Last September, the second-year students of the BSc in physical education took part in an exciting outdoor activity as part of their teacher training module Adventure and Water-Based Activities.
This module plays a vital role in their professional preparation. Evidence shows that, although outdoor adventure activities form part of both the Junior and Senior Cycle curricula in Ireland, they are often overlooked—frequently due to limited resources or a lack of teacher confidence in leading such activities.
To help address this issue and to encourage the inclusion of outdoor and aquatic learning experiences in schools, the module is structured around two main components.
During the first few weeks, students engage in a range of land- and water-based outdoor adventure activities. These include sessions at the UL Adventure Centre, where they take part in ropes courses, kayaking, and archery, among others. They also visit the UL Climbing Wall—home to Ireland’s tallest indoor climbing wall—where they challenge their fear of heights, and the Hike Wall, where we share a day of community and learning by hiking to the summit of Moylussa after a 12 km route with an elevation gain of 565 m (with the lecturers climbing it three days in a row!).
Activities are framed within the Adventure Education pedagogical model, which encourages students to face situations of uncertainty and to learn self-regulation, following the principle of “challenge by choice.” The result was three weeks of rich experiences that went beyond the pedagogical content, leaving lasting bonds between classmates and lecturers—something that, in itself, holds strong educational value.
After these initial weeks, the module divides into two strands:
- Aquatics, which takes place in the swimming pool and focuses on non-adventure water-based activities, and
- Outdoor Adventure for Low Resources/In-School Settings, where students explore ways to deliver outdoor learning when resources or opportunities to go off-site are limited.
In this second strand, students develop practical strategies for teaching outdoor adventure content creatively within the school grounds—for example, organising different types of orienteering, team-building, or campcraft activities without leaving the school.
Towards the end of the module, students are tasked with identifying potential outdoor adventure opportunities—either land or water-based—near their home or future school placement. In the final weeks, they deliver a presentation to their peers (who take on the role of parents and school staff), outlining their proposed activity, justifying its educational importance, and discussing aspects such as safety and budgeting.
Ultimately, the aim of this module is to ensure that the potential of outdoor adventure activities to enhance wellbeing and key social skills is not lost. It seeks to empower future teachers to both find creative ways to bring outdoor adventure into their teaching and adapt these experiences for school settings with limited resources.
On a personal and professional note, I would like to thank Ursula Freyne (module coordinator) for organising that wonderful hill walk, through which I discovered a little more of Ireland—and, remarkably, not a single drop of rain fell throughout (although, after three years here, I had come well-prepared with my rain trousers!). My/our gratitude also goes to all the students for their enthusiasm and teamwork. I hope you will pass on everything you’ve learned to your future students.
Dr. Carmen Barquero Ruiz is an Associate Professor in Physical Education in the Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, UL.
Contact: Carmen.Barqueroruiz@ul.ie. Follow on twitter: @cbarquero93. Research Profiles: Researchgate, ORCID, Linked-In.
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