The impacts of outdoor education toward group cohesion and outdoor education attitude among student from IPGM, Kampus Temenggung Ibrahim, Johor

The purpose of this study was to examine the impacts of outdoor education toward group cohesion and outdoor education attitude. The samples in the study were students from Department of Physical Education, Institut Pendidikan Guru Malaysia, Kampus Temenggung Ibrahim, Johor Bahru, Johor. Sixty three (n=63) students participated with 32 serve as experimental group and 31 served as control group. The duration of the programme four days and three nights with both control and experimental group experience the same programme except team building activities which serve as a treatment for experimental group. This study seeks to explore the effects of outdoor education camp and sociodemographic variables (age, gender, place of living, and previous outdoor experience) on group cohesion and outdoor education attitudes. Group Environmental Questionnaire (GEQ) and Outdoor Education Attitude Inventory (OEAI) were used to gather quantitative data from pre and post-tests. Results from the present study suggested that, the camp led to a positive improvement in both group and the experimental group showed strong favourable toward group cohesion and outdoor attitude as compared to control group. Only previous experience found to be influential for OEAI but not for GEQ. The process of attitudinal changes toward group cohesion and outdoor education corresponded with Hanna's (1995) Theory of Intention In and For the Wilderness and Theory of Social Cognitive (Bandura, 1988).