school administration (Robertson & Krugly-Smolska, 1997; Write, 2010). Furthermore, students’ behavior is also a challenge to doing outdoor education as some students found it difficult to concentrate outdoors which hampers understanding (Tan & Pedretti, 2010; Wright, 2010).

Another significant challenge of outdoor education is limited or unavailability of financial resources, educational materials and the relevant infrastructure is a huge challenge to outdoor education (Robertson & Krugly-Smolska, 1997; Rickinson, 2004; Tan & Pedretti, 2010). However, this one can argue is a problem not only for outdoor education but for all educational activities as Tan and Pedretti (2010) mentioned, “it was almost a job description to have to work with limited time and resources” (p.79).

Finally, the safety issues and risk associated to outdoors form a barrier for the realization of outdoor teaching (Oikonomou, 2012; Maynard & Waters, 2007; Backman, 2011 and Zhao, 2016), however the presence of risk is also seen as an opportunity as well in outdoor education and learning

(Ogilvie, 2005; Little et al, 2011; Backman, 2011).

CHARACTERISTICS OF GAMBIAS EDUCATION SYSTEM

SOME BASIC FACTS ABOUT THE GAMBIA

The Gambia is in the Western part of Africa and is boarded by Senegal at all sides except the Western part which is the Atlantic Ocean. The Gambia share a lot in common to its neighbor, Senegal, ranging from culture, traditions, and religion. The country has enjoyed a long period of peace since independence and for this reason many tourists knew it as “The Smiling Coast of

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West Africa”. The country is the smallest in mainland Africa and gained its independence from Britain in the year 1965. The capital city is in Banjul and found in the Urban center. The country has a population of approximately 2.2 million people (Gambia Bureau of Statistics). The annual growth rate is estimated to be at around 3.2% and the population of the capital city in Banjul is around 31,000 inhabitants.

The population of the Gambia is mainly made up of youthful people with about 63.55% being below the age of 25 years. This made the country to have a huge number of schools going age children and the literacy rate as of 2019 was estimated to be 64.3& for females and 68.0& for males. Elderly persons of 65 years and above account for 2.8% of the population. The age structure: The 0-14 age bracket makes up 43.9% of the population (males 382,385 / females 378,853) and the 15-64 age bracket makes up 53.4% (males 459,315 / females 466,689). Finally, the 65 years and over group accounts for 2.8% (males 24,303 / females 23,919) - estimate (Gambia Bureau of Statistics, 2018). The country is one of the most densely populated in Africa with a population density of 134 persons per square kilometers. The country is one of the poorest in the world according to the UNDP, it is ranked 165th out of 187 countries in the world. The percentage rate of

poverty is estimated to be more than 60% of the population of the country. The major religious beliefs in the country is Islam which made up more than 90% of the population and Christianity making up about 4% while the remaining is from other minor religious beliefs. There are five major languages spoken in the country with some other indigenous languages. The major languages are pulaar, mandinka, wolof, jola, and sarahuli (Access Gambia).

THE GAMBIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM

The Gambian constitution of 1997 made basic education a constitutional right and compulsory. In section 30, chapter 4 states that “All persons shall have the right to equal educational

opportunities and facilities and with the view to achieving the full realization of that right”. This

made education a right but if it went further to say that “basic education shall be free,

compulsory and available to all”, while “secondary education including technical and vocational education shall be made generally available and accessible to all by every appropriate means, and in particular by the progressive introduction of free education” (Constitution of The Republic of

The Gambia, 1997). Going through these provisions, basic education is not only free but also compulsory for all Gambian children. It is the duty of parents to ensure that their children are enrolled in schools. For Secondary education is not compulsory but should be available to all regardless of geographical location. The management of education is done by the government and headed by the Minister of Education while the Permanent Secretary is the Chief Executive Officer

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of the ministry and provides support to the Ministers of education. There are two ministries of education in the Gambia, one responsible for Basic and Secondary Education and the other is responsible for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology. the two ministries shared a joint policy which have a lifespan of 15 years (2016-2030) and is co-managed by the two ministries (Education Sector Policy, 2016-2030). There is an increased interest in education throughout the country. This is because of the free education policy of the government, but it also created

challenges for the government in terms of funding to match the need for educational materials and infrastructure. This calls for partnership between government and other private sectors to make education a reality for all.

