An Exploratory Study of 4th, 5th, and 6th Grade Summer Camp Participants’ Attitudes and Intentions Towards Physical Activity

Physical inactivity is a growing problem among children, particularly schoolaged youth. Research suggests children are especially prone to inactivity in the summer months when access to structured school-time and extra-curricular activities is reduced. Community programs like residential summer camps offer an excellent environment for engaging children in enjoyable physical activities while also helping them learn to be more physically active when they return home. Pre-existing attitudes often influence how much change a program inspires in an individual. The purpose of this study was to explore 4th, 5th, and 6th grade summer camp participants’ attitudes towards physical activity. Results of this study indicate that youth have a fairly neutral, though positive, attitude towards physical activity and that parental support of physical activity is still extremely important, even at this age. Campers also indicated relatively high intentions to remain physically active in the two weeks after the camp ended

4-H Youth Development Professionals’ Perceptions of Youth Development Core Competence

The purpose of this descriptive study was to assess the perceived level of competence among 4-H Youth Development Agents from a Southern state in the United States. The findings will be used to identify gaps in and opportunities for professional training and development experiences in supporting the competence and growth of youth professionals. Based on the 4-H Professional Research, Knowledge, and Competency Model (Stone & Rennekamp, 2004), youth development professionals rated their youth development competence in nine youth development core competency areas. Utilizing a five-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1=no knowledge to 5=expert, youth development professionals rated their youth development competence ranging from 3.12 to 3.54. According to an interpretive scale, youth development professionals rated their competence as intermediate. Staff felt most competent in the areas of current youth issues, career opportunities for youth, and family structures/relationships. Staff felt least competent in the area of mental development of youth. No one identified themselves as an expert in the areas of psychological development, emotional development, and current youth issues

An Exploratory Study of the Consumer Behavior of Working Adolescent Females.

Employment of high school students has been growing steadily since the mid-1960s (Cole, 1991). Today, more than 40% of all high school students who work are employed at least part-time (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1995). Working adolescents may view their earnings as a sudden windfall of income to be used as discretionary income. This premature affluence may reinforce inappropriate consumer behaviors such as spending beyond means which may become established habits into their adult lives (Bachman, 1983). The cognitive development of these adolescents may be at the concrete operational thinking stage which inhibits them from handling adult behaviors in an appropriate manner such as planning or saving for the future (Piaget 1972, 1976). The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate the consumer behavior of working adolescents. Based on cognitive development and consumer behavior theories, the study was designed to (a) examine the spending and saving patterns of working adolescent in Louisiana; (b) examine sources and amounts of income received by adolescents in the work force; and (c) identify the cognitive processes used by working adolescents to decide their consumer behavior. Focus group interviews were employed as the data collection technique (Krueger, 1994). Following pilot testing, an a priori list of cognitive development behaviors predicted for adolescents was established. This list was used to identify adolescents behaviors by cognitive development stage. The 12 group of interviewees were comprised of 16 and 17 year old adolescent female high school students employed part-time in the workforce. The research participants, a total of 40, were from low and middle socioeconomic status families. According to Piaget\u27s (1972, 1976) definition of cognitive development, none of the adolescents had fully developed formal operational thinking. This finding indicates that adolescents are not prepared to enter the adult world of work, nor are they prepared to make mature decisions regarding the use of their income. This finding was also corroborated by an examination of the academic achievement of the majority of the adolescents who only maintained a C average although they were enrolled in college preparatory tracks. Implications for educators are developed in the study

Photos Can Inspire a Thousand Words: Photolanguage as a Qualitative Evaluation Method

Finding ways to encourage expression of individuals who are young, shy, or have limited verbal abilities can be challenging for evaluators. Photolanguage can be used to aid personal expression and small group interaction and as a tool to enhance qualitative evaluation activities. This method offers an interesting evaluation process that uses black-and-white photographic images specifically chosen for their aesthetic qualities; their ability to stimulate emotions, memory, and imagination; and their capacity to stimulate reflection in the viewer. Evaluators may find Photolanguage provides a valuable tool for use with evaluation participants who experience barriers to involvement, actual or perceived

Photos can inspire a thousand words: Photolanguage as a qualitative evaluation method

Finding ways to encourage expression of individuals who are young, shy, or have limited verbal abilities can be challenging for evaluators. Photolanguage can be used to aid personal expression and small group interaction and as a tool to enhance qualitative evaluation activities. This method offers an interesting evaluation process that uses black-and-white photographic images specifically chosen for their aesthetic qualities; their ability to stimulate emotions, memory, and imagination; and their capacity to stimulate reflection in the viewer. Evaluators may find Photolanguage provides a valuable tool for use with evaluation participants who experience barriers to involvement, actual or perceived. © Extension Journal, Inc

Religion and Coping with Trauma: Qualitative Examples from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

In this article, we consider the intersection of religious coping and the experience of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in a lifespan sample of adults living in South Louisiana during the 2005 storms. Participants were young, middle-age, older, and oldest-old adults who were interviewed during the post-disaster recovery period. Qualitative analyses confirmed that three dimensions of religion were represented across participants\u27 responses. These dimensions included: 1) faith community, in relation to the significant relief effort and involvement of area churches; 2) religious practices, in the sense of participants\u27 behavioral responses to the storms, such as prayer; and c) spiritual beliefs, referring to faith as a mechanism underlying individual and family-level adjustment, acceptance and personal growth in the post-disaster period. Implications for future disaster preparedness are considered