THE EFFECT OF OUTDOOR EDUCATION PROGRAMS
ON AT-RI
SK
YOUTHS’
LI
FE
EFFECTI
VENESS
ABSTRACT
Owing to the lack of objective toward life, consideration from family, approval of teachers, praise from peers, at-risk youths performed not as well as others on academic work, life capacity, interpersonal and family relationships. Therefore, it was an important issue for experts and scholars devoting themselves to explore the methods to improve and promote at-risk youths’ individual, academic, and interpersonal performance. However, many scholars around the world dedicated themselves in the research about the outcomes of outdoor education programs. According to their research results, outdoor education programs brought out positive benefits for not only intrapersonal self-concept and interpersonal interaction but also life effectiveness. Consequently, the purpose of this research project aimed to explore the effect of outdoor education programs on at-risk youths’ life effectiveness(including: Time Management,Social Competence, Achievement Motivation, Intellectual Flexibility, Task Leadership, Emotional Control, Active Initiative, Self Confidence, and Locus of Control).
The purpose of this research aimed to explore the effects of a research-designed outdoor education programs (including: PA games, rope courses, hiking, rock climbing, mountain climbing and river trekking) on at-risk youths’lifeeffectiveness. The participants were 12 dropouts counseled by the school authorities and social work groups. The approach of phenomenology and the qualitative methodology of in-depth interview were practiced in this research. According to the result, the researcher found out the outdoor education programs brought positive life effectiveness for these at-risk youths. This finding was quite consistent with the previous research results, therefore outdoor education programs could be an alternative for formal education system. In the end, the researchers tried to provide the government authorities, school teachers and counseling institutions an outdoor-of-class way to deal with the problems of dropouts and at-risk youths.
Key Words: Outdoor Education Programs, At-Risk Youth, Life Effectiveness,
壹、緒論
一、研究背景與動機 (一)戶外教育活動的發展
(三)戶外教育活動的成效
生活效能上有正面影響，其中，影響最大的是情緒控制，其次為成就動機、時間 管理、社交能力、工作領導、智能靈活、自信心、積極性。
根據研究者親身在活動中的參與觀察，加上訪談結束後的心得感想，發現這 12 位邊緣青少年尤其在「情緒控制」與「自信心」上的改變，成長最多，深入 探究可能的原因：
首先，在情緒控制上，由於在戶外的情境中，團隊的生活方式，雖然有摩擦 的機會產生，但是為了活動能夠順遂，使得青少年能夠以較為冷靜的態度來面對 別人。加上活動的冒險本質(Davis-Berman and Berman,1999)，使得這些邊緣青少 年，為了安全上的考量，必需配合引導員的指導、遵守活動的規則與團隊的規範， 因而能有控制暴躁情緒的改變產生，就如參與者 C 和 E 在訪談中所言：
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