ERIC Number: EJ1286300
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021-Mar
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1053-8259
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Experiential Education and Self-Authorship: An Examination of Students Enrolled in Immersion High Schools
Ricks, Meagan; Meerts-Brandsma, Lisa; Sibthorp, Jim
Journal of Experiential Education, v44 n1 p65-83 Mar 2021
Background: Research shows that people benefit from having an internally defined belief system and identity to guide their decision-making rather than depending exclusively on external authorities to make choices. Less is known about what types of developmental experiences facilitate progression toward self-authorship, which is a way of being where a person depends on their internally defined beliefs to make decisions and direct their future. Purpose: This study examined an experiential education setting and the influence the setting had on high school students' progression toward self-authorship. Methodology/Approach: We used Pizzolato's open-ended Experience Survey and semi-structured interviews to examine aspects of self-authorship in high school students attending a semester-long experiential education program. Findings/Conclusions: We found students returning from their semester-long program focused on decisions that had a greater impact on their personally defined, long-term identity rather than immediate decisions. In addition, students showed growth in the three domains of self-authorship--epistemological, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. The results could be attributed to the pedagogical approach of the experiential education program. Implications: Educators who seek to provide experiences that support self-authorship could implement developmentally effective practices situated in an experiential learning context.
Descriptors: Immersion Programs, Self Concept, Experiential Learning, High School Students, Decision Making, Futures (of Society), Self Actualization, Student Attitudes, Epistemology, Interpersonal Relationship, Teaching Methods, Student Surveys, Personal Autonomy
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A