Youth Development Research Articles

Issues of physical development among the Mongolian youth

At the beginning of the research, we proposed the goal of studying the modern trends in physical education at the Mongolian University of Science and Technology through analysis and comparative assessments. As a result of the study, it was observed that comprehensive education in England, sports education using technical and technological advances in Australia, sports teaching for happiness in Japan and China and skills education and physical education in Mongolia are the dominant teaching approaches. In the course of the analysis, it has been found out that there is a lack of attitude towards physical education in Mongolia, and we have determined the extent to which it has been effective through a test study. One of the main goals of our work is to study the issue of physical development of the Mongolian youth in years past. The article presents the results of the unprecedented physical development test of the first-year students enrolled in the Mongolian University of Science and Technology from 2008 to 2018. We used the “Test to Determine the Level of Physical Development and Fitness of the Population”. Actually, this test named after the President of Mongolia Mr. Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj has been implemented at the national level. During the test, height, weight, speed, strength, flexibility and endurance of students were studied by the movement test method. The test was evaluated according to the approved methodologyю. And as a result, we used quantitative and statistical research methods, performed reliability and statistical tests for each questionnaire and data obtained and analyzed the correlation of factors. If we look at physical development levels of all students, there were 14 percent with poor results and 44 percent with insufficient ones. The physical development of the majority of participants (58 percent) was rated below the sufficient level (17 points) that a person of that age should have. In terms of gender, 53 percent of male students and 65 percent of female students had insufficient physical development. According to the data of a sociological questionnaire survey of students participating in the test, 58.1 percent did not exercise or play sports. It was an interesting observation that coincided with the result that 58.0 percent of the test participants had insufficient physical development. According to our research, the majority of Mongolian students and young people had a low level of physical fitness, and one of every six students had weight problems. This may indicate that the approach to teaching skills development and physical education is somewhat ineffective. The theoretical and practical significance of the research is that the current situation regarding physical development of students and youth can be determined and the results can serve as a basis for making detailed policies and decisions for the development of physical activity and sports among young people. Today, students and youth are the most important segment of the population that drives the economy and human development of Mongolia, so it is important to cultivate a healthy and physically fit nation relying on the fact that physical activity and sports should be available for all people.

Preservice ethics teachers’ perceptions of AI ethics education

ABSTRACT In the ever-evolving landscape of AI, moral educators play a crucial role in promoting the positive development of youth and addressing potential ethical challenges posed by AI. This study employed Q methodology to explore the perceptions of 30 South Korean preservice ethics teachers on AI ethics education, and five distinct perception types emerged: Human-Centered Ethical Guardians of AI, AI Skeptics, AI Abuse Preventers, Competence Cultivators for Coexistence with AI, and AI Social Justice Advocates. These five types encapsulate the distinct gestalt of individuals that intertwines various perceptions regarding AI ethics principles as well as AI technology, the future of the AI era, and the purpose of AI ethics education. By aligning educational approaches with individuals’ perception types, teacher education programs can contribute to a more balanced viewpoint on AI and AI ethics education among preservice teachers.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of developmental assets scales: A study protocol for psychometric properties.

Application of developmental assets, one of existing Positive Youth Development (PYD) frameworks, has gained momentum in research, policy formulations, and interventions, necessitating the introduction of the most efficient scales for this framework. The present study protocol aims to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of developmental assets scales to document the underlying logic, objectives, and methodologies earmarked for the identification, selection, and critical evaluation of these scales. In accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P), the intended search will encompass databases of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Knowledge, and PsycINFO, spanning from the inception of 1988 to 1st of April 2024. The review will include articles published published in English language focusing on individuals aged 10 to 29 years and reporting at least one type of reliability or validity of developmental assets scales. The review process will be in compliance with the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN), and the overall quality of evidence will be determined using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) guidelines. This comprehensive assessment aims to identify potential biases in prior research and offer guidance to scholars regarding the optimal scales for developmental assets in terms of validity, reliability, responsiveness, and interpretability The evidence-based appraisal of the scales strengths and limitations is imperative in shaping future research, enhancing their methodological rigor, and proposing refinements to existing instruments for developmental assets.

