This thesis explores whether outdoor educators apply the philosophical frameworks of Experiential Education (EE) and Democratic Education (DE) as a part of their daily practice in Ontario's public secondary schools. The primary research question asks, 'what is a work?' in the OE classroom, by looking at how philosophical paradigms guide OE practitioners in the design and implementation of their programs, in their relationships with students, and in their decisions about curriculum and evaluation. This study operates from a critical-pragmatist perspective and embodies a conceptual framework whose aims are to integrate the experiences of outdoor educators, critical thinking, theory/philosophy, reflection, and suggestions for action. It consists of an extensive review of the literature, as well as six interviews with outdoor educators. Given the data collected, this study proposes that the philosophical tenets of EE and DE emerge in the practice of OE and that, in an effort to reassert the value of threatened OE programs, it would be beneficial for outdoor educators to include theoretical/philosophical arguments in their defense.
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