Camp AdventureTM Youth Services in Hong Kong: Toward an Integrated Model of Leisure, Health, Physical Activity, Sport and Generic Skills in Education

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in English; abstract also in Chinese. The Camp Adventure™ Youth Services program is a national award-winning model which provides a full range of innovative and dynamic age-appropriate leisure activities. The purpose of this study is to examine basic understanding of how Camp Adventure™ Youth Services uses an integrative cultural model joining leisure, health, physical activities, sport and generic skills in education. This study focuses specifically on applying these areas in Hong Kong primary school settings. A total of 112 Chinese children aged 8-12 year-old from Baptist (Sha Tin Wai) Lui Ming Choi Primary School in Hong Kong, who completed the four and half days residential camp program, served as subjects for this study. The evaluation survey given to the participants used a Likert-type-5-points scale ranging from 1 (strong disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The participants were asked their opinions on the linkage of a number of generic skills with various camp activities; as well as their understanding of the culture of the United States of America following their participation in the program. The generic skills domain mean score (±SD) and the mean (±SD) for the understanding of the culture of United States of America were 4.14 ±0.60 and 4.14 ± 0.80, respectively. Participants tend to agree that they improve their generic skills and have a better understanding of the culture of the United States of America after participating the program. Participants were also asked in an open question format to identify the variables in the various learning areas that participants perceived as the most important. Variable responses are categorized into four groups: 1) sports (e.g. America football, baseball), 2) physical activity (e.g. games), 3) English Language learning, and 4) generic skills (e.g. time management, collaboration skill, creativity, self management, and independence). Physical activity was the most cited learning areas among the four categories. The implications for Camp Adventure™ Youth Services and Baptist (Sha Tin Wai) Lui Ming Choi Primary School in the Hong Kong Education Reform and an integrated model of leisure, health, physical activity, sport and generic skills in education are then discussed. Camp Adventure™ 青年服務是一個榮獲美國國家優異模型獎的計劃它是一個創新富有活力而且適合各年齡組別的休閒活動。本文的目的是闡釋Camp Adventure™ 青年服務計劃如何透過綜合文化模式把休閒運動與健康、體育活動、競技運動及基本共通能力融入到教育之中並針對以上幾點在香港小學校本設計中的實踐情況進行了研究。112位(年齡8—12歲)來自香港浸信會沙田圍呂明才小學完成了為期四日半宿營的香港學生參與了問卷調查問卷採用5分制的李克特式量表由1(極度不同意)至5(為極度同意)作為評分標準。問卷問及參與者對營中不同活動與共通能力之間關係的意見以及對美國文化的認識。調查結果顯示共通能力改善情況的平均值(±SD)及了解美國文化的平均數(±SD)分別被評為4.14 ± 0.60及4.14 ± 0.80。參加者普遍認為本次宿營帶給他們多方面的學習效能可歸納為四大類(1)競技運動(例美式足球棒球)(2)體育活動(例遊戲)(3)英語學習及(4)共通能力(例時間管理、合作技巧、自我管理能力及獨立能力)。由此可見通過本次活動提高了他們的共通能力及對美國文化的認識其中體育活動被認為是四個項目中學習效能最高的一類。本文綜合Camp Adventure™ 青年服務計劃和香港浸信會沙田圍呂明才小學的合作結果作者就此次活動對香港教育改革的影響以及如何將休閒運動與健康、體育活動、競技運動和基本共通能力融入到教育之中進行了分析和探討並提出了一些可行的建議以供香港教育工作者參考。