Vision Valley Residential Program Pilot Initiative Report

RESEARCH REPORT 2023

ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF THE

Vision Valley Residential Program Pilot Initiative

Contents BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY........................................4 OUTDOOR EDUCATION CONTINUUM ..............................5 LITERATURE REVIEW....................................................6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.................................................8 RESULTS FROM WAVE 1............................................... 14 TESTIMONIALS........................................................... 12 LOOKING FORWARD.................................................... 15 WITH THANKS TO........................................................ 15 This report uses research from a project conducted by Western Sydney University and Pymble Ladies’ College.

Cooper, H., Ullman, J., Curry, C., & Gray, T. (2023). Assessing the Impact of the Vision Valley Outdoor Education Pilot Initiative at Pymble Ladies’ College. https://doi.org/10.26183/a33h-sr84

Background to the Study

FIGURE 1 Nature and recreational features of the Vision Valley site

VISION VALLEY The Vision Valley (VV) Campus, of Pymble Ladies’ College was purchased by the school in December 2020 to offer an outdoor learning environment separate from the main Pymble campus.

In this alternative pedagogical environment, students learn while immersed in nature to develop personal courage, resilience and improve their wellbeing.

The VV campus, is located 45 minutes’ drive from the main Pymble campus, in the north-west of Sydney on 97 acres, up to 150 people in four separate lodges and additional camping spaces for softtop programs, completely surrounded by national parks. This land is traditionally Dharug land, with spectacular, rugged Hawkesbury sandstone supporting a variety of endemic plant and animal species. The newly acquired campus, has had some upgrades since purchase for compliance so that it can safely offer short and long-stay programs to Pymble Ladies’ College students, as well as commercial bookings. Onsite outdoor education facilities include bushwalking, canoeing and raft building, rock climbing and abseiling, high and low ropes, mountain biking, team challenges and zip-lining. There is also a substantial capital works and maintenance schedule to upgrade and maintain the VV property over the longer term. These pictures highlight some of the natural and recreational features of the site.

OUTDOOR LEARNING CONTINUUM AT PYMBLE LADIES’ COLLEGE Experiential outdoor learning (EOL) at Pymble Ladies’ College aims to create a sequential, outcomes-based outdoor learning continuum from Kindergarten to Year 12. The key outcomes of the continuum include personal growth, connection to peers, life skills, leadership, rites of passage and environmental stewardship. During each year of schooling, students participate in a progressive program designed to develop physical, emotional, and social resilience, while strengthening their connection to nature. The scope and sequence of the Pymble Ladies’ College’s Kindergarten to Year 10 EOL program is outlined in Figure 2.

YEAR 9 RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM The Year 9 Residential Program is the cornerstone of the Pymble Ladies’ College outdoor experiential education continuum. Pilot programs were undertaken in 2022 to establish both baseline data as well as inform program design. The program is based at the Vision Valley (VV) campus, with three journeys taking place offsite and culminating in ‘The Great Return’ with arrival back to the main Pymble campus.

alongside 39 boys from Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview. The second cohort had 28 girls partaking in a single-sex cohort in October-November 2022.

Three programs were held across 2023, with two co-educational and one single-sex cohort. Across 2023, a total of 162 Pymble and 82 Riverview students participated in the voluntary program.

Part of interpreting an outdoor experience has long been termed as ‘letting the mountains speak for themselves’ (Neill, 2008). The VV campus, as well as expedition locations, are situated in spectacular dynamic landscapes where students are immersed in the environment. This immersion is part of the teaching and learning equation, as students become more connected to the natural environment, with the aim of imparting a sense of environmental stewardship. In the Pymble Ladies’ College program, the environment has been designed to create a balance between the comforts of home and the rigours of the outdoors.

This creates conditions for students where they are not at too much of a disequilibrium – they have a safe space to return to between elements of challenge.

In 2022, two student cohorts participated in the month-long program.

The first cohort, known as ‘The Pioneers’, had 58 girls participating in the program in August-September 2022

4 | Assessing the Impact of the Vision Valley Residential Program Pilot Initiative at Pymble Ladies’ College

Outdoor Education Continuum NATURE PLAY

K–1

Activities range from nature walks and bush art to obstacle courses, team building activities and camp fire experiences. The aim of these sessions is to get students more in touch with their natural surroundings, inviting them to be creative and discover new things.

