Adventure education as a pathway to wellbeing: rethinking adventure through the lens of PERMA

Adventure education (AE) has long been celebrated for its unique contributions to learning and personal growth. But the benefits of the AE experience may be broader than these outcomes and we are best positioned to uncover these benefits through employing new lenses in our analysis of AE. A qualitative study of the AE experience was completed at three sites: a backpacking expedition, a challenge course, and a multi-activity adventure programme. Data collection efforts resulted in 183 hours of observation and 74 interviews with 41 participants. This data was analyzed through the lens of PERMA, a framework for wellbeing from the field of positive psychology. Findings illustrate the character of the AE experience across the five dimensions of PERMA: Positive emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment. These findings position AE as a pathway for the pursuit of wellbeing. The significance of this conception of AE is also discussed.