Background: This qualitative descriptive study gauged the perceptions of adolescent focus group participants and outdoor adventure education teachers on their preferred program components to improve adolescent wellbeing during a secondary school outdoor adventure education program.Methods: Five student focus groups (N = 29) and four key informant interviews were conducted. Manual clustering of transcripts and template thematic analysis involving the development of a priori codes from interview questions resulted in an initial deductive code frame, followed by an inductive coding process.Findings: Six themes were developed, namely perceptions of the outdoors, motivators for participation, barriers to participation, staff traits, and ideal program components. The main findings were that self‐efficacy, resilience, and individual empowerment opportunities were highly valued. Students also valued autonomy and independence, which presented a challenge for teachers managing the risks of their programs. Social connections and relationships were also held in high regard.Contribution: Whilst adrenalin‐fuelled adventurous activities such as white water canoeing or rock climbing were popular with students and staff, the most valued aspects of outdoor adventure education were the opportunities to develop relationships, build social connections, self‐efficacy, resilience, and a sense of individual empowerment. Greater access to this style of education for adolescent students from lower socio‐economic areas would be beneficial due to the extant “opportunity gap” for this population.

Adolescence is a pivotal time for social and emotional wellbeing development, and the literature calls for psychosocial support approaches in this population. Outdoor adventure education (OAE), programs that contain activities perceived as risky by participants but undertaken in an environment of risk management and social support, provide a holistic approach to protecting and enhancing adolescent mental health. A qualitative descriptive methodology using purposive sampling was employed to recruit adolescents and teachers from Western Australia involved in OAE. Template thematic analysis was used to analyse the semi-structured interview data of five focus groups with adolescents and four key informant interviews with OAE teachers. Our findings suggest that developing and maintaining connections with others during OAE programming are powerful protective factors for psychosocial outcomes in adolescent participants. The tangible responsibilities and inherent challenges of OAE programming created opportunities for multifaceted successes, which also featured as an important finding in our study. We conclude that deliberate, critical OAE programming decisions with opportunities for connections, tangible responsibilities and challenges, and the nurturing of individual empowerment in participants, may positively impact psychosocial outcomes. Further research is needed to understand the psychosocial impacts of OAE on adolescent participants as it relates to individual empowerment.

According to the Australasian Society for Developmental Paediatrics, experiential learning and outdoor play contain elements of risk, bravery, uncertainty, exploration, personal challenge, and adventure. These attributes are fundamental to a child’s growth, development, and wellbeing, and yet, in contemporary society, outdoor experiences have significantly declined. This scoping review explores the benefits and affordances of nature-based risky play and adventure education across early childhood and adolescence, asking what developmental opportunities emerge when children and adolescents engage in meaningful outdoor challenges. Adopting a benefit–risk approach where safety is “as safe as necessary” rather than “as safe as possible,” the review identifies common elements across developmental stages. A scoping review following PRISMA-ScR guidelines synthesised empirical studies (2015–2025). Our review included 40 empirical studies from a total of 5218 references, using diverse methodologies conducted predominantly in Western nations. All 40 studies reported positive associations across multiple developmental domains. Eight key themes developed: resilience and confidence, wellbeing, physical skills, autonomy and agency, nature connectedness, quality play provision, and educator influence. Authentic child agency and autonomy functioned as critical mechanisms through which benefits are realised across early childhood and school-aged populations. Key benefits included enhanced mental health, social competence, and anxiety prevention. Implementation barriers persist, including parental anxiety, institutional liability concerns, and cultural risk aversion. Evidence overwhelmingly supports nature-based risky play and outdoor adventure education as beneficial for child and adolescent development. Translation into practice remains limited by stakeholder attitudes and systemic barriers. Future research should prioritise longitudinal studies, cross-cultural investigation, and equity-focused approaches addressing disparities in access to positive risk-taking.

Outdoor Education has evolved as a learning area in Western Australia over many years. In this paper we document historical elements of an investigation into the nature and scope of Outdoor Education in Western Australia. Previous investigations conducted by other researchers on the nature and scope of Outdoor Education focused on Victoria, South Australia, and New Zealand guided the design and conduct of this study. We examine the introduction of the Outdoor Education course offered as an option in the Western Australian Certificate of Education. We provide signposts of significant events with consideration of the secondary and tertiary education settings. Outdoor Education, in its many formats, has a strong historical presence in Western Australia and continues to hold great potential within the curriculum.