This study describes the learning and development experiences of teacher education students after taking an introductory course on adolescent psychology. The instructor adopted the developmental instruction model (DIM) (Knefelkamp, 1998) in this study and facilitated students learn through experiential learning. Fifteen students (aged between 20…

Describes a study of self-concept changes among 87 ninth-grade students during a 10-week mandatory adventure course. Concludes that course participation improved overall self-esteem and perceptions of own physical self and popularity, particularly among male students. Contains 16 references. (SV)

An interview with a counselor who leads wilderness vision-quests discusses risk-taking as an element of adolescent development, the development of a fear of death, recognition of the universal nature of that fear, the lack of rites of passage in modern society, and the ways in which wilderness experiences can foster self-discovery and spiritual…

In this article, the author draws on a study of an after-school initiative serving inner-city high school students to describe and reflect on ways in which apprenticeship-like experiences support work on a variety of developmental tasks. The author describes key dimensions of the apprenticeship experience, discusses challenges faced by…

For decades, camps have served as outdoor learning laboratories for leadership development. Camps provide adolescents the opportunity to practice leadership skills through activities perceived as worthwhile and in environments that differ profoundly from everyday experience. A survey examined the self-perceived development of leadership skills at…

Presents an interview with the founder of a high school Walkabout program emphasizing experiential, challenging, risk-oriented activities to assist the transition to adulthood. Discusses programs goals, student self-concept and self-evaluation, development of a supportive learning community, and activities useful with younger students. (SV)

Describes the development of a New Jersey adventure program for homeless teenagers. Discusses the developmental tasks of adolescence--separating from family, forging a healthy sexual identity, preparing for the future, and developing a moral value system--and the positive impacts of adventure on these tasks. Addresses the issue of closure and…

Research on girls' development has found that girls see the world that coheres through human relationships rather than through systems of rules, and that 12 or 13 is a watershed age for girls, a time of "central relational crisis." As their bodies enter the physiological transformations that culminate in womanhood, they face an onslaught…

Stresses the importance of communicating to parents how camping meets the developmental needs of youth through encouraging positive social interaction with adults and peers, providing a structured environment, promoting physical activity, encouraging creativity, empowering campers to achieve success, providing meaningful participation in the camp…

Designed to provide information for teachers wanting to use adventure activities with students and to help teachers in developing programs with clear objectives, solid logistic support, and safe policies and procedures, this teaching guide focuses on the goal of having a permanent impact on the self-concepts, behaviors, and attitudes of troubled…

This task force report is designed to focus attention on the young adolescent learner and provide direction for developing appropriate and meaningful social studies instruction for the middle school. Schools at the middle level characteristically focus on the unique developmental needs of young adolescents. A number of these needs are listed, in…