| dc.description.abstract | In an age characterized by industrialization, globalization and accelerated travel, the importance of our immediate surroundings often goes unnoticed. The local environment in which we live and with which we interact on a daily basis is often only perceived as a backdrop to our activities and not as an important part of our lives. Place-based education (PBE) addresses this by emphasizing the importance of connecting students to their local environment in order to develop active, environmentally aware and engaged citizens who care about both their social and natural world. However, PBE sometimes overlooks the subjective nature of 'place', which is experienced uniquely by each individual. This master’s thesis narrows the gap between a holistic understanding of place and the practical application of PBE by examining the experiences of students in a place-based outdoor school program. The research aims to provide detailed descriptions of the elements that make up these place experiences and their contribution to PBE. To achieve this, four focus group interviews and observations of two outdoor school days were conducted. The data was analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The results show that students engage with place through exploration and play, experiencing moments of risk, fascination and discomfort. These experiences foster familiarity and a deeper understanding of their place. The following themes for PBE programs can be derived from the results: Promote engagement, assessing risk, supporting fascination, managing discomfort, promoting familiarity and meeting needs. | |
