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Near-peer teaching in a university outdoor environmental education programme following footprints in the sand717.08 kB
Published Version (Advanced Access)CC BY-NC-ND V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Near-peer teaching in a university outdoor environmental education programme: following footprints in the sand
Higher Education Research and Development, Vol.44(7), pp.1805-1818
2025
Appears in UniSC Supported Open Access Outputs
Abstract
Near-peer teaching is an application of social learning theory, where higher education students who are advanced in their programme teach students who are just starting a similar programme. Research indicates that both sets of students benefit from engaging in a near-peer teaching experience. However, near-peer teaching may not be the timesaving, or workforce management solution some claim it to be, as the pedagogy can be resource intensive. This study explored the perceptions of near-peer teachers and learners in an undergraduate outdoor environmental education programme at a regional Australian university. Over a three-year period, data were collected from 342 students using an online survey. Responses to quantitative questions indicated that both near-peer teachers and learners found the pedagogical approach effective. Responses to qualitatitive questions were analysed and common themes identifying what made the near-peer teaching effective were recency, relatability, social congruence, and authenticity; while a lack of authority, experience, and poor communication can make the pedagogical approach challenging. This study affirms the value of near-peer teaching as a collaborative way of partnering with students to encourage learning in higher education.
Details
- Title
- Near-peer teaching in a university outdoor environmental education programme: following footprints in the sand
- Authors
- Glyn Thomas (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Education and Tertiary AccessBrendon Munge - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Education and Tertiary AccessRobyn Fox - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Education and Tertiary AccessMichael D Carey - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Education and Tertiary Access
- Publication details
- Higher Education Research and Development, Vol.44(7), pp.1805-1818
- Publisher
- Routledge
- Date published
- 2025
- DOI
- 10.1080/07294360.2025.2486187
- ISSN
- 1469-8366; 0729-4360
- Copyright note
- © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
- Organisation Unit
- Indigenous and Transcultural Research Centre; School of Education and Tertiary Access
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991116852402621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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