Positive Youth Development at Sea: A Case Study of the Shenandoah Model

Background: Tall ship sail training, a form of outdoor adventure education, has historically been used with youth to build competency in seamanship and social and emotional skills. However, there is a void in the literature documenting precise program models connected to specific goals. Purpose: This paper presents a case study of the Shenandoah Model of sail training. It details its Positive Youth Development (PYD) framework and mean changes in PYD assets reported by participants. Methodology/Approach: Participants were surveyed using a one-group retrospective pretest-posttest pre-experimental design to assess the impact of participation. Findings/Conclusions: The participants reported significant mean increases across all PYD assets (Caring, Connection, Contribution, Competence, Character, Confidence, and Happiness), including moderate effect sizes for all measures except Happiness. In addition, over 70% of the participants would recommend the program and/or do it again, suggesting program satisfaction. Implications: Connecting different PYD assets to various program activities allows future program designs to intentionally develop sail training voyages to build competencies. Future follow-up research is needed, including qualitative methods to capture the impact of these programs from the participants’ viewpoint.

Teaching Core Values through Physical Activity Using a Tangible Item

To foster positive youth development (PYD), sport organizations, programs, coaches, and program leaders should use holistic youth development in a pro-social manner and provide a nurturing climate. This article offers an idea for a tangible way to promote PYD in sport and physical activity settings via a patch system.

Psychometric Properties of the School Support Scale (SSS) for a Sample of Chilean Adolescents

This study assesses the psychometric properties of the School Support Scale (SSS), part of the CHKS’s Resilience Youth Development Module (RYDM; Furlong et al., 2009 ), among 231 sixth- and seventh-grade students in urban public schools in Chile. Results indicated satisfactory psychometric properties, replicating a unifactorial structure observed in prior research ( Hanson & Kim, 2007 ), where items related to caring relationships and high expectations loaded onto a single factor, school support. Significant correlations were found with measures of life satisfaction and school-related affect. These findings underscore the scale’s utility in evaluating student perceptions of school support and highlight avenues for future research to enhance its applicability across diverse educational contexts.

Optimalisasi Program Pelayanan Sosial untuk Remaja: Studi pada Dinas Sosial PPPA Kabupaten Nganjuk

Teenagers who drop out of school or are neglected are a social problem whose impact can be felt by the individuals themselves and also society. In an effort to reduce teenagers who drop out of school or are neglected, cooperation from various government and private parties is needed. One of them is a social service program which aims to ensure that they continue to receive education outside of school and receive guidance. One way to respond to this is that the Indonesian government has made strategic efforts through the Ministry of Social Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia to establish a social welfare management program for social services throughout Indonesia, especially in East Java social services by forming a UPT which has a coaching program for teenagers who have dropped out of school. namely UPT PSBR. The background of this research is to describe the effectiveness of the youth development social service program which is a program of the East Java Provincial Social Service down to the UPT PSBR and followed by the Nganjuk Regency PPPA Social Service in dealing with teenagers who have dropped out of school. Seeing how the PPPA Social Service in Nganjuk district handles and empowers children who are neglected or have dropped out of school through this program. This type of research is qualitative. This research aims to describe the condition of facts in the field using analysis based on certain data (information). There are 3 methods used for data collection, namely interviews, documentation and field observations. The results of this research show that this program is beneficial and effective for teenagers who have dropped out of school as evidenced by the accuracy of targeting in selecting participants, achieving the set goals, monitoring the program which is beneficial for graduates assisted by PSBR. However, there are still other problems such as the public's lack of knowledge about the PSBR program, this is because the socialization is still carried out using simple methods.

