Działalność autokreacyjna młodzieży studenckiej a edukacja nieformalna podczas międzynarodowych wyjazdów edukacyjnych

Abstract

Self-creating development is a process of shaping one’s own development path individually, which involves self-awareness and the ability to set and fulfil one’s goals. International educational trips constitute a perfect time to explore self-creating development potential. They offer a possibility to gain knowledge and experience not only through formal education, but also through the informal one – during free time, exploring natural attractions, familiarising with new culture. Given the above considerations, the purpose of this article is to present a study excerpt on students’ opinions about the role and significance of international educational trips on their self-development, emphasising the informal education aspect, i.e. possibility to gain knowledge, experience and shape one’s personality during free time. The aforementioned aspect appears to be a novelty amongst the studies that have been published thus far, the studies that usually took into account the multifaceted impact of such trips on students. To address the issue of this article, quantitative and qualitative measures have been taken. The analysis of the results of the study demonstrates that informal education during international education trips has multiple positive effects on students’ cognitive, social and physical development, which contributes to shaping their personalities.