An Evaluation of University Recreation Center Outdoor Programs for People With Disabilities: Perspectives From Professionals
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18666/JOREL-2017-V9-I1-7451Keywords:
outdoor adventure programs, students with disabilities, recreational programmingAbstract
In this study, the researchers explored the perspectives of recreational practitioners currently working in the field of outdoor adventure programming on college campuses and their knowledge and interactions with students with disabilities participating in integrated outdoor adventure activities. A qualitative descriptive thematic analysis was used for data collection, management, and assessment. In-depth semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 professionals working in the field of collegiate outdoor adventure (outdoor recreation). Three themes and 16 categories were identified, which reflected the contemporary perspectives of the interviewed respondents. The themes identified were incomplete knowledge, positive outlook, and student success. The sample for this study consisted of two women and eight men. The findings show that the themes adequately address the research question pertaining to the lack of integrated outdoor adventure programming on college campuses.
References
Anderson, L., Schleien, S. J., McAvoy, L., Lais, G., & Seligmann, D. (1997). Creating positive
change through an integrated outdoor adventure program. Therapeutic Recreation Journal, 31(4), 214-229.
Association for Experiential Education. (n.d.) Association for Experiential Education.
Retrieved from http://www.aee.org/
Attrain, A. (2002). Trends in outdoor adventure education. Proceedings of the 16th Annual
International Conference on Outdoor Recreation and Education, 28-39.
Bell, B. (2003). The rites of passage and outdoor education: Critical concerns for effective
programming. The Journal of Experiential Education, 26(1), 41-50.
Bell, B. J. (2006). Wilderness orientation: Exploring the relationship between college
preorientation programs and social support. Journal of Experiential Education, 29(2), 145-167.
Bell, B.J. & Starbuck, J.D. (2013). Outdoor orientation program trends at colleges and universities in the United States. Journal of Outdoor Recreation, Education, and Leadership, Vol. 5(2), 112-114
Bentley, A. G. (2003). Motives for participation in college based outdoor adventure programs.
Indiana University, 1-78.
Berger, R. J. (2008). Disability and the dedicated wheelchair athlete: Beyond the “supercrip”
critique. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 37, 647-678.
Blinde, E. M., & McClung, L. R. (1997). Enhancing the physical and social self through
recreational activity: Accounts of individuals with physical disabilities. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 1997, 14, 327-344.
Blinde, E. M., & Taub, D. E. (1999). Personal empowerment through sport and physical fitness
activity: Perspectives from male college students with physical and sensory disabilities. Journal of Sport Behavior, 22(2), 181-202.
Brower, A. M. (1992). The “second half” of student integration: The effects of life task
predominance on student persistence. The Journal of Higher Education, 63(4), 441-462.
Coakley, J. (2009). Sport and socialization: Who plays and what happens to them? In L. Stone, J.
D. Akpan, Sports in society issues and controversies (pp. 94-101). McGraw-Hill.
Conn, J. M., Annest, J. L., & Gilchrist, J. (2003). Sports and recreation related injury episodes in
the US population, 1997–99. Injury Prevention, 9, 117-123.
Cottingham, M., Gearity, B., Goldsmith, A., Kim, W., & Walker, M. (2015). A Comparative Analysis of Factors Influencing Spectatorship of Disability Sport: A Qualitative Inquiry and Next Steps. Journal of Applied Sport Management, 7(1).
Cottingham, M., Phillips, D., Hall, S. A., Gearity, B. T., & Carroll, M. S. (2014). Application of the Motivation Scale for disability sport consumption: An examination of intended future consumption behavior of collegiate wheelchair basketball spectators. Journal of Sport Behavior, 37(2), 117-133.
Ecks, S. E., & Ochoa, T. A. (2005). Students with disabilities: Transitioning from high school to
higher education. American Secondary Education, 33(3), 6-20.
Elo, S., & Kyngas, H. (2008). The qualitative content analysis process. Journal of Advanced
Nursing, 62(1), 107-115.
Evans, N. J., Assadi, J. L., & Herriott, T. K. (2005). Encouraging the development of disability
allies. New Direction for Student Services, 110, 67-79.
Fichten, C. S., Nguyen, M. N., Amsel, R., Jorgensen, S., Budd, J., Jorgensen, M., ... & Barile, M. (2014). How well does the theory of planned behavior predict graduation among college and university students with disabilities?. Social Psychology of Education, 17(4), 657-685.