FIRST OVERNIGHT EXPERIENCE

2–3

Girls experience their first overnight experience with a program of team building, nature activities and unstructured play that extends across the Pymble and Vision Valley campuses.

OUTDOOR SKILLS BUILDING

4–6

As an extension of the outdoor skills constructed across K-3, students engage with more challenging outdoor learning opportunities that begin to push students outside their comfort zone. Programs use adventure-based learning across Vision Valley and external sites to allow students to connect with their peers and the natural environment.

FIRST EXPEDITION

7

Based out of Vision Valley, students will hike and paddle through some amazing locations, in the national parks surrounding Vision Valley over a five-day program. They will also enjoy exciting team activities at Vision Valley and the chance to camp under the stars or in lodges.

CHALLENGE BY CHOICE

8

Students spend five days on a bush adventure, camping and enjoying activities such as bushwalking, canoeing and climbing. Students build on outdoor education skills while camping on the Colo River and develop a greater awareness of their own impact on our ecosystems.

9

This four-week program involves academic experiential learning and progressive outdoor education both on-site at Vision Valley and off-site on expeditions. Students’ connect more deeply with self, others and the natural world through shared challenges that develop students’ resilience, initiative, independence and sense of self.

VISION VALLEY RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM

The program is the flagship experience within the Outdoor Education Continuum. ‘Journey’ expeditions include multiple modes of transport across the Hawkesbury and Central Coast that extend students’ skills.

CHOOSE YOUR ADVENTURE

10

Students choose between a five-day coastal adventure in Murramarang National Park; white water rafting on the Snowy Mountains River, traversing the Victorian High Country on the nine-day Namadji trek, and canyoning and abseiling in the Blue Mountains.

FIGURE 2 Pymble Outdoor Learning Continuum

“The Pymble Outdoor Education Continuum is a life-changing journey that empowers girls to be courageous and to approach new challenges with optimism and excitement.”

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Literature Review NATURE AND THE OUTDOORS AS TEACHERS

TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE LAND

cost that she calls ‘The Curse of the

There is no doubt that traditional classroom teaching has its place in modern Australian pedagogy. Nature and the outdoors provide unique opportunities for learning and personal growth, offering hands-on experiences and insights that cannot be replicated in a classroom setting. Research shows that empathy with, and love of, nature grows out of children’s regular contact with the natural world (Chawla, 2021). One concept that is crucial to understand is the relationship between humans and nature, termed connectedness to nature, which can be defined as the individuals’ perception of their connection to the non‑human natural world (e.g., Capaldi et al., 2014; Mayer and Frantz, 2004). There is extensive research that points to young people’s interactions with the natural world having a significant impact on pro‑environmental attitudes and behaviours, as well as their feelings of connection to nature (Pirchio, et. al, 2021). Immersion in nature underpins Pymble’s Outdoor Education continuum and the Year 9 Residential Program in particular enables girls to develop the skills and understanding to move safely and competently while valuing a positive relationship with natural environments and promoting the sustainable use and stewardship of these environments.

In recent years, our western hegemonic society has accepted traditional Indigenous knowledges as foundational to our understanding of the Australian landscape. In future years, as cultural understanding is further integrated into the Australian curriculum and pedagogy, it will be vital to ensure this knowledge is included in any teaching setting, particularly in the outdoor classroom.

is diminishing girls’ resilience, or ability

The VV site is on the traditional land of the Dharug (also Darug) people. It has been recorded that the Dharug occupied around 1800km sq of land from the Hawkesbury River in the north to the Georges River in the south, stretching as far as Camden and Campbelltown. There are scant visible remains of Dharug custodianship onsite at VV includes sharpening groove artefacts.

gender inequality abounds (Gray, 2018;

The VV team seeks to form a relationship with Dharug people to inform an understanding of the land grounded in traditional knowledge.

The team have expressed a desire to develop this relationship and understanding in coming years.

outdoor education leadership positions

The Year 9 Residential Program incorporates nature and the outdoors into all aspects of the program without making it too arduous or depriving girls of the comforts of the everyday. It is not a ‘survival-type’ program, but one that facilitates connections with the natural world in a safe way, through staging and sequencing outdoor experiences and expeditions with the comforts of ‘home’ at Vision Valley.