Racism, Identity-Based Discrimination, and Intersectionality in Adolescence

Adolescence is a critical developmental stage for young people as they transition into adulthood. Several important developmental tasks that must be completed during this transition include exploring one’s identity, developing and applying abstract thinking, adjusting to a new physical sense of self, and fostering stable and productive peer relationships while striving for autonomy and independence from parents. Young people begin to adopt a personal value system and form their racial and ethnic, social, sexual, and moral identity within a society that may provide conflicting and nonaffirming messages. Adolescent development strives toward an affirmed sense of self and self-esteem, which is best accomplished within a nurturing psychosocial context that fosters positive youth development. Youth-focused interventions should intentionally promote affirmation of ancestry and cultural identity, intersections with other historically marginalized identities, and critical consciousness. Fostering healing environments that affirm and address the radical need for change, coaching parents and guardians as critical agents in the creation of affirmative environments for development, and conducting research using anti-oppressive approaches are additional strategies to promote positive youth development. Simultaneously, structural transformations that address underlying social inequities are needed. Health care systems should continue to diversify the workforce and train staff and clinicians in integrative, identity-based, and healing-centered approaches. Organizations should consider training in diversity and competencies related to belonging while safeguarding inclusion with policies, procedures, and practices. Public health and policymakers can embed intersectional approaches within structural and systemic processes, particularly in all policies.

A Review of the Entrepreneurship Ecosystem of The Gambia

Over the years, entrepreneurship programmes have gained momentum and expanded in The Gambia focusing on the national development priorities (MoFEA, 2018). The introduction of these programmes that are supporting youth and women entrepreneurship development has been seen in many sectors of the economy. However, a review of the entrepreneurship ecosystem shows an un-coordinated and limited synergy amongst the different actors of the ecosystem as well as the programmes being implemented (MoHERST & OACPS, 2022). This has resulted to a low entrepreneurial output of the programmes within the economy Conscious of this situation, this paper seeks to review the current entrepreneurship ecosystem in The Gambia with a view to propose viable options of ensuring closer linkages between the actors and the programmes being delivered. It reviews the policy drive, actors of the ecosystem, current programmes, support structures in place, coordination mechanisms, and the types of available funding for entrepreneurship in The Gambia (Sowe, S., 2024). The paper concluded by identifying the gaps within the entrepreneurship ecosystem and proposed recommendations aimed at ensuring an effective and efficient entrepreneurship ecosystem in The Gambia (MoHERST & OACPS, 2022).

Athepreneurship as a Change Agent tool for Mainstreaming Youth Development in South Africa

Athepreneurship as a Change Agent tool for Mainstreaming Youth Development in South Africa

Contribution of KKS Students in Fostering Faith and Piety of the Young Generation in Rural Indonesia

The young generation in rural areas often faces challenges in fostering consistent faith and piety due to limited access to religious education and adequate resources. The KKS program is one of the strategic efforts to overcome this challenge by utilizing the potential of educated students to contribute directly to society. This study aims to analyze the contribution of KKS students in fostering the faith and piety of the young generation in rural areas, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of this program in improving religious knowledge and practice among adolescents. The research method used is qualitative descriptive with a case study approach. Data was collected through participatory observation, in-depth interviews with KKS participants and villagers, and analysis of documents related to KKS activities. The results of the study show that KKS students have succeeded in making a positive contribution to the development of faith and piety of the younger generation through various activities such as religious teaching, mosque youth development, and the implementation of religious and social activities. This activity not only increases the religious knowledge of teenagers but also strengthens the sense of togetherness and social responsibility among the younger generation.

Impact of Team Sports Participation on Social Skills Development in Youth

Purpose: The aim of the study was to assess the impact of team sports participation on social skills development in youth. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: The study indicated that engaging in team sports fosters various interpersonal skills such as communication, cooperation, and conflict resolution. These activities provide a structured environment where young individuals learn to work collaboratively towards common goals, enhancing their ability to function within a group. Team sports also offer opportunities for social interaction and bonding, which can improve self-esteem and the ability to form meaningful relationships. Additionally, the need to adhere to rules and respect teammates and opponents promotes discipline and ethical behavior. Overall, participation in team sports is associated with improved social competence, making it a valuable tool for social development in y Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: Social learning theory, social identity theory and constructivist learning theory may be used to anchor future studies on assessing the impact of team sports participation on social skills development in youth. Coaches and sports organizations should develop structured training programs that specifically include social skills training. Policymakers should support and fund community sports programs that emphasize team participation as a means to develop social skills.