Gass, M. A., Garvey, D. E., & Sugerman, D. A. (2003). The long-term effects of a first-year
student wilderness orientation program. The Journal of Experiential Education, 26(1), 34-40.
Getzel, E. E. (2008). Addressing the persistence and retention of students with disabilities in
higher education: Incorporating key strategies and supports on campus. Exceptionality: A Special Education Journal, 16(4), 207-219.
Hutzler, Y. (2003). Attitudes toward the participation of individuals with disabilities in physical
activity: A review. Quest, 55, 347-373.
Johnson, C. Y., Bowker, J. M., & Cordell, H. K. (2001). Outdoor recreation constraints: An
examination of race, gender, and rural dwelling. Southern Rural Sociology, 17, 111-133.
Johnson, D. (2000). Enhancing out-of-class opportunities for students with disabilities. New Direction for Student Services, 91, 41-53.
Kanters, M. A., Bristol, D. G., & Attrain, A. (2002). The effects of outdoor experiential training on perceptions of college stress. The Journal of Experiential Education, 25(2), 257-367.
Lang, H. G. (2002). Higher education for deaf students: Research priorities in the new millennium. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 7(4), 267-280.
Larkin, B., Cottingham, M., & Pate, J. (2014). Exploring the legitimacy of wheelchair basketball as an NCAA emerging sport. Journal for the Study of Sports and Athletes in Education, 8(3), 168-185.
Learning Disability. (2015). In Merriam Webster. Retrieved from: http://www.merriam webster.com/dictionary/learning%20disability.
Lien, M., & Goldenberg, M. (2012). Outcomes of a college wilderness orientation program.
Journal of Experiential Education, 35(1), 253-271.
Luckner, J. L. (1989). Effects of participation in an outdoor adventure education course on the
self-concept of hearing-impaired individuals. American Annals of the Deaf, 134(1), 45-49.
Merriam, S. B. (2009). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Marshak, L., Wieren, T. V., Ferrell, D. R., Swiss, L., & Dugan, C. (2010). Exploring barriers to
college student use of disability services and accommodations. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 22(3), 151-165.
McAvoy, L. H., Schatz, C. E., Stutz, M. E., Schleien, S. J., & Lais, G. (1989). Integrated wilderness adventure: Effects on personal and lifestyle traits of persons with and without disabilities. Therapeutic Recreational Journal, 23(3), 50-64.
Neubert, D. E., Moon, S. M., & Grigal, M. (2004). Activities of students with significant
disabilities receiving services in postsecondary settings. Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities, 39(1), 16-25.
Neubert, D. A., Moon, S., Grigal, M., & Redd, V. (2001). Post-secondary educational practices
for individuals with mental retardation and other significant disabilities: A review of the literature. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 16, 155-168.
Parker, J. D. A., Summerfeldt, L. J., Hogan, M. J., & Majeski, S. A. (2002). Emotional
intelligence and academic success: Examining the transition from high school to university. Personality and Individual Differences, 36, 163-172.
Patton, M.Q. (1990). Qualitative evaluation and research methods (2nd ed.). Newbury Park, CA:
Sage. Paul, S., (1999). Students with disabilities in post-secondary education: The perspectives of
wheelchair users. Occupational Therapy International, 6(2), 90-109.
Pitney, W. A., & Parker, J. (2009). Qualitative research in physical activity and the health professions. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Prichard, M. E., & Wilson, G. S. (2003). Using emotional and social factors to predict student success. Journal of College Student Development, 44(1), 18-28.
Reschly, A. L., & Christenson, S. L. (2006). Prediction of dropout among students with mild disabilities: A case for the inclusion of student engagement variables. Remedial and Special Education, 27, 276-292.
Retention. In Merriam-Webster. Retrieved From: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/
retention?show=0&t=1415740986.
Rimmer, J. H., Riley, B., Wang, E., Rauworth, A., & Jurkowski, J. (2004). Physical activity
participation among persons with disabilities: Barriers and facilitators. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 26(5), 419-425.
Safety. (2015) In Merriam-Webster. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/
dictionary/safety?
Sandelowski, M. (1995). Sample size in qualitative research. Research in Nursing and Health, 8(2), 179-183.
Sandelowski, M. (2000). Focus on research methods, whatever happened to qualitative description? Research in Nursing and Health, 23, 334-340.