Good Girl’. ‘The Curse of the Good Girl’ to cope with stress (Simmons, 2009 p.6). The evidence shows that girls cope with daily stressors by seeking social support and using social resources (Cortazar & Calvete, 2019).

The traditional approach to outdoor education in Australia has been a “boys club, built on a masculinised Outward Bound Model,” where p. 41). This approach has prioritised activities such as hiking, rock climbing, and high-ropes courses, which have been perceived as masculine and ‘hard-skills’ based. This has resulted in an under representation of women and other marginalised groups in EOL, and a lack of diversity in the types of activities offered. This under representation has also occurred in staffing, particularly in where the ‘stale, pale and male’ has reigned supreme.

There are several long-established outdoor EOL programs in Australia such as Geelong Grammar School’s (GGS) ‘Timbertop’ and The Scots College

GIRLS’ PARTICIPATION IN EOL

‘Glengarry’ Program. Similar to VV, these

Adolescence is fraught with risks and barriers including antisocial behaviour and a higher likelihood of depression and anxiety disorders (Bor et al. 2014; Damour, 2017; Fröjd, et. al, 2008; Hyde, et.al, 2008; Moshman, 2011). Girls are particularly sensitive to external influences, including peer interactions (Moshman, 2011). Simmons, author of several books on girl culture, writes “We live in the age of the fiercely successful ‘amazing girl’” (2009, p.2) with girls outshining boys in academics and in leadership roles, but at a psychological

programs operate from a regional campus, outside the main school, with traditional teaching integrated with outdoor and experiential education.

Timbertop, which is a co-educational program has been operating since 1953 and have developed a body of evidence on the efficacy of the program which includes The Institute of Positive Education that contributes to further research and development in this sector across Australia and links with international research.

6 | Assessing the Impact of the Vision Valley Residential Program Pilot Initiative at Pymble Ladies’ College

Literature Review In recent years there has been a push

resilience in the form of increased

Ladies’ College to measure outcomes

towards a more inclusive approach to

sense of mastery, increased sense of

of girls’ resilience and aid them in

outdoor education, with a focus on

relatedness and less emotional reactivity

examining if and to what capacity they

promoting diversity and representing

(Whittington et al. 2011). McKenney et.

promote resilience in girls.

women in the types of program

al. (2008; in Breault-Hood et. al, 2017)

offerings and in leadership positions.

concluded there remains a need for

Pymble Ladies’ College aims to lead the

more empirical research on the benefits

of its kind in the Australian school

charge in offering an innovative outdoor

of girls’ outdoor programs. Whittington

context for an all-girl setting. It provides

and experiential education program for

et al. (2011) report more studies are

meaningful, robust results that add to

girls that breaks many of the stereotypes

needed to explore the ‘dosage’ of

the existing knowledge in the field of

and expands the offerings to best suit

outdoor education to see further

outdoor education. The researchers

the population of girls.

insights into the associated degree of

systematically examined whether

change in resilience. Employing the

girls’ levels of resilience increased

survey techniques proposed in Year

post participation compared to

1, 2022 has the potential for Pymble

pre participation.

Girls who participated in outdoor education programs improved

The study represents one of the first

Research Report 2023 | 7

Executive Summary This research project was undertaken by the Centre for Educational Research, School of Education at Western Sydney University (WSU) on behalf of Pymble Ladies’ College. The study commenced during 2022 and investigated the impact of the recently implemented Vision Valley Outdoor Education program upon student learning beyond the traditional classroom setting.

RESEARCH METHODS

QUANTITATIVE (SURVEY) METHODOLOGY

PARENT SURVEY INSTRUMENTATION:

The research parameters were co-designed by Pymble Ladies’ College in consultation with the WSU research team. The research project set out to identify if levels of courage, stress and resilience changed as a result of engagement in the Vision Valley (VV) outdoor education program. These factors were determined to be crucial wellbeing indicators associated with the school’s desire to develop courage and resilience and to decrease or mitigate stress in their students.

