Transitioning from primary into secondary school can be challenging for many students. An unsuccessful transition can have a negative impact on children's psychological health and academic achievement. This study investigated the efficacy of three different programs in the UK designed to promote children's psychological well-being and self-determination during their transition into secondary school.
One hundred school children participated in this study. The majority of the participants lived in lower SES households and were representatives of ethnic minorities. All were transitioning into three inner-city secondary schools. Sixty of the students participated in a residential outdoor adventure (OA) program specifically tailored to promote skills recognized as important for school-based transition. Twenty students participated in a generic residential OA program – that is, one not specifically aligned with school-transition goals. Twenty other students participated in a school induction program consisting of classroom-based activities designed to integrate them into the school system.
Students in all three groups completed self-report questionnaires immediately before and after completing their respective programs. This questionnaire included two validated age-appropriate scales addressing mental well-being, autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Immediately after completing the program and four-months later, students in the tailored OA group participated in semi-structured interviews and informal discussions focusing on elements of psychological well-being and components of self-determination. Teachers, too, participated in follow-up interviews during which they shared their perceptions of the value of the tailored OA program for the children's general well-being and their ability to meet the secondary school expectations.
Results showed that the tailored OA program achieved the greatest improvements in wellbeing of the three programs, with students in the classroom-based program actually decreasing in their wellbeing by the end of the program. The tailored OA program was also superior to the others in terms of achieving Autonomy (the capacity to self-direct learning) and Competence (the ability to complete tasks). Though all three programs resulted in greater Relatedness (developing connections with others), the tailored OA program's resulted exceeded those of the other programs.
This research indicates that nature-based tailored OA programs can be effective in providing psycho-social benefits that assist students in meeting the challenges of school-based transitional stress. Such programs may be especially helpful for children in more vulnerable groups.
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