SCOUT – Study on Competence Development in Out-Of-School Settings
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Profile
- Project leadership
- Roger Keller (PHZH)
- Project team
- Esther Kirchhoff (PHZH), Barbara Blanc (PHZH)
- Organisational unit
- F-BW-IGS (Inklusion und Gesundheit in der Schule)
- Project phase
- Completed (1.4.2022 – 30.6.2024)
- Project type
- Research & development project
- Funding
- Geschwister Kahl Stiftung, Schweizerische Pfadistiftung, Ueli Schlageter Stiftung
Description
Growing up is a complex interaction of physical maturation, and the satisfaction of individual needs, and societal expectations. Children and adolescents are challenged to deal with their own behaviours, attitudes, and values, to take responsibility, and to live and work together with a diversity of people.
Personal resources, such as transferable skills, support young people in coping with their developmental tasks. They contribute to strengthening physical and mental health in the long term.
In the SCOUT study, over 700 young people aged 14 to 17 were surveyed to find out
- what skills the camp participants learned in Scouting and how important what they learned is for their everyday lives,
- to what extent the Scout-specific camp activities and community life promote transferable skills, well-being and readiness to contribute to the community,
- what influence the support of the camp leaders has on their development and well-being.
Project outcomes
From the perspective of the young people surveyed, the Swiss National Jamboree 2022 was a complete success: more than 90 percent stated that they had a lot of fun at the camp and were very satisfied overall. In less than two weeks, camp participants demonstrated increased empathy, emotional self-control, optimism, and assertiveness. Furthermore, the adolescents reported more positive emotions, higher self-esteem, and stronger readiness to contribute to the community. Group leaders played a crucial role by influencing the positive development of well-being and readiness to contribute to the community both directly and indirectly through the promotion of personal resources.
The Swiss Guide and Scout Movement can therefore provide evidence that it not only offers games, fun and experiences in nature, but also achieves the intended goals with its methods. The organization supports children and adolescents on their way to becoming healthy, self-confident and socially engaged individuals.
Publications
Keller, Roger, Blanc, Barbara and Kirchhoff, Esther (2024) “SCOUT – Study on Competence development in OUT-of-school settings. Lagererlebnisse und Empowerment von Jugendlichen: Förderung überfachlicher Kompetenzen, Wohlbefinden und Gemeinschaftsbildung”
Research paper. Pädagogische Hochschule Zürich and Pfadibewegung Schweiz.
Kirchhoff, Esther, Keller, Roger and Blanc Barbara (2024) “Empowering young people – the impact of camp experiences on personal resources, well-being, and community building”
Front Psychol. 14 February 2024