A mixed-methods research (MMR) design was adopted by the research team utilising both quantitative and qualitative datasets (see Bergman, 2008; Crotty, 1998). A series of surveys, interviews and focus groups were conducted in 2022 with school executive and staff, students and parents. The data was analysed to determine the impacts and experiences of young people undertaking a four-week outdoor education program. The research questions that guided the research included:

Two online surveys were deployed to students in the two longstay residential programs (referred to in reports from the research as ‘Wave 1’ and ‘Wave 2’. This report examines Wave 1 data only). Students completed one survey prior to departure and another upon return. Parents of participating students were also invited to complete their own online surveys, one prior to their child’s departure and another just after return.

The parent survey comprised of a small number of demographic items followed by a longer substantive set of items which explored parents’ anticipated/ reported impacts of participation in the VV Residential Program on their child. A small set of open-ended items included in both the pre- and post-surveys allowed parents to share any questions, reservations, or other observations with the researchers.

1. Do students report levels of courage change after their engagement in their outdoor education program?

2. Do students report levels of stress change after their engagement in their outdoor education program?

3. Do resilience change after their engagement in their outdoor education program?

KEY FINDINGS STUDENT SURVEY INSTRUMENTATION: The student survey collected a small set of demographic items. The survey included items drawn from previously validated measures aligned with the central outcomes of the program.

These included: 1. A student’s sense of school belonging and isolation, measured using the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 6-item scale (ACER, 2018).

2. A student’s sense of academic ‘buoyancy,’ measured by the 4-item, psychometrically validated Academic Buoyancy Scale (Martin & Marsh, 2008a).

3. A student’s capacity for relationship building, self-confidence, self-efficacy beliefs, and their approaches to challenges, measured using the 34-item Adolescent Girls’ Resilience Scale (AGRS; Whittington & Aspelmeier, 2018).

Participating in the program clearly had a profound impact on students in several key areas. Firstly, their sense of belonging significantly improved as they engaged in activities and actively participated in the program. Making friends from different friendship groups and building social capacity played a crucial role in this development.

Secondly, students displayed increased bravery, demonstrating a willingness to take risks and face their fears. They embraced the unknown, embarked on new experiences and exhibited courage throughout the program. Thirdly, the outdoor education experience fostered personal growth in students.

Notably, their resilience showed the most significant growth, alongside the development of leadership skills, adaptability, tolerance, self-confidence and self-resilience. Correspondingly, the program was instrumental in enhancing students’ gratitude and appreciation for their privileges, such as their family, home and the natural world. They recognised and valued these privileges upon returning from the experience.

8 | Assessing the Impact of the Vision Valley Residential Program Pilot Initiative at Pymble Ladies’ College

Executive Summary Lastly, the theme of transitions emerged, encompassing both positive and negative experiences for the students.

While some concerns were raised about academic studies, overall, the benefits of disconnecting from technology and reintegrating into the real world were evident for all involved.

Taken as a whole, the program fostered a sense of belonging, bravery, personal growth, gratitude and successful transitions for the students.

B. Bravery: There was an increased sense of students feeling brave and a willingness to take risks. Their courage was observed as they stepped into the unknown, embraced new experiences and faced their fears.

D. Gratitude, appreciation, privilege: It was evident that this experience enhanced student gratitude and appreciation for the opportunities they are afforded, such as their family, home, and privileges. It also involves appreciating the natural world and recognising the privileges upon returning from an experience.

The following key findings emerged from the insights and findings of the research: A. S ense of belonging: Developed through participation: There was a significant improvement in students’ sense of belonging as a result of engaging in activities and overall participation in the program. It included the importance of making friends from different friendship groups and building social capacity.

C. Personal growth through the experience: Students experienced, reported, and observed personal growth through their outdoor education experience. In particular, their resilience showed the greatest growth, along with developing their leadership skills, becoming adaptable, tolerant and enhancing self-confidence and self-reliance.

E. Transitions: This theme explores the various transitions that the students experienced through their participation in the program, both positive and negative. Although there was some apprehension from students, parents and teachers about their academic studies, overall the benefits of unplugging from technology were visible for all and getting back into the real world.

