Background/Purpose Despite an increased support for the promotion of affective goals through positive youth development (PYD) projects, youth have had few opportunities to voice the aspects of these programs that hold meaning for them. The purpose of this study was to explore youth perceptions throughout a physical activity PYD program that was designed to enhance relatedness, competency, and autonomy.
Method Participants in this qualitative case study included 19 middle school students (10 boys and 9girls) from an alternative school program that met three days per week for seven months. Data sources included interviews, artifacts (e.g., daily exit slips, videoed lessons), teacher journals, and researcher field notes. Responses to interview questions were analyzed using open and axial coding (Corbin & Strauss, 2008). Trustworthiness strategies included prolonged engagement, triangulation, peer debriefing, and member checks.
Analysis/Results Data analysis revealed three crucial elements that held personal meaning: relatedness, relaxed structure, and enjoyment. Youth perceived that the enhancement of these constructs positively influenced the program atmosphere and thus improved their participation. Students enjoyed the student to teacher relations and relaxed environment and contrasted the program with traditional physical education programs in other schools
Conclusions For these students the power of a positive atmosphere in meeting and maintaining program goals throughout the year was vital. Relatedness was cited as especially important to students throughout the program and created an incentive for the students to strive to reach the goals of the program, especially during the storming (turbulent) and norming (developing) phases (Tuckman, 1965).