Program leaders' intention to process recreation experiences to achieve targeted outcomes

Abstract

Researchers have asserted that effectively trained program leaders are a crucial component to facilitate learning transfer and to achieve developmental outcomes in youth programs. Despite the need for thorough training, organizations often have under-trained or untrained personnel leading programs. The purpose of this study is to examine attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intent of program leaders to transfer their training to process recreation experiences to achieve targeted outcomes with participants at a structured youth development day camp. Having strong processing skills means that a program leader has the capacity to foster the transfer of learning from an activity that is fun for youth to other life contexts. Data were collected through pre-test, site observations, and post-test. Attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intent were rated on a 16-item scale. Results indicated that program leaders' attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control significantly decreased from pre-test to post-test on 5 of 13 relative items. During site visits, the researchers observed extremely low amounts of processing. The lack of processing could be a result of poor recruitment, training and/or on-site management.

Keywords:

• staff training
• theory of planned behavior
• transfer of learning
• transfer of training
• youth development