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Results (Wave 1) ADOLESCENT GIRLS’ RESILIENCE SCALE (AGRS) TABLE 1 Paired Samples Mean Comparison, AGRS Sub-Scales

Pre-Survey

Approach to Challenges

Relationship Building

Post-Survey

t-test (df)

p

Cohen’s d

n

M

SD

n

M

SD

44

3.60

0.45

44

3.73

0.51

- 2.604 (43)

.006

0.27

44

3.75

0.44

44

3.84

0.47

- 1.559 (43)

.063

0.20

44

3.87

0.51

44

3.91

0.52

- 0.838 (44)

.203

0.08

In Wave 1, students’ scores on all three subscales of the AGRS increased between pre- and post-survey deployment. As shown in Table 1, the

ADOLESCENT GIRLS’ RESILIENCE SCALE (AGRS), SUBSCALES Table 2 shows results from a statistical comparison of mean scores at pre-/ post-survey deployment. As can be seen, the post‑experience increase in students’ “Approach to Challenges” subscale was large enough to be statistically significant [t (43) = -2.60, p = .006], while students’ mean score increase for the “Self-Efficacy” subscale was approaching significance [t (43) = -1.56, p = .063]. Cohen’s d effect sizes for both were in the ‘small’ range (Cohen, 1988). All reported scores hovered between “neither agree nor disagree” (3) and “agree” (4), approaching the latter at the post-survey time period.

large increases were apparent for both the “Approaches to Challenges” and “Self-Efficacy” subscales.

FIGURE 3 Wave 1 AGRS Mean Score Differences, Pre-/Post-Survey

Adolescent Girls’ Resilience Scale (AGRS), subscales 5.0

Pre Post

4.5 4.0 3.5

3.60

3.73

3.75

3.84

3.87

3.91

3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0

Approach to Challenges

Self-Efficacy

10 | Assessing the Impact of the Vision Valley Residential Program Pilot Initiative at Pymble Ladies’ College

Relationship Building

Results (Wave 1) SENSE OF SCHOOL BELONGING ITEMS (PISA) As shown in Figure 4, students participating in Wave 1 exhibited notably higher levels of self-reported school belonging than reported Australiawide averages for 15-year-olds (ACER, 2018) across each of the six included items of the PISA Sense of Belonging measure. These are reported by overall percentage of dis/agreement (depending on the directionality of the item), with higher percentages indicating greater sense of belonging at school.

While differences between the prepost-survey iterations were not large enough to be statistically significant, it is notable that across all three items indicating experiences of isolation at school, students reported greater percentages of disagreement at the time of the post survey.

FIGURE 4 Wave 1 PISA ‘Sense of Belonging’ Mean Score Differences, Pre-/Post-Survey

PISA Sense of Belonging Items 100% 95% 90% 85% 80% 75% 70% 65% 60%

AUS-wide Averages PRE POST

55% 50%

I feel like an I make friends I feel like I feel awkward Other students I feel lonely at school seem to outsider at easily at school I belong at and out of [%Disagree] like me place at my school [% Agree] school [% Agree] school [% Agree] [% Disagree] [% Disagree]

FIGURE 5 Wave 1 Academic Buoyancy Scale Mean Score Differences, Pre-/Post-Survey

Academic Buoyancy Scale

7 6 5 4

3.68

3.84

3 2 1

PRE

ACADEMIC BUOYANCY SCALE Finally, Figure 5 shows the differences in students’ self-reported academic ‘buoyancy,’ or their capacity to ‘bounce back’ from academically stressful setbacks at school across both pre-/ post-survey iterations. While students’ mean academic buoyancy scores were more than a point lower than reported baseline scores for Australian high school students (M = 4.69, as reported in Martin & Marsh, 2008b), it is promising to see a slight rise in the scale mean across the two conditions. At both timepoints, students’ average scores hovered between “disagree somewhat” (3) and “neither agree nor disagree” (4).

POST

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Testimonials Sense of Belonging ... you had to walk every day. But I think people are closer, like way closer because I didn’t know like most of the people in my kin group but then I got to know them more on that hike because like we were singing together and stuff. That stuff ’s nice. It really makes you feel connected to you to who you’re with.

Bravery My daughter was pushed to her physical limits while on the expeditions and found some parts really challenging, but every time she speaks about these experiences, she is extremely positive. She has never been pushed to her physical limits like that before and came through the experience with resounding resilience and a real sense of achievement. This was due to the camaraderie and support of her group and leaders, as well as her own sheer determination.

