The impact of a 12-day outdoor learning project on life skills development in adolescents in Scotland

Qu, Meijun; Buchanan, Neil; Martindale, Russell; Cronin, Lorcan; Sproule, John

Abstract

This research investigated the effectiveness of a 12-day outdoor learning project on adolescents’ life skills development. In total, 180 participants with a mean age of 14.3 (±0.5) years took part in the outdoor learning project and completed the Life Skills Scale for Outdoor Learning (LSSOL) at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at six-months post-intervention. A control group of 39 students with a mean age of 14.3 (±0.5) years completed the LSSOL at the same pre- and post-intervention timepoints. MANOVA results indicated a statistically significant improvement in life skills in the intervention group from pre- to post-intervention, but not in the control group. With the exception of goal setting, all life skills showed significant improvements. At a six-months post-intervention, all life skills, except goal setting, remained above the pre-intervention levels. Overall, the small positive effect on adolescents’ life skills development from the project supports the inclusion of outdoor learning in the school curricula.

Citation

Qu, M., Buchanan, N., Martindale, R., Cronin, L., & Sproule, J. (online). The impact of a 12-day outdoor learning project on life skills development in adolescents in Scotland. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, https://doi.org/10.1080/14729679.2024.2447749

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 23, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Jan 4, 2025
• Deposit Date: Feb 26, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 26, 2025
• Journal: Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning
• Print ISSN: 1472-9679
• Electronic ISSN: 1754-0402
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14729679.2024.2447749
• Keywords: Life skills, outdoor learning, adolescents
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/4056463