IDENTIFYING RISK FACTORS IN NATURE WALKS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY BASED ON THE VIEWS OF OUTDOOR SPORTS COURSE STUDENTS
Abstract
The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors arising during nature walks, based on the experiences and views of students participating in practical walks organized as part of the Outdoor Sports course. The research was conducted using a qualitative research approach. The study group comprised 14 students enrolled in the Recreation Department of the Faculty of Sports Sciences at Istanbul Topkapı University during the autumn term of the 2022–2023 academic year, who were attending the ‘Theory of Outdoor Sports’ course (code MOD301). As part of the study, the students regularly participated in nature walks held in various regions over an eight-week period. Following the completion of the eight-week practical programme, the students’ views on the environmental and natural risks, individual and physical risks, risks related to equipment, planning and organization, as well as risks concerning orientation, navigation and safety that they experienced and observed during the walks, and their views on the prevention and management of these risks, were examined. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview form developed by the researchers. The interview form consisted of five open-ended questions designed to enable students to express their views on risk factors based on their eight-week nature walk experience. The data obtained were analyzed using content analysis; they were evaluated according to codes and themes and supported by direct quotations. The findings revealed that the main risks during nature walks included slippery and muddy ground, rugged terrain, physical fatigue, lack of fitness, the use of unsuitable equipment and difficulties in following the route.
Bu araştırmada, doğa yürüyüşlerinde ortaya çıkan risk faktörlerinin, Doğa Sporları dersi kapsamında gerçekleştirilen uygulamalı yürüyüşlere katılan öğrencilerin deneyim ve görüşleri doğrultusunda belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırma, nitel araştırma yaklaşımı çerçevesinde gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırmanın çalışma grubunu, 2022-2023 eğitim-öğretim yılı güz döneminde İstanbul Topkapı Üniversitesi Spor Bilimleri Fakültesi Rekreasyon Bölümünde öğrenim gören ve MOD301 kodlu Doğa Sporları Teorisi dersine devam eden 14 öğrenci oluşturmaktadır. Araştırma kapsamında öğrenciler, sekiz hafta boyunca farklı bölgelerde gerçekleştirilen doğa yürüyüşlerine düzenli olarak katılmıştır. Sekiz haftalık uygulama sürecinin tamamlanmasının ardından öğrencilerin yürüyüşler sırasında deneyimledikleri ve gözlemledikleri çevresel ve doğal riskler, bireysel ve fiziksel riskler, ekipman, planlama ve organizasyona ilişkin riskler ile yön bulma, navigasyon ve güvenliğe ilişkin riskler ve bu risklerin önlenmesi ve yönetilmesine yönelik görüşleri incelenmiştir. Veriler, araştırmacılar tarafından geliştirilen yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme formu aracılığıyla toplanmıştır. Görüşme formu, öğrencilerin sekiz haftalık doğa yürüyüşü deneyimlerine dayalı olarak risk faktörlerine ilişkin görüşlerini ifade etmelerine olanak sağlayacak şekilde beş açık uçlu sorudan oluşturulmuştur. Elde edilen veriler içerik analizi yöntemiyle çözümlenmiş; kodlar ve temalar doğrultusunda değerlendirilerek doğrudan alıntılarla desteklenmiştir. Bulgular, doğa yürüyüşlerinde başlıca riskler arasında kaygan ve çamurlu zemin, engebeli arazi, fiziksel yorgunluk, kondisyon yetersizliği, uygun olmayan ekipman kullanımı ve rota takibinde yaşanan güçlüklerin öne çıktığını göstermiştir.
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejpe.v10i4.7062
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