EDUCATIONAL STRUCTURE

The Gambian Education system is based on the 6-3-3-4 model which is expected to last for a period of 12 years of Basic and Secondary education and a further 4 years of tertiary education. The first 9 years are what is referred to as basic education while the 3 years that follows is secondary

education. The first 9 years of basic education is compulsory and free as stated in the constitution of the Gambia. While in the new education policy there is an increased support and need for

establishing Early Childhood Development (ECD) which is preschool education, it is not compulsory. Thus, the education structure is summarized as follows:

Early Childhood Development (ECD)/ Kindergarten - this is the first stage of education

for children and the age for enrollment is 4 years to 6 years and it takes 3 years to complete. The aim of the ECD is to bring about holistic development of children and facilitate children’s smooth transitioning to primary education.

Lowe Basic School – this is the first stage of compulsory basic education for kids and it

begins when children are 7 years old and will last for a period of 6 years. When children complete this stage, they are expected to be at the age of 13 years old. The main of aim of primary education is to develop the innate ability of each child through child-centered education. They are also prepared for life in the upper basic level.

Upper Basic Education – this stage takes a period of 3 years and children are expected to

be at the age of 13 years old and complete by the age of 16. In this stage children are expected to be good in communication, be independent and hardworking while being able to know their health conditions. This stage also prepares them for Senior secondary education.

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Senior Secondary Education – this stage marks the beginning of secondary education and

the age of children are 16 years when they are enrolling. They will spend a period of 3 years here until they reached the age of 19 when they are expected to graduate. The main aim at this stage, is to produce competent citizens who can contribute to economic development and have respect and value for positive national traditions, cultural and social heritage, and democratic values of the country. Children are expected to serve in some middle-level human resource base of the workforce and prepare them for post-secondary education.

Tertiary Education – this is the apex stage of the Gambian education system. After the

completion of secondary education at the age of 19, children and enroll to tertiary education, either the colleges or universities. Enrollment to the colleges and universities depends on performance. In the tertiary level, students are prepared for work life. They are trained on how to contribute to the socio-economic development of the country and the world at large. At this stage, students can pursue either degrees, certificates, or diplomas at the different

institutions. Those who cannot access the tertiary institutions are usually enroll in vocational colleges for skills development (Education Sector Policy, 2016-2030).

CHAPTER 3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

My aim in this chapter is to present the process through which I conducted the research, the way I selected the participants and the tools I used in gathering my data. I will also present the process and way in which the data was analyzed for the purpose of clarity. In brief, the study is based on qualitative research using semi-structured interviews of six (6) teachers from six different regions of The Gambia. The participants are all teaching staff of different grades of Gambian basic and

secondary schools. I will also lament on the ethical issues as it is very important in any research undertaking. As research validity and reliability is of importance, I will end this section by talking briefly about it too.

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As mentioned in the introduction section, the reasons for choosing the current research area and sample stems from my curiosity about the views of teachers pertaining to outdoor education in my home country – The Gambia. There is little or no study conducted in the main area of outdoor education in The Gambia which kept me wondering as to how can I pioneer such a study with a view to finding out how basic and secondary school teachers perceived outdoor education there. Secondly there is an urgent need for outdoor education to be effectively implemented in schools so that both students and teachers can benefit from the approach, hence triggering me to set that journey in motion. Even though The Gambia have huge places where students can explore with their teachers, it seems that is not the case as teachers seldom utilized the available natural

environment for educational purposes, this is why I want to find out why this is the case. Therefore, the current scientific research gap which is left to be filled as well as my fervent desire to enrich my understanding motivated me to choose the research area and sample.

As we might be aware in qualitative research, three main types of sampling are identified under the “purposive sampling”, which are: theoretical, generic and snowball sampling (Bryman, 2008). In this research, the snowball sampling which is also under the ‘purposive sampling’ is the choice of sampling used. As Bryaman (2008) mentioned that snowball sampling is a technique used in the sampling that is based on a non-probability way and is aimed at sampling participants in a strategic way which will ensure the sample is relevant to the study. Thus, this is the reason for choosing this type of sampling of my participants as I know my main aim and focus on the study. Furthermore, according to Bryman, (2012) a research that is based on the non-probability sampling technique do not choose participants at random but base on purpose.

