Abstract
Te Kahu is intended to be a transformative educational endeavour composed of a 28-day residential outdoor learning programme in a remote location. The study retrospectively examines the experiences of young women who completed Te Kahu as adolescent girls, up to 11 years earlier. I invited the participants to reflect on the long-term impact of their learning experiences, which had been a compulsory part of their New Zealand school education. The research utilised a sequential mixed-methods design. Initial survey data provided an overview of the respondents’ perceptions of their learning and how this aligned with the programme’s goals. I purposefully selected 11 interview participants from the survey respondents for an in-depth exploration of their experiences. A narrative thematic analysis of the interviews distilled the identity narratives and lifelong learning that the young women identified from their experiences. The retrospective insights of the participants highlighted how their perceptions of their learning aligned with the programme’s goals. Key findings demonstrate how this mandatory remote outdoor learning experience influenced four main aspects of their identity. The young women: (1) identified as confident and capable in the outdoors, (2) appreciated the support to develop their independence, and (3) expressed an ethical and environmental identity. (4) Most, but not all, participants reported a sense of belonging to a collective Te Kahu social identity. Other key findings demonstrate long-term impacts. Most of the young women in this study felt empowered by what they learnt during the outdoor programme. They learnt to use their personal strengths and build interpersonal connections to support their peers. Te Kahu’s outdoor programme provided them with authentic experiences to be capable learners and challenge gendered assumptions. The young women also described how their Te Kahu learning had deepened with time and they continued to integrate the environmental habits learnt. They remembered the regenerative wellbeing effects of immersion in nature from Te Kahu and sought out similar experiences as young adults. They also identified benefits from adopting slower and/or device-free practices and purposefully reflecting while immersed in nature. These findings reinforce how this outdoor learning experience was a pivotal aspect of their education, with far-reaching and transformative learning for many. Overall, this research demonstrates the value of purposefully collecting retrospective data to understand long-term learning and impacts that can also inform the design of future outdoor learning programmes.