When ... things were physically challenging, for example, hiking, ... if no one was around me, I would just stop, … then I just told myself … only worry about what you can control ... Usually I would just give up and say I can’t do this. But then I just kept thinking just keep taking ...one step forward. And that’s the only way you can get to where you want to go ... that helped a lot.

12 | Assessing the Impact of the Vision Valley Outdoor Education Pilot Initiative at Pymble Ladies’ College

Testimonials Gratitude and Appreciation Overall speaking she has shown much appreciation when she is back home and even small items like a clean toilet and food prepared for her. Not take it for granted and understand we need to stand in other people’s shoes to have a better understanding before making decision. She is more able to be organised in her daily life. More tolerant and not as ‘germ-fearing’ as before.

Personal Growth The change I guess in students is more about their resilience. So their resilience, the independence. But definitely I would say this is life changing for them and I think that it was much more dynamic learning and authentic.

… with all their packs on and we sat and looked at this amazing view out of the hills and we had a really profound conversation about the value of doing hard things in life and why.

[My child] also learned a lot about leadership, and she is very keen to continue to seek out leadership opportunities. She was on the Pymble website looking for Year 10 leadership opportunities next year.

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Testimonials Transitions ... as it went on, we discovered that we really liked spending time outdoors and it really helps to strengthen our bonds and connections with those around us. It just kind of changes you.

14 | Assessing the Impact of the Vision Valley Outdoor Education Pilot Initiative at Pymble Ladies’ College

Looking Forward...

From 2024, the Year 9 Residential Program will become a core component of students’ education at Pymble Ladies’ College, with all students residing at Vision Valley for four weeks. As an evidence-informed school, the Vision Valley Year 9 Residential Program will continue to evolve, taking key findings from students’ experiences to provide rich and rigorous learning opportunities.

The intentions of the program are not for students to co-exist with static learning opportunities, but rather to become co-constructors of their learning and promote a deeper connection to self, others, and the natural world.

With these intentions, the future of the program will include: • A balance of interdisciplinary and experiential learning, and outdoor education

• Inclusion of a 24-hour Solo camping experience as the culminating personal challenge and opportunity for deep reflection, and a Rogaine as the final advanced navigation group challenge

• Opportunity for students to create a seasonal, signature contextual learning experience that is unique to each cohort and students’ individual journey

• Implementation of a wellbeing program across the four weeks that reflects the metamorphosis of students on their journey from child to young adult

• Expansion of experiential learning opportunities to include broader elective and service options with embedded authentic curriculumbased outcomes

• Intention to engage with partner boys’ schools to provide a co-educational learning environment where students develop respectful and healthy relationships.

• Engagement with First Nations experiences to allow students to connect with the Dharug land they live and learn on

With thanks to Dr Kate Hadwen PRINCIPAL Dr Sarah Loch DIRECTOR OF PYMBLE INSTITUTE Victoria Adamovich RESEARCH ASSISTANT PYMBLE INSTITUTE Stuart Clark HEAD OF CAMPUS VISION VALLEY (2020-2023) Vanessa Petersen DEPUTY HEAD OF CAMPUS - VISION VALLEY Tom Riley HEAD OF UPPER SCHOOL (2021-2023 )

HEAD OF CAMPUS VISION VALLEY (FROM 2024)

Helen Cooper Dr Christina Curry Professor Tonia Gray Associate Professor Jacqueline Ullman

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Whittington, A. & Aspelmeier, J. (2018). Resilience, peer relationships, and confidence: Do girls’ programs promote positive change? Journal of Outdoor Recreation, Education, and Leadership, 10(2), 124–138.

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DOI: 10.1080/14729679.2010.505817

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I’ll hang up one of my photos getting to the top of [the]mountain. Every time I look at that photo ... Oh my goodness, I climbed a mountain, if I can do that, I can probably do anything.

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pymblelc.nsw.edu.au Avon Road Pymble NSW 2073 PO Box 136 North Ryde BC NSW 1670 Australia +61 2 9855 7799 A SCHOOL OF THE UNITING CHURCH ACN 645 100 670 | CRICOS 03288K

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