Uprising of the young generation: exploring the association between social mobility belief and political engagement intention among Hong Kong youth

Civic engagement, particularly political engagement, is an important aspect of youth development. In response to rising youth activism, this study examined what was related to youth’s emerging intention to engage in both normative (legal) and non-normative (illegal) political actions through the lens of social mobility beliefs. Based on the reports of college students in Hong Kong (N = 1,033), the findings revealed that social mobility belief regarding average people (i.e., societal belief) rather than that regarding oneself (i.e., personal belief) was negatively related to youth’s intention to engage in normative political action. Furthermore, parallel mediation analyses showed two indirect effects of social mobility beliefs after controlling for sociodemographic factors, post-materialistic values and political interest. Specifically, youth who endorsed a stronger societal social mobility belief tended to perceive lower social injustice, and they were then less willing to engage in normative and non-normative political actions. Additionally, those who endorsed a stronger societal social mobility belief tended to report higher external political efficacy, and they were then more willing to engage in normative political actions. The findings highlight the importance of considering youth’s worldviews in the theorization of the development of political attitudes and behaviors.

Do Non-Clinical Services Help to Improve Functional Outcomes Among Young Adults With Mental Disorders? A Systematic Review.

Mental disorders during young adulthood can significantly impair functioning in daily activities. Non-clinical support services aim to improve functioning by helping people to build social and life skills, participate in education and employment and improve physical health. This study aims to examine and synthesise the evidence for non-clinical services on improving functional outcomes for young adults with mental disorders. A systematic search was undertaken to identify quantitative and qualitative studies reporting on a non-clinical service component (vocational support, peer support, youth development, lifestyle interventions, family and network support) and examining functional outcomes (e.g., outcomes focussed on work and education, life skills, relationships and healthy behaviours). Seventeen studies met inclusion criteria. Identified studies focussed on vocational support services (n = 9), lifestyle interventions (n = 6) and family and network support services (n = 2). No studies on peer-support services or youth development services were found. More than half of the vocational support service studies reported increased employment rates among young adults (n = 6). Studies focussing on lifestyle interventions included a combination of physical activity, nutrition education, health coaching and motivation and behaviour change. However, the measures of functioning used across studies were too varied to determine whether lifestyle interventions may be useful in improving functional outcomes for young adults. Further research is needed to understand the impact of non-clinical services on functioning. This evidence will provide pragmatic guidance for service planners to invest in supports and interventions that make a meaningful difference to the lives of young adults living with mental disorders.

Antimicrobial Peptides From the Gut Microbiome of the Centenarians: Diversification of Biosynthesis and Youthful Development of Resistance Genes.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) offer a potential solution to the antibiotic crisis owing to their antimicrobial properties, and the human gut biome may be a source of these peptides. However, the potential AMPs and AMP resistance genes (AMPRGs) of gut microbes in different age groups have not been thoroughly assessed. Here, we investigated the potential development of AMPs and the distribution pattern of AMPRGs in the gut microbiome at different ages by analyzing the intestinal metagenomic data of healthy individuals at different life stages (CG: centenarians group n = 20; OAG: older adults group: n = 15; YG: young group: n = 15). Age-related increases were observed in the potential AMPs within the gut microbiome, with centenarians showing a greater diversity of these peptides. However, the gut microbiome of the CG group had a lower level of AMPRGs compared to that of the OAG group, and it was similar to the level found in the YG group. Additionally, conventional probiotic strains showed a significant positive correlation with certain potential AMPs and were associated with a lower detection of resistance genes. Furthermore, comparing potential AMPs with existing libraries revealed limited similarity, indicating that current machine learning models can identify novel peptides in the gut microbiota. These results indicate that longevity may benefit from the diversity of AMPs and lower resistance genes. Our findings help explain the age advantage of the centenarians and identify the potential for antimicrobial peptide biosynthesis in the human gut microbiome, offering insights into the development of antimicrobial peptide resistance and the screening of probiotic strains.

Defining contribution: A scoping review.

