Effects of a Workshop on Perceptions of Journaling in University Outdoor Education Field Courses: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate how participation in a journaling workshop influenced students' perceptions of journaling in university outdoor experiential education field courses. A total of 62 post secondary students from two selected university programs in North America participated in the study and were randomly assigned to either a control group or experimental group. Immediately before and after their field course, participants in both groups completed a quantitative questionnaire containing 38 questions exploring their perceptions of journaling. Participants in the experimental group participated in a 45 minute workshop before their field course providing them with strategies to journal effectively. Results showed students in the experimental group were influenced by their participation in the journaling workshop. The workshop had the most influence on female students who had little experience journaling. This article concludes with a discussion of additional factors that might influence student experiences with, and perceptions of, journaling. The findings in this exploratory study set the stage for more ambitious explorations of the factors that influence student perceptions of journaling.

Keywords

Journal writing instruction Outdoor recreation Field courses University student

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