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Exploring post-course outcomes of an undergraduate tourism field trip to the Antarctic Peninsula

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2013

M.E. Johnston ,
J.P. Dawson ,
J. Childs  and
P. T. Maher
M.E. Johnston
Affiliation:
School of Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Rd., Thunder Bay, ON, P7B 5E1, Canada (mejohnst@lakeheadu.ca)
J.P. Dawson
Affiliation:
Department of Geography, Institute for Science, Society and Policy, University of Ottawa, 75 Laurier Ave., Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada
J. Childs
Affiliation:
Department of Geography, Brock University, 500 Glenridge Ave., St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada
P. T. Maher
Affiliation:
Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Management Program, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC, V2N 4Z9, Canada
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Abstract

A small number of educational programmes for university students include field experience in Antarctica. These programmes contain a range of educational objectives, approaches and academic assessment related to the field component and the intended on-site learning for students. However, it is possible that the on-site experiences of students in these programmes have an influence on later decisions and behaviour beyond the course itself in the years following participation. This paper investigates the possibility of such influence for students who participated in ship-based tourism field trips to the Antarctic Peninsula and adjacent locations (South Georgia, the Falkland Islands, and South Shetland Islands) and explores whether students link their participation to particular post-course outcomes. It examines how participants report being affected by a trip to the Antarctic Peninsula, particularly in terms of later decisions regarding learning, professional lives, and environmental behaviour. Influences noted by respondents include effects on choices made in relation to academic pursuits and career paths, as well as development of their environmental values through increased awareness of tourism impacts, Antarctic region sustainability issues, and global issues such as climate change.

Type
Research Article
Information
Polar Record , Volume 50 , Issue 2 , April 2014 , pp. 147 - 155
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

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