Background: Given the current sociopolitical climate, people with intellectual disabilities are spending more time at home. Much housing-related research focuses on informant-completed measures and quantifiable outcomes. By contrast, this article explores the perspectives of adults with intellectual disabilities concerning what they liked or…

21st Century Skills encompass life capabilities for individuals to work and prosper in complex environments. Resilience encapsulates positive behavioural adaptations acquired through optimised exposure to outdoor adventure education (OAE). This study examined the efficacy of one-week OAE residentials upon young people's resilience, psychological…

Evidence from four retrospective empirical research studies on lasting impacts (>12 months) of outdoor residential experiences for young people in the UK since 2015 are examined through a form of systematic review of papers and datasets. Thematic and comparative analysis identified lasting impacts as: self-confidence, independence and…

Sail training is a non-formal residential educational experience manifesting in personal and social outcomes, contributing to participant well-being and character formation and development. The origins of modern-day sail training are found in the age of sail's culture and traditions, proposed here as a socio-cultural experience in a vessel-bound…

The mental health difficulties and educational trajectories of adolescents with care-experience is a pervasive international concern. This article explores how digital technologies can facilitate self-reflective dialogues and informal education opportunities for adolescents with care-experience. Extracts from vlogs created during an ethnographic…

In this paper, an understanding of how an elite institution pursues diversity initiatives is explored. Research afforded a better understanding of strategies adopted for recruitment and retention whereby positive results were reported after implementation. Removing barriers that may prevent marginalized populations from enrolling were critical…

This article examines the impact that an 'epistemically insightful' approach to informal science learning can have on students' attitudes, aspirations and perceptions of STEM subjects. It uses interim findings from a research and outreach project, including sustained Saturday activity programmes for ages 14-16 and residential summer schools for…

Our thoughts and feelings towards groupwork and outdoor learning impact our subsequent engagement in, and learning from, such activities. This study explores the impact of a pre-course video when used in preparation for an outdoor groupwork skills course. The video was designed according to the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to enhance…

This study examines the perspectives of a group of 10 UK undergraduate students and one Master's student on a residential field trip to four Danish forest kindergartens. Two dimensions are examined: the impact of collaborative reflection and co-construction of knowledge on student learning; and the influence of cultural assumptions on…

In this paper we explore the role of outdoor residential experiences on the sense of efficacy and examination attainment of a group of under achieving students from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. The article reports on a three year project which focuses on two groups of Year 9 (age 14) to Year 11 (age 16) students. The results reported here…

Aims: To explore how service users' views of measuring addiction recovery differ from those of service providers. Methods: Five focus groups conducted in two English cities with (i) people currently using Class A drugs (n = 6); (ii) people currently using alcohol (n = 12); (iii) individuals in residential detoxification (n = 12); (iv) individuals…

Nicky Waller and Chris Baker believe that change can be a good thing and explain how their training has helped others to adjust to the new science curriculum. In September 2013, teachers across England received the definitive version of the new primary curriculum "Leading Change in the Primary Science Curriculum." This course aimed to…

This paper is concerned with the rise of 'the boot camp' as a means of addressing "the problem of troubled youth" in contemporary industrialised nations such as Australia and the UK. Drawing on a corpus of publicly available material including press releases and policy documents, media reports, and programme websites, the paper explores…

Residential adventure education is a surprisingly powerful developmental experience. This paper reports on a mixed-methods study focused on English primary school pupils aged 9-11, which used complexity theory to throw light on the synergistic inter-relationships between the different aspects of that experience. Broadly expressed, the research…

Healthcare for men and women with learning disabilities (known internationally as intellectual disabilities) has risen up the political agenda in the United Kingdom, propelled by a report from the charity Mencap. This report has resulted in renewed efforts, set out in "Valuing People Now", to ensure that people with learning disabilities…