Survival Skills Education For Primary School Students Through An Experiential Education Camp Model: A Study in Thai Nguyen Province, Vietnam

Abstract

Survival skills education is an essential component of primary education, enabling children to recognize hazards, make appropriate decisions, protect themselves, and respond effectively to potentially dangerous situations. Experiential learning camps provide opportunities to develop these competencies through practical activities, simulated emergencies, collaborative tasks, and guided reflection. This study examines the current state of survival skills education for primary school students in Thai Nguyen Province, Vietnam, and proposes an evidence-informed experiential camp model. A quantitative cross-sectional descriptive design was employed, using survey data collected in November 2025 from 200 primary school administrators and teachers working in Thai Nguyen Province. Among the respondents, 152 (76.0%) reported that their schools had previously organized experiential learning camps and were included in the camp-specific analyses. Descriptive statistics were used to examine six survival skill domains and the implementation of educational objectives, instructional methods, activities, assessment practices, and organizational conditions. The findings indicate that environmental adaptation received the highest rating (M = 4.09), followed by cooperation and mutual assistance (M = 4.05), whereas emotional regulation and decision-making received the lowest rating (M = 3.90). Particularly low scores were observed for emotional control in dangerous situations (M = 3.85) and basic first-aid performance (M = 3.88). Camp implementation was characterized by comparatively favorable evaluations of experiential learning procedures (M = 4.08) but considerable variation in implementation frequency (M = 3.03). Staff competence was identified as an important organizational condition (M = 4.17). Based on these findings and relevant international literature, the study proposes a structured experiential learning camp model integrating hazard recognition, scenario-based decision-making, supervised survival skills practice, cooperative problem-solving, and reflective assessment. The findings provide empirical insights into survival skills education in Vietnamese primary schools and a foundation for curriculum development and future intervention research. However, the effectiveness of the proposed model remains to be experimentally established.