The development of trust in residential environmental education programs

Trust, a relational phenomenon that is an important building block of interpersonal relationships and within society, can also be an intermediary outcome of field-based environmental education programs. Trust creates a foundation for collaboration and decision-making, which are core to many ultimate outcomes of environmental education. Yet, understanding how trust develops among environmental education program participants is still nascent, partly because few methods exist for measuring trust in informal contexts, such as those that are common for many environmental education programs. Our study used social network analysis and qualitative data from focus groups, questionnaires, and participant observation to investigate the development of trust among residential environmental education program participants in two school groups, some of whom had initial familiarity with each other. Network data indicated differential increases in peer-to-peer trust among group members when measured at the individual level. Qualitative data from the focus groups highlighted salient dimensions of trust that were particularly relevant in this setting, including friendship, emotional and physical safety, and self-disclosure; reciprocal trust among peers and educators; and aspects of this immersive setting that fostered trust among the participants.     

Effects of a verbal and visual feedback system on running technique,perceived exertion and running economy in female novice runners

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a verbal and visual feedback system on running technique, ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), and running economy. Twenty‐two female novice runners were randomly assigned to experimental (n = 11) and control (n = 11) groups. The experimental subjects received verbal and visual feedback concerning their running technique prior to and during each training run. Training involved 15 20‐min treadmill running sessions over a 5‐week period. The control group adhered to the same training routine but did not receive feedback concerning their running technique. High‐speed (100 Hz) photography was used to collect biomechanical data. A submaximal oxygen consumption test and Borg's RPE scale were used to collect data concerning running economy and perceived exertion, respectively. Statistical analysis using ANCOVA revealed that the proposed feedback system had a significant (P < 0.01) effect on the experimental group's running technique by affecting the following desired changes relative to the control group: greater relative stride lengths, shorter support time, greater ankle dorsiflexion during support and greater knee flexion during support and non‐support. There were no significant differences between the groups in submaximal VO₂ or RPE. The results of this study suggest that verbal and visual feedback are effective means of eliciting modifications in running style in female novice runners. The link between modifications in running style and improvements in running economy and perceived exertion remains unclear.