ERIC Number: EJ1471753
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1472-9679
EISSN: EISSN-1754-0402
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Beyond Adventure GAP Year Programme: Is It Successful in Training Soft Skills?
Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, v25 n2 p395-411 2025
Adventure Gap year programmes are becoming popular globally but there is still little research on their contribution to the development of soft skills of the participants. Using the Beyond Adventure Structured Adventure Gap Year Programme in South Africa, this study used a qualitative research approach where semi-structured interviews were conducted with its 15 participants pre-post (before) and post-test (after) their training to establish whether there was an improvement in soft skills. The results show that participants' facilitation, instructional and organisational skills improved after the Beyond Gap Year training. This study adds to the little research currently found on the potential of Gap year programmes to contribute to soft skills development. The recommendations given may also be useful to the programme designers of the Gap year programmes to improve the content of the programmes for them to fully benefit the participants in developing their soft skills.
Descriptors: Soft Skills, Adventure Education, Student Attitudes, Educational Experience, Outcomes of Education, Skill Development, Foreign Countries, Teaching Skills, School Transition, Secondary School Students, Higher Education, Program Evaluation, Phenomenology, Self Management, Decision Making
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: South Africa
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1TREES (Tourism Research in Economics, Environs and Society), North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa