‘Being well’: the master key to unlocking competencies? How outdoor and adventure activities contribute to the development of children within a competency-based curriculum

The Draft Primary Curriculum Framework (NCCA 2020 NCCA (National Council for Curriculum and Assessment). 2020. “Draft Primary Curriculum Framework.” National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, Department of Education, Government of Ireland, Dublin. https://ncca.ie/media/4456/ncca-primary-curriculum-framework-2020.pdf. [Google Scholar]) and the Primary Curriculum Framework in Ireland (NCCA, 2023 NCCA (National Council for Curriculum and Assessment). 2023. “Primary Curriculum Framework.” National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, Department of Education, Government of Ireland, Dublin. https://www.curriculumonline.ie/getmedia/84747851-0581-431b-b4d7-dc6ee850883e/2023-Primary-Framework-ENG-screen.pdf. [Google Scholar]) identified 'Wellbeing' as a broad curricular area. This study explores the inclusion of outdoor and adventure activities (OAA) in a redeveloped curriculum to support one of the seven key competencies, 'Being Well' (NCCA 2023 NCCA (National Council for Curriculum and Assessment). 2023. “Primary Curriculum Framework.” National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, Department of Education, Government of Ireland, Dublin. https://www.curriculumonline.ie/getmedia/84747851-0581-431b-b4d7-dc6ee850883e/2023-Primary-Framework-ENG-screen.pdf. [Google Scholar]). Four semi-structured interviews were conducted with expert participants to elicit their views on OAA within a redeveloped curriculum. The findings show that OAA has the potential to foster wellbeing and other competencies, but it is currently neglected due to demands on teachers and a lack of support. These findings suggest that if OAA is to realise its potential, teachers require strong leadership and consistent support to become competent and confident in teaching OAA, underpinned by an understanding of its potential. Further research is needed to track OAA's implementation in schools and its contribution to children's competencies.