Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education· 2026Q1· Review
Exploring teacher identity formation in outdoor education: a systematic literature review
- 1citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
A systematic review of 30 studies reveals that outdoor educator identity is primarily shaped by internal factors like early childhood experiences and confidence, and external factors such as practical knowledge application, community support, and professional education.
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Key points
- Outdoor educator identity is influenced by internal factors like early childhood experiences and confidence.
- External factors, including practical knowledge application, community, and professional education, also bolster outdoor educator identity.
- The reviewed literature predominantly consists of fair to high-quality qualitative research.
- Findings have implications for outdoor education programs and future research directions.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Professional identity plays a crucial role in education, influencing teaching philosophies, commitment to the profession, pedagogical choices, openness to educational reform, and overall wellbeing. However, most research on teacher identity has focused on specific disciplines, including science, maths, language, and music teacher identity. Despite the growing support for outdoor education, limited studies address the professional identity of outdoor education teachers. This systematic literature review synthesises peer-reviewed literature on outdoor educator identity, aiming to explore three key aspects: (i) the definition of identity within outdoor education, (ii) methodologies for measuring identity, and (iii) factors that influence outdoor education teacher identity. The results show that the identity of outdoor leaders, teachers, and undergraduate students is strengthened by internal factors such as early childhood experiences and confidence, and external factors, such as the practical application of knowledge and skills, communities, and professional education. The reviewed studies, predominantly fair to high-quality qualitative research, provide valuable insights into identity development with strong implications for the practices of leaders, teachers, and undergraduate outdoor education programs. The findings also highlight theoretical and methodological considerations for advancing research on outdoor educator identity.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Social Psychology
Social PsychologyPsychology