The current research is concentrated in the Gambia in which teachers from various teaching disciplines were selected to participate. In the Gambia there are six educational directorates which manages the education in their regions. The six regions are named after numbers starting from the capital in the Greater Banjul are which is tagged as Region 1, followed by Brikama area termed as Region 2 then Kerewan Region 3, Mansakonko Region 4, Janjangbureh at Region 5 and then Basse being Region 6. I selected six teaching staff from these regions for the study. I choose one teacher from each region making a total of six (6) teachers in total. Another factor which I also considered when searching participants was their teaching level and subjects for it to be better representative. For that reason, two (2) teachers were selected from each level, meaning two teachers from the Lower Basic level, two from the Upper Basic level and two from the Senior Secondary level. For the subjects I decided to select teachers who are involved in teaching in the sciences and social and environmental studies, this is because in the Gambia these are the subjects

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that are more associated to fieldtrips and excursions. In this case, three teachers were selected from each subject area, that is three teachers teaching in the sciences and three teachers teaching in the social and environmental studies. So, altogether the teachers selected for the research are six in number. Although these teachers teach, the above-mentioned subjects and grades, all of them teach some other subjects as well. For instance, those teaching in the lower basic schools teaches most the subjects in the lower cadre while those in the upper and senior secondary level have two subject specialization each. There are five male teachers and one female in the study. As for the location of the schools sampled, two are from the urban areas while four are from the rural areas. The ages of the participants range from 23 to 40 years and the average age is 30.2 years. The teaching

experience of the sampled teachers range from 2 years to 14 years making an average teaching experience of 6.2 years.

In choosing the participants, I first selected one teacher that I knew have the characters which I am looking for and then the rest I relied on education officers with whom I worked with before whom I know knew the teachers with such experience and characteristics which I needed for my study. They helped me in searching for the right participants as according to Bryman (2012) in snowball sampling the researcher selects those people whom he/she deemed relevant to the research and after which he/she can rely on the participants too to search for the remaining ones. I selected the

participants in this way so that it does not be a case study which was not my choice of research method. Another reason is to achieve balance in the participant selection and have a more heterogeneous sample by choosing teachers with different experiences and locations (Salmons, 2011).

Even though a non-probability sampling limits the generalizations of the research findings

(Bryman, 2012), it still enables the researcher to have an interesting and useful information, which constitute the building block of further research in the specific field (Silverman, 2001; Cohen, Manion & Morrison, 2011). However, the information gathered can provide a useful insight into the perceptions of teachers about outdoor education and can help in the future studies in the field in focus.

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19 Pseudonym of teacher Teaching Region Teaching Subject (s) Teaching experience

Age School level

Alieu 1 Science &

Biology

8 yrs 34 Senior

Secondary

Samba 2 Science &

Social studies

3 yrs 29 Lower Basic

Malick 3 Social Studies

& History

14 yrs 40 Senior

Secondary

Buba 4 Science &

Health

3 yrs 27 Upper Basic

Kumba 5 Science &

Agriculture

2 yrs 23 Upper Basic

Haruna 6 Integrated

Studies

9 yrs 29 Lower Basic

Figure 2. information about participants

RESEARCH METHOD AND TOOLS

In this research, a qualitative method was used, and the data was extracted from semi-structured interviews of Gambian Basic and Secondary School teachers. I used the Thematic analysis as the method for the data analysis from raw to finished. Qualitative research is a broad term that entails a range of theoretical approaches and methods (Povee, Kate and Roberts, Lynne D, 2014). My choice of qualitative method is because it is more flexible than that of structured one and as a result it allows certain degree of freedom and leeway in elaborating and discovering of new information. It also allows for probing or asking of follow-up questions when the need arises. In this way, you can always ask for further clarification on points that are not very clear. As McMillan and Weyers mention, “the value of qualitative research derives from the authentic and case-specific detail that it can encompass” (2010, p.125). It helps us in academic study by offering an in dept conceptualized understanding of human behavior and personal views and experiences that may not be possible without qualitative methods (Povee, Kate and Roberts, Lynne D, 2014). According to Creswell (2012), when researchers are conducting a study, there is a process which follows six steps: identify a problem, review the literature, specify the purpose, collect data, analyze and interpret the data and finally report and evaluate the research. So, in this study I followed the same pattern, as I am the one conducting the research, I first identified a topic and then followed the same process. In this

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case, I am the one who should know which method is the best and due to the nature of the topic I am convinced that a qualitative method is the best for my study.

