Knowing how and knowing that : a tale of two ontologies

Outdoor education has traditionally dealt with sources of knowledge that originate within the experience itself. This situated source exists in tension with more traditional modes of institutionalized learning which emphasize knowledge as an objectified curriculum content. Two types of knowing emerge: one reflected in a more practical knowing how, the other in a more theoretical knowing that. These two types of knowing also reflect different understandings of teaching. Central in this debate is the grounding ontology. A situated knowing can be grounded within a Heideggerian ontology. A dualistic knowing (subjectobject) is grounded in a Cartesian ontology. This paper explores the tensions embedded within these two different ways of knowing and their underpinning ontologies.