Evaluation of a surfing programme designed to increase personal well-being and connectedness to the natural environment among 'at risk' young people
Blue space (water) environments may offer a promising alternative location for high-quality outdoor educational experiences
This research examined the effects of a surfing intervention program targeting young people either already excluded, or at risk of exclusion, from mainstream school. Goals of the intervention program focused on personal well-being and connectedness to the natural environment. The 12-week program included weekly surfing sessions at a local beach and instruction relating to environmental and sustainability issues.
Data collection measures consisted of individual interviews with the student participants and ratings from their teachers administered approximately one week before the first surf session (T1) and one week after the last session (T2). Participant interviews focused on physiological health, well-being, connectedness, and environmental awareness. The physiological measures – used as a proxy indicator of fitness – included resting heart rate and both systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure. A well-being survey used during the interviews asked participants to rate on a scale of 1 (great) to 7 (very bad) how they felt about five different life domains (school work, family, appearance, friends and school) as well as their life as a whole. Participants also completed an adapted and extended version of the ‘Inclusion of Nature in the Self” scale which – in addition to connectedness to nature – addressed seven other domains (family, friends, the local community, the marine environment, the woodland environment, the school, and the world as a whole). Four environmentally-themed questions (based on topics discussed during the program) were used to assess participants’ environmental awareness. Participants were also invited to talk about their school, their free time, and (at T2) their views about the surf program. The Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) questionnaire completed by the teachers at both T1 and T2 addressed five key domains: self-awareness, social skills, empathy, motivation and managing feelings.
Changes from before to after the surfing intervention included significant drops in heart rate, increased satisfaction with appearance, more positive attitudes towards school and friendships, greater environmental awareness and more positive teacher evaluations. These results suggest that surfing interventions could have important benefits for vulnerable young people who struggle with mainstream schooling, and that ‘blue space’ (water) environments may offer a promising alternative location for high-quality outdoor educational experiences.
Citation
Hignett, A., White, M.P., Pahl, S., Jenkin, R., Le Froy, M., (2018). Evaluation of a surfing programme designed to increase personal well-being and connectedness to the natural environment among 'at risk' young people. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 18(1),
