Constructing a Teaching Model for Integrating Self-Directed Learning into Surfing-Based Outdoor Education: A Constraints-Led Approach

Abstract Book of the 11th International Conference on Research in Education

Year: 2026

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Constructing a Teaching Model for Integrating Self-Directed Learning into Surfing-Based Outdoor Education: A Constraints-Led Approach

Fang-Wei Lin, Lin Li-Ting

ABSTRACT:

This study aims to construct a teaching model that integrates self-directed learning (SDL) into surfing-based outdoor education through the lens of the constraints-led approach (CLA). Surfing, characterized by dynamic ocean conditions, uncertainty, and embodied skill acquisition, provides an authentic context for developing learners’ autonomy, risk awareness, and adaptive decision-making. Grounded in CLA, which emphasizes the interaction among individual, environmental, and task constraints, this study proposes a pedagogical framework that facilitates learners’ active exploration and skill adaptation in authentic water environments.A qualitative research design was adopted, incorporating document analysis and semi-structured interviews with university students enrolled in surfing courses. The findings reveal that embedding SDL within CLA enhances learners’ intrinsic motivation, risk perception, and self-efficacy, while promoting continuous skill refinement through environmental feedback. The proposed model consists of three core components: (1) manipulation of surfing-related constraints, (2) scaffolding strategies to gradually release learner autonomy, and (3) reflective practices to support experiential learning and transfer.This study contributes to the integration of motor learning theory and outdoor education pedagogy, offering practical implications for designing adaptive and learner-centered surfing curricula in higher education contexts.

Keywords: Physical Education in Higher Education; Motor Skill Acquisition; Outdoor Education; Risk Perception