Session Information
14 SES 04, Transitions in Education: Vertical, Horizontal and Intercultural
Paper Session
Contribution
This study is an exploration of children’s emotional literacy and their experience of Outdoor Adventure Education away from their families and homes, most for first time in their lives. Studies of emotional intelligence (EI) and its measurement have proliferated in the USA for over two decades, but the 2000s have seen rapidly growing interest in Europe and the UK (Orme, 2000). Schools here too appear to have been more cautious than those in the US in pursuing EI until recently (see e.g. European Network for Social and Emotional Competence (ENSEC, 2007)). In 2005, English primary (ages 5-11) schools saw a major initiative entitled ‘Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) and investment in the programme raised to over £20M in 2007 (DfES, 2005; DCSF, 2007). The present study which coincided with the introduction of SEAL, set out to explore the possibility that participation in a residential outdoor adventure education (OAE) course would be associated with improvements in children’s emotional intelligence or emotional literacy. Taking a socio-cultural perspective, it argues that the residential nature of the course could have a key role to play. In most cases the children were away from home for the first time, sleeping in communal dormitories, and with ample time to witness and share intense emotional experiences, to learn about their own responses to physical challenges, to make and test friendships, and to help and be helped by others as they participated in the ‘adventures’. Theoretically, such experiences and exposure to peers’ responses could stimulate emotional self-awareness and be associated with gains in self-esteem and emotional literacy. Research on the effects of OAE, once considered ‘character building’, suggests ‘positive outcomes such as those on dimensions of leadership, academic attainment, independence, assertiveness, emotional stability, social comparison, time management and flexibility’ OBT (2009:4). These findings apply to adolescents and young adults, but research with younger children, or including qualitative data was rare (cf. Humphreys et al., 2009).
At the same time, the EI/EL construct itself, and its make-up and measurement in children are contentious matters, and the study provided an opportunity to explore available measures, alongside children’s own accounts of their feelings and attitudes. Specifically, the research questions asked: whether participation in a 3-day residential OAE course would be associated with changes in 11 year olds’ measured emotional literacy, self esteem and attitudes to OAE; what components constitute measured emotional intelligence among 11 year olds; whether there interactions between attitudes and socio-emotional change; and whether the various measures were validated by children’s own accounts of their socio-emotional learning. The study is relevant to Network 14’s interests in that it considers children temporarily, albeit briefly, separated from their families but set to experience emotional highs and lows, and give and seek mutual support within their community of peers.
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
DfES (2005) Social and Emotional aspects of learning (SEAL): improving behaviour, improving learning DCSF (2007) Ed Balls announces cash boost for successful behaviour programme Press release at http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2007_0123 ENSEC (2007) : European Network for Social and Emotional Competence. URL: http://www.enseceurope.org/ Humphreys, N., Lendrum, A., Wigelsworth, M. & Kalambouka, A. (2009) primary Social and emotional aspects of learning (SEAL) small group interventions: a qualitative study of factors affecting implementation and the role of Local Authority support. Int. Journal of Emotional Education, 1(20, 34054. Outward Bound Trust (OBT) (2009). Impact Report 2009. Cumbria: Outward Bound Trust. Orme, Geetu, (2000) The developing world of emotional intelligence. Competency and Emotional Intelligence Quarterly, 7(3), 23-7. Accessed 15:01:10 at http://www.eiworld.org/docs/World%20_of_ei.pdf
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