A reappraisal of Aesthetic Education in Outdoor Education: Building on Quay’s Legacy

This article develops Quay’s account of aesthetic experience in outdoor education and argues for a more pluralistic model of aesthetic education. While Quay argues that holistic experience remains valuable, I suggest that outdoor education can be strengthened through engagement with philosophical aesthetics. Drawing on environmental and everyday aesthetics, this article incorporates insights from Ronald W. Hepburn, Yuriko Saito and Arnold Berleant. Hepburn’s notion of “sensible‑sounding language” highlights the need for precise vocabulary to articulate aesthetic experience in nature, recognising its integrated cognitive and sensuous dimensions. Saito’s work on everyday aesthetics invites educators to notice aesthetic qualities in mundane aspects of outdoor practice to enhance their educational potential. Finally, Berleant’s tripartite model of description, critical explanation and critical appraisal is proposed as a basis for an aesthetic curriculum for outdoor educators. I conclude that a richer focus on aesthetic education can generate more meaningful outdoor learning experiences for learners and practitioners.