Jayson Seaman in Kinesiology Outdoor Education

Jayson Seaman

Professor
Chair
Phone: (603) 862-1162
Office: Hewitt Hall, Durham, NH 03824
Websites:
Curriculum Vitae

I am a professor and the chair of the Department of Recreation Management and Policy at the University of New Hampshire. My research sits at the intersection of developmental science, cultural psychology, and experiential education, focusing on how young people construct meaningful lives and futures within changing social and ecological contexts. I study how culture, history, and class shape the developmental processes of identity formation, purpose, and belonging, particularly in outdoor and rural settings. My work aims to advance a science of contextually grounded youth development linking identity and purpose with the social, cultural, and institutional structures that shape opportunities for growth and belonging.

 

My scholarship integrates historical and philosophical analysis with contemporary developmental research. In earlier work, I examined the intellectual roots of experiential education through the ideas of John Dewey and the transatlantic evolution of Outward Bound, tracing how outdoor learning became linked to psychological growth and moral character during the 20th century. My current research extends these interests into applied developmental contexts, exploring how outdoor and place-based experiences support identity formation and future planning during adolescence.

 

I co-lead the New Hampshire Youth Retention Initiative (YRI), an interdisciplinary research program that investigates how rural youth imagine and plan their futures amidst economic and cultural change. This work examines how developmental processes unfold under conditions of uncertainty, and how institutions can better support thriving pathways rooted in place. The initiative connects sociocultural theory, ecological systems thinking, and narrative methods to understand how youth, families, and communities coordinate meaning across identity domains.

Courses Taught

  • OUT 546: Whitewater Canoeing
  • OUT 552: Water Based Experiences
  • OUT 681: Foundations of Adventure Ed.
  • OUT 693: Teaching Assistantship
  • PA/RMP 802/924: Grant-writing
  • PA/RMP/SW 802/924/957: Grant-writing
  • RMP 563: Rec Mgt & Policy Practicum
  • RMP 768/868: Theories of Youth Development
  • RMP 796: Independent Study
  • RMP 912: Non-Profit Administration
  • RMP 970: Teaching Practicum
  • RMP 980: Independent Study
  • RMP 992: Research Methods in RMP
  • SW 957: Fund Development& Grantwriting

Education

  • Ph.D., Education, University of New Hampshire
  • M.S., Kinesiology: Outdoor Education, University of New Hampshire
  • B.A., English, Secondary Education, New England College

Research Interests

  • Educational Psychology
  • Identity
  • Youth Development/Leadership

Selected Publications

  • Seaman, J. (2025). Anchoring ‘neo-Hahnian outdoor education’ in the cold war era: a history of
    character building
    in the Outward Bound movement. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 1-18. doi:10.1080/14729679.2025.2494035

  • Seaman, J., Coppens, A. D., Hartman, C. L., Bastoni, A., Moscouver, K., LaChaine, C., & Gronneberg, J. (2024). Outdoor recreation shows promise as an equitable context for youth informal STEM learning in amenity-rich rural areas. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, 48, 100815. doi:10.1016/j.jort.2024.100815

  • Hartman, C. L., Seaman, J., Coppens, A. D., Sharp, E. H., Jusseaume, S., & Donovan, M. (2024). Master Narratives surrounding Rural Emerging Adult Migration: Resources for Postsecondary Decision-making in Rural Communities. Journal of Adolescent Research. doi:10.1177/07435584241295766

  • Seaman, J., Coppens, A. D., Hartman, C. L., Sharp, E. H., Jusseaume, S., & Donovan, M. (2023). Youth identity and postsecondary decision making in a rural state: evidence of a College for All master narrative. Frontiers in Education, 8. doi:10.3389/feduc.2023.1257731

  • Seaman, J., Dettweiler, U., Humberstone, B., Martin, B., Prince, H., & Quay, J. (2020). Joint Recommendations on Reporting Empirical Research in Outdoor, Experiential, Environmental, and Adventure Education Journals. Journal of Experiential Education, 43(4), 348-364. doi:10.1177/1053825920969443

  • Seaman, J., MacArthur, R., & Harrington, S. (2020). Dartmouth Outward Bound Center and the rise of experiential education, 1957–1976. History of Education Review, 49(1), 9-29. doi:10.1108/her-07-2019-0024

  • Sharp, E. H., Seaman, J., Tucker, C. J., Van Gundy, K. T., & Rebellon, C. J. (2020). Adolescents' Future Aspirations and Expectations in the Context of a Shifting Rural Economy. JOURNAL OF YOUTH AND ADOLESCENCE, 49(2), 534-548. doi:10.1007/s10964-019-01152-6

  • Seaman, J. (2019). Restoring Culture and History in Outdoor Education Research: Dewey’s Theory of Experience as a Methodology. Journal of Outdoor Recreation, Education, and Leadership, 11(4), 335-351. doi:10.18666/jorel-2019-v11-i4-9582

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