Outdoor and Adventure Education in Youth Employment Workshops: study of impact & effectiveness
Luhtala, Tiina (2023)
2023
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2023112932746
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2023112932746
Tiivistelmä
Youth exclusion is a social phenomenon with numerous negative consequences. One way to prevent exclusion is through employment workshop activities that aim to support young people in finding their own professional path. Another significant goal is to promote essential life skills and overall well-being of young people. The potential of incorporating outdoor activities and nature in these workshops has been acknowledged in the field.
This thesis is commissioned by Retkikunta Kuukkeli, a youth employment workshop in Tampere. Workshop activities are based on outdoor and adventure education and often take place in natural settings. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the impact and effectiveness of the workshop by gathering experiences from youths who have previously participated in it. The thesis aims to collect feedback and provide recommendations for improvement.
In the theoretical framework, I examine the concepts of Outdoor & Adventure Education, Social Empowerment, the Learning Zone Model, and the Self-Determination Theory.
Research was conducted by interviewing eight individuals who had participated in the workshop. The interviews were qualitative and semi-structured. They were conducted either face-to-face or through video calls and were recorded. The gathered data was analyzed following the principles of thematic analysis.
The concrete output of this thesis is an evaluative report on the impact and effectiveness of the commissioners' workshop project, which is based on the experiences of previous participants. Results from the interviews show that the youths had very positive experiences from participating in the workshop. Youths expressed development in all areas of social empowerment and participation helped them discover a future path. The right amount of challenge, youth's involvement in the planning processes, and formation of a safe group dynamic were considered effective attributes. Incorporating adventurous activities and operating in natural environments were perceived as meaningful. Research results validate the effectiveness of utilizing outdoor and adventure educational methods in youth employment workshop activities.
This thesis is commissioned by Retkikunta Kuukkeli, a youth employment workshop in Tampere. Workshop activities are based on outdoor and adventure education and often take place in natural settings. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the impact and effectiveness of the workshop by gathering experiences from youths who have previously participated in it. The thesis aims to collect feedback and provide recommendations for improvement.
In the theoretical framework, I examine the concepts of Outdoor & Adventure Education, Social Empowerment, the Learning Zone Model, and the Self-Determination Theory.
Research was conducted by interviewing eight individuals who had participated in the workshop. The interviews were qualitative and semi-structured. They were conducted either face-to-face or through video calls and were recorded. The gathered data was analyzed following the principles of thematic analysis.
The concrete output of this thesis is an evaluative report on the impact and effectiveness of the commissioners' workshop project, which is based on the experiences of previous participants. Results from the interviews show that the youths had very positive experiences from participating in the workshop. Youths expressed development in all areas of social empowerment and participation helped them discover a future path. The right amount of challenge, youth's involvement in the planning processes, and formation of a safe group dynamic were considered effective attributes. Incorporating adventurous activities and operating in natural environments were perceived as meaningful. Research results validate the effectiveness of utilizing outdoor and adventure educational methods in youth employment workshop activities.