Life Skill Development and Transfer: “They’re Not Just Meant for Playing Sports”

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 643-657 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tarkington J. Newman
Keyword(s):  
Youth Development ◽  
Life Skills ◽  
Skill Development ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Photo Elicitation ◽  
Grand Challenge ◽  
Life Skill ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Healthy Development ◽  
Life Skill Development

Purpose: In response to the Grand Challenge of promoting the Healthy Development for All Youth, many programs aim to enhance the development and transfer of life skills. However, within sport-based positive youth development (PYD) programs, life skills are understood through adult-centric perspectives. To better serve youth, research is needed that explores life skills through the lived experiences of youth. Method: Thirteen youth, who met the purposive sampling criteria, participated in the study. Data were collected using two methods. Semi-structured interviews explored life skill development, while photo-elicitation interviews explored life skill transfer. Results: Findings illustrated youth developed, as well as transferred, a variety of intrapersonal and interpersonal life skills. Youth identified, defined, and applied life skills that were both explicitly taught by the program and others that were not. Conclusions: Findings can be used to inform the strategic design of sport-based PYD programs and intentional facilitative coaching practices of their staff.

scholarly journals Students’ Perceptions of Life Skill Development in Project-Based Learning Schools

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly Meyer ◽  
Scott Wurdinger
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Life Skills ◽  
Skill Development ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Life Skill ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Life Skill Development ◽  
Learning Schools

<p>This research aimed to examine students’ perceptions of their life skills while attending project-based learning (PBL) schools. The study focused on three questions including: 1) What are students’ perceptions of their development of life skills in project-based learning schools? 2) In what ways, if any, do students perceive an increase in their life skill development over a one-year period of time? 3) What relationship, if any, is there between grade level and students’ perceptions of their life skills? The subjects were 275 6-12 students from two project-based learning charter schools in Minnesota. One school was located in a rural location; the other in an urban location. The triangulating data collection methods included a Likert-scale survey, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups. Quantitative analysis using SPSS were used to analyze the survey data. Qualitative analysis methods used were coding and identification of emergent themes. Qualitative results showed perceptions of most improved skills as time management, collaboration, communication, and self-directedness. Quantitative data results showed most improved skills within an academic year as responsibility, problem-solving, self-directedness, and work ethic. Self-directedness was the single skill that was evident in all data results. The results showed students’ perceptions of their life skills were positive and that project-based learning helped them develop multiple life skills including, but not limited to communication, collaboration, problem-solving, responsibility, and time management. Implications of this research suggest that project-based learning has a positive influence on students’ life skills development across 6-12 grade levels and helps prepare them to be successful in the 21<sup>st</sup> century global community and economy.</p>

scholarly journals Positive Youth Development Life Skills Gained at the Iowa 4-H Youth Conference

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-76
Author(s):  
Brenda S. Allen ◽  
Brenda J. Lohman
Keyword(s):  
Youth Development ◽  
Life Skills ◽  
Skill Development ◽  
College Campus ◽  
Life Skill ◽  
Youth Engagement ◽  
Leadership Communication ◽  
Retrospective Pretest ◽  
Life Skill Development

Research suggests 4-H programs build Life Skills such as leadership, communication, citizenship and learning. However, 4-H programs vary from long-term on-going experiences to shorter, more intense opportunities. This paper discusses a program evaluation articulating the life skill development of participants in a 3-day residential State 4-H Conference on a Midwestern college campus. The Life Skills assessed were in the areas of leadership, citizenship, communication, and learning as part of overall Life Skill development. Participants were youth ages 14-18 years. A retrospective pretest-posttest was used to evaluate skill development and understanding. Analysis, including paired sample t-tests, indicated growth in each of the 12 common outcome measures evaluated. This study supports the importance of purposeful planning and youth engagement in the learning process to achieve desired life skill outcomes.

scholarly journals The perceived impact of the national junior angus show and conference on youth leadership and life skill development

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Ben S. Weikert
Keyword(s):  
Youth Development ◽  
Skill Development ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Youth Leadership ◽  
Life Skill ◽  
Psychological Constructs ◽  
Electronic Survey ◽  
Development Organization ◽  
Life Skill Development ◽  
Perceived Leadership