This is further supported by Coombes (2001) who argues that if a researcher is involved closely with small group of individuals in research process, one-to-one personal qualitative research helps in cultivating a better understanding of the experiences that have taken place. Therefore, since teachers’ perceptions constitute a major part of this research, I believe qualitative method with the use of semi-structured interviews is the best one to use. The method also will allow me to make some comparison of the responses among the Gambian teachers. As interview is a process of having a conversation with the participant it will give you the required information because you can further probe into many things if they are not very clear to you.

Despite my aim is to investigate the perceptions of teachers about outdoor education, this method is the best in my view because in qualitative method is best suited when you want to know the values or beliefs of social grouping, as opposed to quantitative method (Bryman, 2002). It will be hard to get your intended results with quantitative method with this type of research. In semi-structured interview, the participants are usually asked to answer open questions and the interviewer have an opportunity to ask follow-up questions in case the interviewer wants to more detailed answers want (Berg & Lune, 2009). This method also offers the interviewer the opportunity to ask unplanned questions when the need arises with a view to getting what is needed to a certain

degree. Moreover, semi-structured interview allows the researcher to find meanings and intentions in certain things in a certain situation by exploring participants’ experiences, feelings, and opinions (Bond, 2004; Bryman, 2008).

INTERVIEW SCHEDULE

During data collection, I developed an interview guide which was meant to guide me in the

interview process. There were some demographical questions at the beginning which were followed by eight (8) main question about outdoor education in general. This was followed by six (6)

questions about the potentials of outdoor education and nine (9) other questions which majority of them were about the barriers of implementing outdoor education. These question where developed in trying to get my aims and objectives with regards to the research. As it is important to design both the main questions and be cognizant of the sequence of the questions in semi-structured interviews (Salmons, 2011). There is also the need to developed an interview guide which will help the researcher to ask all the questions which are needed and to also guide him/her in ensuring that all the questions are administered (Creswell, 2012). The interview guide is important as it will serve

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as a guiding tool to the researcher and it offers some flexibility to the researcher in changing the way the questions are to be administered depending on the responses from the participants. The researcher can also add some other important questions in order to elicit more information when the need arises (Bryman, 2008; Salmons, 2011). The questions were tested first through a pilot

interview with a colleague teacher through skype so that I can see if they are fit for the research or not. The pilot also enables me to know how the participants will feel with the questions and if the questions can help me get the answers for the research aims and objectives.

After the pilot interview with my friend, I developed some few other questions which were meant to make the data gathering smoother and more efficient which will help in ensuring both the reliability and validity of the interviews (Cohen et al, 2011, p.204). According to Patton (in Hughes, 1996) through the interview questions a researcher can acquire six different kinds of information: “demographic information, experience/behavior information (what a person does or has done), opinion/value information (what a person believes), information about feelings (emotional responses to experiences and thoughts), knowledge (factual information) and senses (sensory questions)” (p.172). In this research the kind of information I am looking at includes both demographic, experiences, and knowledge, so hence the use of this method.

USE OF COMPUTER

Semi-structured interview can be conducted through either face-to-face or with computer

assisted technology like the phone or computer (Kvale & Brinkmann, 2009). This is because there are instances whereby a researcher cannot meet the participants face-to-face due to either distance or other issues. As Salmons (2011) mentioned, when participants are in a location that is far and not within the access to the researcher, it can be possible to have a virtual presence to enable one to carry on with his data collection. Also, Kvale and Brinkmann (2009), stated that virtual

communication is very similar to face-to-face interaction. This is further supported by Bryman, (2008) who argued that using online technology like skype is like that of face-to-face interview because the participant and the interviewer can see each other. In this case, since the current

research is geared towards investigating the perceptions of teachers in The Gambia which is located far from Sweden and considering the cost as well as the closure of the airspace making travelling difficult; the use of virtual communication is the available option. This use of virtual means of interviews is almost the same as face-to-face interview because in the virtual means of interviews the participant and the interviewer can see each other (Murray, 2003). In today’s world where technology is so advance and people can use different means of communication like skype, WhatsApp, face chat and the likes, virtual means of interviews becomes easier although there are

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some challenges which one must address like building of rapport. So, these are some of the things which motivated me to use virtual means of interview by using skype and WhatsApp. There are also some advantages in using online interviews to face-to-face interview, in that in online interview like skype, it is more flexible as one can always change the interview schedule quite easily, it is cost effective and saves time, and it is more convenient to use (Bryman, 2008). However, it is also important to note that there are some issues that one might encounter while using online interviews, such as limited internet connection, difficulty in observing body language which is important in interviews (ibid).

