Research

The focus of my research is on Transforming Education through researching best practice Leadership, Pedagogy, and Internationalisation from a range of disciplines with a focus on, and passion for, the outdoors. I have developed a growing research profile, one that continues to build in depth and breadth.

I understand Leadership to be a process of interaction. I have presented my PhD Extraordinary Outdoor Leadership findings at international conferences, in publications (published and under development), further developed understandings through a research grant to explore the teaching of extraordinary leadership (Maroon Outdoor Education Centre), and the collaboration with Peace Studies at the University of Innsbruck, filling the final gap in the theory of extraordinary leadership beyond my PhD studies. A book is currently under development to present my PhD findings in a different context and expand upon the original findings incorporating understandings of peace that inform the findings further.

Pedagogy has always been something that fascinated and interested me since my undergraduate teaching studies. For me, understanding why things work in the learning space, being able to repeat successful experiences, and understanding how curriculum and pedagogy come together and the various ways of doing both, are core to my praxis (the theory-practice nexus). I participated in a research project exploring the incorporation of praxis in the Outdoor Education Teaching Specialisation and have published from this project with additional articles under development (Dr Kathleen Mahon). My need to understand more fully the student and teacher experience of contemporary curriculum and pedagogy has led to research projects exploring the student and teacher experience of learning outdoor education online, using social media to expand the learning space, and nature connection pedagogy. These projects have resulted in publications: published, in press, and under review. Two new projects are in the beginning phases, one with a local school exploring their bush school program bringing together the outdoors, nature connection pedagogy and student and teacher experience to further expand on knowledge in this area, and a second exploring fear in outdoor studies.

In terms of Internationalisation, my scholarship to teach and research in Germany (2012/13) for three months, led to a collaborative research project with a German colleague in 2014 (Dr Teresa Segbers), exploring the student and lecturer/visiting scholar experience of transculturality in the Transcultural European Outdoor Studies Masters Program. The first of two papers has been accepted for publication, with the second in the final stages of preparation for submission. This project expanded in 2017 to include a Canadian Colleague (Dr Patrick Maher) as we explore the visiting scholar and lecturer experience. Globalisation and the neo-nationalist response to this is being lived by students all over the world and is an area I plan to continue to pursue as I believe it is integral to education in the 21st Century. 

 

PhD Research

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Extraordinary Outdoor Leadership:

An Australian Case Study

My doctoral research explored extraordinary leadership in an outdoor education context and resulted in a new classification of leadership theories (head, heart, body and soul), three new levels of leadership (effective, exemplary and extraordinary) and four key elements of extraordinary leadership (awareness, relationships, intuition and spirituality). Examiners recommended the work for commendation and a copy of the thesis can be found on the University of Wollongong website. 

If you’d like to listen to how my thoughts have evolved since its completion, you may be interested in listening to this Podcast “On Leadership” thrrough Winter’s Bloom with Natasha Lowery (2020).

Current Research projects

Chief Investigator:

  • Smith, H.A., Dunn, C., Gebhardt, H., Lowery, N., Reed, J., & Richards, S. Intentional Learning Communities and Student Engagement in Higher Education. (Student Experience Grant)

  • Smith, H.A., Segbers, T., & Maher, P. Transcultural experience of the students and staff of the Masters of Transcultural European Outdoor Studies program.

  • Smith, H.A. Re-imagining online learning experiences: Using social media to support development of nature connection in Outdoor Education in an urban space.

  • Smith, H.A. & Albert, A. Dealing with fear: Combining sports psychology mental training techniques with outdoor learning.

Investigator:

  • Nicol, R., Christie, B., Higgins, P., Smith, H.A., & Clarke, D. Keeping the Door Open: Curating, developing and evolving Edinburgh University teaching in spaces and places within the city and beyond (PTAS Grant).

  • Moltow, D., Smith, H.A., Kinnear, V., & Aarons, H. Beyond a phenomenology of learning space architecture.

Completed Research projects

  • Smith, H.A., Dyment, J.E., & Hill, A. Online Teaching and Learning in Outdoor and Sustainability Education Units: An Investigation of Potential.

  • Smith, H.A., & McKenna, P. Improving Outdoor Leadership Practice: Developing awareness of self, others and environment.

  • Smith, H. A., Holmes, M., Forde, M., Exploring the effectiveness of the ‘BushSense Workshop’ on developing human-nature relationships in individuals incorporating indigenous knowledge and experiential learning.Dyment, J.E., Smith, H.A., O’Connell, T. ‘On-line’ vs ‘Pen and Paper’ journals: Influences of reflective journal type on Quality of Reflection and Student Experience.

  • Smith, H.A. & Drummy, M. Future pedagogies in higher education: 21st century pedagogical practice, learning environment and learning partnerships.

Study leave

  • 2017 - Study Leave was awarded after taking on Course Coordination for two years so that I was able to re-focus on my research and outputs, after two years of a significant increase in administration requirements. The leave afforded me the opportunity to further develop my PhD work with a visit to the University of Innsbruck, Austria, and to collect data for my collaborative research project on Transculturality in Outdoor Studies at the Philipps University, Marburg (Germany). Three articles were published.

  • 2010 - Study Leave was awarded to allow for completion of a full draft of my PhD. My PhD was accomplished part time while working full time teaching and leading the outdoor education teacher education program. My PhD was subsequently submitted in 2011, with graduation in 2012.