The purpose of this study was to identify the relationships between participating in the National Junior Angus Show and perceived gain in youth leadership and life skill development, as well as to describe a relationship between 4-H participation, FFA participation, and demographic characteristics with youth leadership and life skill development. The target population for this study was youth who participated in the 2016 National Junior Angus Show and Conference (n= 851). An overall response rate of 50.8 % was attained in this study (n= 127). Youth provided their perceived gain in of youth leadership and life skill development, indicated which of 23 youth development activities they participated in, indicated their participation in 4-H, FFA, or other youth development organization, and also responded to basic demographic questions following the administration of an electronic survey instrument. Based on findings from this study, it was concluded that the 2016 National Junior Angus Show and Conference did have a perceived positive change on youth's leadership and life skill development. The researcher also concluded that age was a significant predictor of youth's perceived leadership and life skill development. Overall dosage of youth development activities showed significance across three psychological constructs The researcher also found that two of the 23 activities accounted for a significant perceived gain in youth leadership or life skill development across five psychological constructs. Further research is recommended through a qualitative lens to elicit more descriptive information on the experiences and growth that youth develop as the result of their participation in National Junior Livestock Shows and Conferences.

scholarly journals Take an Adventure Bite

2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 96-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Brandt ◽  
Christina Murray
Keyword(s):  
Life Skills ◽  
Skill Development ◽  
Life Skill ◽  
Nutrition Curriculum ◽  
Life Skill Development ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Comparison Data ◽  
Youth Behaviors

The Adventure Bites - Cooking with Kids program enhanced nutrition curriculum by including a Life Skill development focus and a family night - to improve youth nutrition behaviors. The data was collected using the WSU 4-H Life Skills pre-post youth evaluations, staff surveys, a parent retrospective pre-post survey, and comparison data from non-program sites. The results support adding Life Skills and family night events into youth nutrition curricula. There are opportunities to improve evaluation and do further testing, to determine what the individual impact of Life Skill development and/or individual impact of having family nights had on changes in youth behaviors regarding nutrition.

scholarly journals Differences in the Experiences of Boys and Girls in a Camp Environment

2009 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-47
Author(s):  
Margaret Miltenberger ◽  
Jane Jopling ◽  
Martha S. Garton
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Life Skills ◽  
Skill Development ◽  
Leadership Skills ◽  
Developmental Differences ◽  
Life Skill ◽  
Developmental Needs ◽  
The Real ◽  
Life Skill Development

Between the ages of nine and twelve, key developmental differences exist between genders. Boys’ and girls’ brains simply develop in a different sequence (Sax, 2007) and at a different rate (Hanlon, et al., 1999). Since the 1970’s a tendency toward gender blindness and a lack of understanding about the real developmental differences between boys and girls may have limited the ability of youth professionals to best serve all youth. This paper highlights a study of whether boys and girls differ in camp experience and in life skill development as a result of camp? Fifteen counties with 28 individual camps participated in the study which measured (1) camp experience; (2) targeted life skills, and (3) leadership skills. The results showed significant differences between girls and boys. Researchers recommend that gender differences no longer be ignored when programming and that camp activities and curriculum meet the developmental needs of both boys and girls.

scholarly journals Life Skill Development and Transfer beyond Sport

2019 ◽  
Vol 84 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Agnew ◽  
Kathryn Jackson ◽  
Shane Pill ◽  
Christine Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Life Skills ◽  
Skill Development ◽  
Life Skill ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Football Club ◽  
Life Skill Development ◽  
Australian Football ◽  
Skills Education ◽  
Life Skills Education

AbstractThe aim of this research was to investigate the current life skills education programs offered by the Australian Football League (AFL) for elite footballers in order to determine the retention of life skill knowledge and transfer beyond sport. Life skill education in sport is an increasing phenomenon. Life skills sport programs are capable of delivering positive outcomes when nurtured through a deliberately designed curriculum and purposeful teaching strategies. However, it is not known how life skills are learned and importantly what the impact of life skills education on long term behavioural changes is. It is apparent from the literature that there is a need to identify how knowledge is acquired and importantly retained through life skills education programs. This was a qualitative research project from a life history perspective. Twenty footballers who had been delisted from an elite Australian football club and had subsequently returned to a South Australian state-based football club took part in semi-structured interviews. The data was analysed through an inductive thematic analysis. Two themes emerged from the data: football related development and holistic development. It was clear that football clubs placed importance on the development of life skills that transfer beyond the sport. However, given the footballers in this research have not fully transferred into life after sport, their perception of the broader transferability of their life-skill development beyond sport is limited. This research concludes that the current format of life skill education (delivering content) that the players in this study were exposed to was not effective because the players failed to be able to make connections from the program to life outside of football. Therefore, the programs are unlikely to have any long-term benefit to player health and well-being during their post-elite football life.

scholarly journals Lessons Learned from an After-School Program: Building Personal and Social Responsibility

