Step Ahead Activities 2022-2023 Evaluation Report
| dc.contributor.author | Hurley, Helen | |
| dc.contributor.author | Friesen, Myron | |
| dc.contributor.author | O'Steen, Billy | |
| dc.contributor.author | Gilchrist, Bryan | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-11-11T20:12:56Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-11-11T20:12:56Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024 | |
| dc.description.abstract | This report discusses the analysis and results deduced from the 2023 Survey conducted by Step Ahead. The survey was conducted in partnership with Step Ahead, The University of Canterbury, and an undergrad research student. The goals of the survey were to evaluate the effectiveness of Step Ahead’s activities and link Step Ahead’s day to day operation with evidence within relevant literature. The literature review outlines John Dewey’s circle of experience, how experiential learning is implemented in practice by Outward Bound and more generally in the realm of adventure therapy. These concepts are then linked to the diverse, affordable, and intentionally designed activities provided by Step Ahead to provide their members with experiences to socialise, learn, and grow. The survey spanned the majority of 2023 and resulted in 233 anonymous paired pre- and post activity responses. These responses were composed of 8 questions from which composite Activity and Step Ahead measures were constructed. The activity measure explores the possibility of an effect on members’ feelings of connectedness, helpfulness, interest, openness, and activeness. The Step Ahead measure explores the possibility of an effect on members feelings of Step Ahead as a welcoming, understanding and non-judgemental place. Analysis conducted on these responses shows that the Activity component showed a statistically significant increase in mean response from 3.9/5 to 4.2/5 with an effect size of 0.39, and a p-value <0.01. For the Step ahead component the effect size was 0.049, increasing from 4.44/5 to 4.47/5 with a p-value of 0.39 and was thus found to be not statistically significant. This suggests that members hold a stable view of step ahead as an organisation but benefit from participating in the activities. Additionally, several statistical tests, and a visualisation of any possible correlation between activity type and the increase in the activity component was conducted but was not found to be statistically significant. This suggests that activities provided by Step Ahead may become such valuable experiences for their members in part due to the diversity provided to them. Finally, a discussion is provided outlining the above results and providing recommendations for future research. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10092/107735 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://doi.org/10.26021/15548 | |
| dc.title | Step Ahead Activities 2022-2023 Evaluation Report | |
| dc.type | Reports |