Scott, S. S., McGuire, J. M., & Foley, T. E. (2010). Universal design for instruction: A framework for anticipating and responding to disability and other diverse learning needs in the college classroom. Equity & Excellence in Education, 36(1), 40-49.
Stanley, P. (1999). Students with Disabilities in Postsecondary Education: The Perspectives of
Wheelchair Users. Occupational Therapy International, 6(2), 90-109.
Stodden, R. A., Whelley, T., Chang, C., & Harding, T. (2001). Current status of educational
support provision to students with disabilities in postsecondary education. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 16, 189-198.
Stremba, B. (1988). Passages: Helping college students matriculate through outdoor adventure.
Conference paper, 199-208.
The Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education. (n.d.) The Association of Outdoor
Recreation and Education. Retrieved from: http://www.aore.org/
Tinto, V. (1998). Colleges as communities: Taking research on student persistence seriously.
The Review of Higher Education, 21(2), 167-177.
Transition. (2015). In Merriam-Webster. Retrieved From: http://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/transition.
Torres, J. B., & Solberg, V. S. (2001). Role of self-efficacy, stress, social integration, and family support in Latino college student persistence and health. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 59, 53-63.
University of Puget Sound. (2015). Orientation. Retrieved from http://www.pugetsound.edu
/student-life/orientation/
Vaismoradi, M., Turunen, H., & Bondas, T. (2013). Content analysis and thematic analysis:
Implications for conducting a qualitative descriptive study. Nursing and Health Sciences, 15, 398-405.
Walker, J.L. (2012). The use of saturation in qualitative research. Canadian Journal of
Cardiovascular Nursing, 22(2), 37–41.
Wessel, R. D., Jones, J. A., Markle, L., & Westfield, C. (2009). Retention and graduation of
students with disabilities: Facilitating student success. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 21(3), 116-125.
Downloads
Additional Files
Published
Issue
Section
License
Sagamore Publishing LLC (hereinafter the “Copyright Owner”)
Journal Publishing Copyright Agreement for Authors
PLEASE REVIEW OUR POLICIES AND THE PUBLISHING AGREEMENT, AND INDICATE YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THE TERMS BY CHECKING THE ‘AGREE TO THE TERMS OF THIS COPYRIGHT NOTICE’ CHECKBOX BELOW.
I understand that by submitting an article to Journal of Outdoor Recreation, Education, and Leadership, I am granting the copyright to the article submitted for consideration for publication in Journal of Outdoor Recreation, Education, and Leadership to the Copyright Owner. If after consideration of the Editor of the Journal of Outdoor Recreation, Education, and Leadership, the article is not accepted for publication, all copyright covered under this agreement will be automatically returned to the Author(s).
THE PUBLISHING AGREEMENT
Assignment of Copyright
I hereby assign to the Copyright Owner the copyright in the manuscript I am submitting in this online procedure and any tables, illustrations or other material submitted for publication as part of the manuscript in all forms and media (whether now known or later developed), throughout the world, in all languages, for the full term of copyright, effective when the article is accepted for publication.
Reversion of Rights
Articles may sometimes be accepted for publication but later be rejected in the publication process, even in some cases after public posting in “Articles in Press” form, in which case all rights will revert to the Author.
Retention of Rights for Scholarly Purposes
I understand that I retain or am hereby granted the Retained Rights. The Retained Rights include the right to use the Preprint, Accepted Manuscript, and the Published Journal Article for Personal Use and Internal Institutional Use.
All journal material is under a 12 month embargo. Authors who would like to have their articles available as open access should contact Sagamore-Venture for further information.
In the case of the Accepted Manuscript and the Published Journal Article, the Retained Rights exclude Commercial Use, other than use by the author in a subsequent compilation of the author’s works or to extend the Article to book length form or re-use by the author of portions or excerpts in other works.
Published Journal Article: the author may share a link to the formal publication through the relevant DOI.
Author Representations
- The Article I have submitted to the journal for review is original, has been written by the stated author(s) and has not been published elsewhere.
- The Article was not submitted for review to another journal while under review by this journal and will not be submitted to any other journal.
- The Article contains no libelous or other unlawful statements and does not contain any materials that violate any personal or proprietary rights of any other person or entity.
- I have obtained written permission from copyright owners for any excerpts from copyrighted works that are included and have credited the sources in the Article.
- If the Article was prepared jointly with other authors, I have informed the co-author(s) of the terms of this Journal Publishing Agreement and that I am signing on their behalf as their agent, and I am authorized to do so.