DATA COLLECTION

Prior to conducting the interview, participants were all informed through an invitation letter which was sent to them via email and WhatsApp which explains the purpose of the research and they were also informed of anonymity and confidentiality. They were also informed that their participation in the research is voluntary and they can withdraw at any time they feel before the publishing of the results (see appendix?). They were also informed of the need for recording their voice during the interview which is also voluntary and if they do not like to be voice recorded then their responses can be taken, but they all consented to the use of voice recorder for the purpose of the research. The above information was given to the participants for the protection of their rights in research as active participants (Kvale, 1996). To achieve the anonymity of the participants and to reassure them of anonymity, I used pseudonyms. Prior to the interview, I spoke with them on phone to build a good rapport which is important in the interview.

The interviews were conducted in April 2020 using skype and WhatsApp where skype call was not possible, both applications are computer and telephone social applications which are very useful in online interviews. The interviews were also conducted at quite places which is key in interviews. The interviews lasted for 20-40 minutes where I was able to exhaust all the questions. During the first part of the interview, I use the time to introduce myself to the participants as a masters student and a teacher by profession and later asked them some biographical questions to build a strong rapport for the interview to go smoothly. This briefing also helps me in building a comfortable atmosphere for the interview to flow (Kvale & Brinkmann, 2009). At this point I do not use the voice recorder as these can make the participants suspicious, so it is important to first build a good relationship with the participants during the first few minutes (Hughes, 1996). So, after my

introduction and asking the questions about their biographical data, seek their permission to record the interview to which they all consented with no hindrance. During the interviews, I listened

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attentively and use a comfortable body language to show the participants that am interested in what they have to say.

Furthermore, I changed the sequence of the questions a little bit in response to the way they answer my questions which is not a problem in semi-structured interview because although the ordering of the questions changed, I was able to ask all the questions (Salmons, 2011).

Finally, I ensured that where the arises I use probing questions to elucidate on responses that are not clear. After the completion of the interviews, I thanked the participants and asked if they have questions for me which some of them had. Few of them asked me further about my outdoor education practice in Sweden and the like. I also informed them that if they wish to be notified of the findings which they all answered in the affirmative, while some of them requesting for the thesis once published where possible.

DATA ANALYSIS

There is no easy way of analyzing interview data even though it is a method of data collection which can help the researcher gather his/her materials for analysis. Even though qualitative research method using interviews is a popular approach to data collection and helps in gathering very useful and interesting information as according to (Creswell, 2012), it is not easy to refine the data, analyze it and give real meaning to it. Thus, it is of paramount importance to ensure that one look into the interview thoroughly and choose an ideal method to your data analysis to have a

meaningful and well explained research. As Cohen et al., (2011) argued that there is a strong connection between the research questions and the method of analysis. Therefore, it is very

important to choose a method which fits the questions to be able to effectively address your aims. For the purpose of this research, I choose the thematic analysis as a method of analyzing my data due to the fact that in interviews there are usually a lot of information that is being gathered and it need to be refined so as to get your results. According to Kvale & Brinkmann (2009, p. 30) it is necessary to listen to the explicit descriptions and meanings, as well as to what is said “between the lines”. So, in this case there is the need to be very attentive and pay attention to all the details when doing your analysis. Kvale & Brinkmann (2009) argued further that the main purpose of a qualitative interview is to obtain real life descriptions, to interpret the meaning of the described phenomena and obtain thoroughly tested knowledge. To achieve that, “it goes beyond the

spontaneous exchange of views and becomes a careful questioning and listening approach between two persons conversing about a theme of mutual interest” (Kvale & Brinkmann 2009, p. 3). It is therefore of essence to be very attentive during the interview process for the researcher to be able to

References

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