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Tannenbaum, Sally Cahill; Brown-Welty, Sharon
doi: 10.1177/105382590602900204pmid: N/A
Educators continually seek effective strategies to address the educational needs of students. Two popular strategies are service-learning and after-school programs. The purpose of this study was to begin to explore the value of embedding service-learning into after-school programs. This study utilized a historical database and compared two groups of students participating in an after-school program at four elementary schools. Preliminary results suggested that students participating in the service-learning component of the after-school program had greater improvement in their grade point averages and conduct grades and were less likely to be suspended than students who did not participate in the service-learning component.
Wolfe, Brent D.; Dattilo, John
doi: 10.1177/105382590602900205pmid: N/A
Many studies have been designed to understand effects of challenge courses and their benefits. Few studies, however, have been conducted to understand participants' perceptions of these programs. In this study, 16 adults working at a dental office attended a one-day challenge course program designed to teach lessons about communication. Data were collected via in vivo observations, digital video observations, and two individual interviews. These qualitative data were analyzed and two themes central to communication emerged: (a) Effectiveness of Communication; and (b) Too Many Chiefs. Findings suggested that improvements to communication in the workplace were not clearly recognized results. However, experiences with these themes were identified during the challenge course. Connections to related literature and suggestions for research and practice are provided.
doi: 10.1177/105382590602900206pmid: N/A
This study investigated whether students differ in reported levels of social support by different types of preorientation experiences (i.e., wilderness program, community service program, preseason athletics, or no preorientation participation) measured by the Campus-Focused Social Provisions Scale (CF-SPS). Two colleges provide a sample (N = 1,601) of first-year and sophomore students. Participants in the wilderness orientation programs reported higher levels of social provisions in all six subfactors of social support. Preseason athletes reported significant differences on the subfactor social integration (p < .05). Service programs reported no significant differences. Students' reported level of shyness and how easily they make friends were important variables for explaining the variance in social support scores. Women and sophomores were more likely to report higher levels of social support, excepting the variable social integration. The study was exploratory and lacked controls for selection bias.
doi: 10.1177/105382590602900207pmid: N/A
Muting (verbal silencing) is a teaching practice commonly employed by facilitators in outdoor challenge course education programs as a method for modifying communications among participants. However, it is unknown to what extent this teaching intervention differentially impacts male's and female's overall engagement with challenge initiatives. The current research uses matched, mixed-gender groups presented with one of two experimental conditions of verbal muting: either all females or all males muted. Results indicate that muting participants dependent upon their gender differentially impacts initial and sustained challenge initiative engagement. On certain tasks, females are consistently much more significantly impacted, initially and during the duration of this teaching intervention. Suggestions for future empirical research with other facilitator practices commonly applied during outdoor challenge courses are offered.
doi: 10.1177/105382590602900208pmid: N/A
To date, little empirical research has been conducted to support the claim that outdoor adventure education (OAE) develops desirable psychological characteristics in participants. This study examined the effects of an OAE foundation degree curriculum on positive psychological development. Fifty-two students (26 OAE students, 26 controls on an unrelated course), aged 16–39 years, completed a battery of positive psychological questionnaires (at the start of their respective courses and 3 months later) measuring hardiness, mental toughness, self-esteem, self-efficacy, dispositional optimism, and positive affectivity. OAE curriculum activities included rock-climbing, navigation training, countryside leadership, gill-scrambling, and open canoeing. Control students were enrolled on a classroom-based travel and tourism college course. Inferential multivariate statistics revealed non-significant (p > .05, partial η2 = .38) improvements by the OAE group across several psychological constructs. Significant effects (p < .05, partial η2 = .15) for the cohort were revealed for total hardiness. No significant gender differences were reported. The non-significant overall effect is interpreted in terms of sample size, OAE activities, and measured personality styles. The implications of these results are discussed relative to previous findings and in terms of psychological theory.
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