Wellbeing, sense of belonging, resilience, and academic buoyancy impacts of education outside the classroom: an Australian case study

This paper examines the importance of ‘education outside the classroom’ (EOtC) in an Australian secondary school. The primary aim was to develop a sense of belonging, build resilience, and enhance wellbeing in female students. This study investigated two cohorts of Year 9 students (aged 14–15 yrs) who participated in a four-week residential EOtC pilot program. The first cohort (Wave 1; N = 58) undertook the program alongside (N = 39) boys. The second cohort was single-sex girls (Wave 2; N = 28). A mixed-methods research design was implemented to inform experiences of students, parents, and staff and to triangulate inferences drawn from the data. Quantitative data was gained from pre- and post-program surveys with students and parents, whilst qualitative data was gathered from student focus groups, staff, and parents through semi-structured interviews to assess more nuanced impacts. School belonging was measured using the PISA six-item scale. Academic buoyancy was quantified using the four-item Academic Buoyancy Scale. Self-efficacy, peer relations, and resilience were evaluated by employing the 34-item Adolescent Girls’ Resilience Scale. The findings revealed significant improvements in students’ sense of belonging, including higher levels of school belonging than reported Australia-wide averages for 15-year-olds. Despite students’ mean academic buoyancy scores being more than a point lower than reported baseline scores for Australian high school students, it was promising to see a modest increase following the EOtC program. In conclusion, EOtC is a potent vehicle for developing a sense of belonging, enhancing resilience, and equipping students to deal with academic challenges.