Abstract
Welcome to another issue of the Journal of Experiential Education. This issue is the first time that the journal has published four issues in 1 year. This is a significant development for the journal and represents another important step toward increased professionalism and academic standing. The editorial team is proud to continue to work with SAGE to improve the publishing opportunities for authors and the quality and range of material made available to subscribers/readers.
The first article in this issue, by Mullins, explores the importance of skill and skill development in shaping outdoor adventure participants’ experiences of places. The article contributes to an emerging, participatory, and ecological approach to outdoor adventure in education, recreation, and tourism. The second article, by Norton and Watt, reports on the impacts of positive youth development approach being used to help young people cope with the challenges of growing up in an urban environment in the 21st century. The quantitative findings indicate that the program is beneficial for young people facing multiple risk factors.
The third article in this issue, by Lowan-Trudeau, reports on a study that explored the ecological identities and philosophies of Canadian experiential environmental educators. In particular, the article explores how both Western and Indigenous knowledge of the natural world may be blended theoretically and in practice. The next article by the team of Huey, Smith, Thomas, and Carlson compares the impact of different leadership development programs at a U.S. Naval Academy. The impacts of outdoor adventure–based programs are compared and contrasted with non-outdoor programs.
The fifth article, by Hoag, Massey, and Roberts, explores the characteristics of more than 900 wilderness therapy clients by examining the diagnostic data from their discharge summaries. Their study explored trends and differences in primary diagnosis and overall prevalence of disorders according to gender and age. The sixth article from Bobilya, Kalisch, and Daniel reports on a mixed-method study that explored the nature of Outward Bound participants’ final expedition experiences. Their findings indicate that the level of instructor involvement impacted on the participants’ perceived personal growth by influencing their levels of self-reliance and self-awareness and the group dynamics that the participants experience.
Finally, in this bumper issue of seven articles, Cooper reports on a study of the perceptions of faculty after sustained participation in academic service-learning. He explores the motivations of faculty to be involved in service learning and the impacts of this involvement on their promotion and tenure. He confirms that support at the institutional level is essential for engaging faculty in service-learning.