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 162-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Nicole Ivy ◽  
K. Andrew R. Richards ◽  
Michael A. Lawson ◽  
Tania Alameda-Lawson
Keyword(s):  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Youth Development ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Skill Development ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
After School ◽  
Life Skill ◽  
Life Skill Development ◽  
Personal And Social Responsibility ◽  
Development Outcomes

Drawing from the physical activity and positive youth development literatures, this paper describes a novel after-school effort designed to enhance youths’ life skill development outcomes across school, family, and community settings. This program, which is derived from the Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility (TPSR) model, is a university-assisted effort serving 1st through 5th graders attending a low-income elementary school. As a part of this model’s approach, pre-service physical education teachers engage in a yearlong course sequence and practicum that enables them to deliver the program. University graduate students and faculty then provide ongoing support, facilitation, and training to the pre-service teachers at the same time they conduct field-based research on the effort. The preliminary data indicate that the program can successfully impact several teaching and life skill development outcomes. However, additional interventions appear to be needed to extend youths’ outcomes to settings outside of the program.

scholarly journals Measuring Life Skills: Standardizing the Assessment of Youth Development Indicators

2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mat D. Duerden ◽  
Peter A. Witt ◽  
Mariela Fernandez ◽  
Marie Jolliff Bryant ◽  
Daniel Theriault
Keyword(s):  
Youth Development ◽  
Life Skills ◽  
Ethnically Diverse ◽  
School Level ◽  
Life Skill ◽  
Development Indicators ◽  
Program Outcome ◽  
Life Skill Development ◽  
Literature Reviews ◽  
Development Literature

While the development of life skills (e.g., communication, problem solving, etc.) is a commonly targeted youth program outcome, the lack of standardized conceptualizations and instrumentation make it difficult to compare impacts across programs and develop validated best practices. In order to promote a more unified approach to life skill development, literature reviews were conducted for 10 life skill domains to identify common definitions and, if available, appropriate outcome measures. Data were then collected from an ethnically diverse sample (N = 758) of elementary, middle, and high school aged youth for the 10 identified instruments. Analyses were conducted to ascertain the psychometric qualities of each measure, the interrelationships among measures, and the measures’ relationships with gender, ethnicity, and school level. Results are discussed in terms of their relevance to life skill theory and measurement.

scholarly journals Perceived Effectiveness of Youth-Adult Partnerships on Enhancing Life Skill Development through 4-H

2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 99-112
Author(s):  
Jeff Sallee ◽  
Charles Cox
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Life Skills ◽  
Skill Development ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Life Skill ◽  
Perceived Effectiveness ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Adult Participants ◽  
Life Skill Development

The purpose of this study was to determine if youth and adult participants in the 4-H Environmental Impact program perceive youth?adult partnerships as an effective means to enhance the youths’ development of life skills. The study further sought to discover the perceived obstacles that may keep youth and adults from participating in equal partnerships. The life skills of: Leadership, Cooperation, Service Learning, and Planning and organizing were enhanced through the youths’ participation in the youth-adult partnership. Through this research there was evidence that many of the youth participants did perceive themselves as equal team members when participating in this youth-adult partnership. The research indicated the greatest perceived obstacle that kept youth from engaging was not much time after homework and other activities. It is recommended that all participants in newly formed youth-adult partnerships receive training on how to implement this type of program, and how to participate equally.

scholarly journals Parental Perceptions of Participation in 4-H Beef, Sheep and Swine Livestock Projects and the Fostering of Life Skill Development in Youth

2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 78-86
Author(s):  
Janice Heavner ◽  
Kelly Hicks ◽  
Shanna Nicodemus
Keyword(s):  
Life Skills ◽  
Research Effort ◽  
Skill Development ◽  
Oral Communication ◽  
Life Skill ◽  
Organizational Skills ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Life Skill Development ◽  
Hands On Learning ◽  
The Relationship

Beef, sheep and swine 4-H youth livestock projects have a great deal of hands-on learning opportunities for members. However, what are parents’ perceptions about livestock projects and the development of life skills? The purpose of this research effort was to determine the life skill development gained by 4-H members participating in 4-H beef, sheep or swine projects in West Virginia. A total of 207 caregivers offered insight into the study and answered life skill development questions. These questions were related to decision making, relating to others, developing and maintaining records, accepting responsibility, building positive self esteem, self motivation, knowledge of the livestock industry, developing organizational skills, problem solving, developing oral communication skills, setting goals, developing self-discipline, and working in teams. The findings of this study provide positive insights into the relationship between the development of valuable life skills and 4-H beef, sheep and swine projects.

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