The impact of an innovative continuing professional development programme for teachers on self-efficacy and outcome expectancy in the context of outdoor education

Outdoor education represents a pedagogical approach that can foster not only pupils’ learning outcomes but also their interest in natural science and the development of a positive relationship with the surrounding natural environment. Despite its proven benefits, its implementation within formal education remains limited. One of the key influencing factors is teachers, particularly their perceived self-efficacy and outcome expectancy. This study examined whether an innovative continuing professional development programme for primary school teachers could strengthen these aspects among science teachers. Using a one-group pretest–posttest quasi-experimental design, the findings revealed a statistically significant increase in both perceived self-efficacy and outcome expectancy after programme completion. These results suggest that targeted professional development can enhance teachers’ self-efficacy and expectations, potentially improving their attitudes towards implementing outdoor education in primary schools.