A Comprehensive investigation of forest experience activities based on the relationship between activity elements

Abstract

In outdoor education, the relationships between individuals and nature, and between individuals and others during nature experience activities are believed to be of major significance but are not fully understood. In this study, the structure of these relationships was investigated based on the following activity elements, (1) nature → experient, (2) experient → nature, (3) leader → experient, (4) experient → leader, (5) experient → experient, and (6) experient’s internal relationships, targeting forest experience activities, which are one of the most common nature experience activities. Analysis of video records of 40 types of forest experience activity revealed that interpersonal involvements (i.e. (3) leader → experient, (4) experient → leader and (5) experient → experient) accounted for larger percentages of all experiences compared to the relationships between the experient and nature (i.e. (1) nature → experient and (2) experient → nature) and the experient’s own internal world (i.e. (6) experient’s internal relationships). Principal component and cluster analyses of the video records across the six relationships suggested four main classes of forest experience activity. These classes were defined by the durations of activities and characterized by a passive or active interaction with nature and the target of that connection (leader or nature and experient) and cover a wide range of the six relationship classes observed in past studies.