The term contribution is a key feature of approaches to positive youth development but has yet to be adequately defined. The purposes of this study were to identify properties that underlie contribution and to establish a theoretical definition of the construct. A two-phase scoping review was conducted. The first phase involved the systematic search, selection, and analysis of studies from which six properties of contribution were identified and a preliminary theoretical definition was constructed. In the second phase expert judges rated the degree to that the proposed definition and the six properties of contribution fit with their conceptualization of the construct on a 6-point scale. Mean ratings for the definition and the six properties ranged from 5.05 to 5.70. Judges' ratings for the overall definition of contribution and the six properties were evaluated using Aiken's content validity coefficient (V). All V coefficients ranged in size from 0.81 to 0.94 and were statistically significant (p's < .01) indicating that the definition of contribution and the corresponding six properties fit well with experts' conceptualizations of the construct. This study provides a theoretical definition of contribution that will serve as a foundation upon which future research in the area of positive youth development can build.

The Reach and Impact of a Positive Youth Development Program (Project P.A.T.H.S.) in China and Beyond: Review and Reflection

AbstractThere are few validated positive youth development (PYD) programs in different regions of China. Utilizing 15 PYD constructs extracted from effective programs in the United States and with the support of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, colleagues from five universities in Hong Kong developed the P.A.T.H.S. Program in Hong Kong. In the past two decades, the research team trained 9,415 potential program implementers, supported the implementation in 300 + high schools in Hong Kong (357,839 participants) and evaluated the impact of the project. Because of its overall success, the P.A.T.H.S. Program was transplanted to mainland China with the support of the Tin Ka Ping Foundation, with adaptation of the curriculum materials. Before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic, the research team also trained 1,589 teachers and related professionals, provided guidance on the implementation in 30 + schools (84,000 + participants), and evaluated the impact of the program. This paper reviews the achievements, effects, and impact of the P.A.T.H.S. Program in China and beyond. It also highlights several observations and reflections regarding the future development of positive youth development programs in China as well as around the globe.

Moving from Second Sight to Critical Consciousness Building: Using Social Justice Youth Development and Youth Participatory Action Research to Promote Praxis in Out-of-School Time

Abstract Youth development programs offer flexible environments for healing and positive identity development for youth facing discrimination and oppression. Programs often occur in out-of-school time (OST), a context that is clearly positioned in tandem with the education system to create complex relationships that lead to challenges in OST spaces. Youth development programs occurring in OST settings have the potential for resisting or replicating oppressive practices toward youth occurring in the education system. This article highlights a youth participatory action research (YPAR) project within an OST program using photovoice, field trips, and arts-based strategies. Eleven youth participated in the project over the course of nine months. Thematic content analysis of weekly photovoice and critical consciousness resulted in a primary theme of peeling back the layers. This theme encompassed the evolution of youth understanding the interconnectedness between their individual-level experiences of racism and broader community and systems-level inputs. This article describes critical consciousness development of OST youth participants through intentional engagement in critical dialogue, experiential field trips, and reflective art making.

Paragliding Events &amp; Festivals: Catalyzing Aero-Sports Tourism Development in India

India’s diverse geographical landscape and rich cultural history make it an ideal destination for paragliding events and festivals, highlighting its potential for aero sports tourism in the world. India has been the host of the Paragliding World Cup, and Paragliding Accuracy Pre-World Cup integrating with various cultural events and festivals. Paragliding destinations of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, and Kerala have gained popularity among the paragliding community worldwide by hosting paragliding “events &amp; festivals”. This study has evaluated the potential of the paragliding destination of various states in India and the role of paragliding “events and festivals” in aero-sports tourism development in India. After analyzing the data from the secondary sources found the various challenges for aero sports tourism in India. Managerial implication has underlined the importance of strategic planning required by state tourism departments, paragliding associations, and local communities to incorporate music and dance festivals with paragliding events. Skill development and training programs for local youth, development of the infrastructure, sustainable environmental practices, and effective marketing and promotion will all contribute to the growth of paragliding tourism in India. Findings highlight the incorporation of local culture (dance music &amp; food) into paragliding festivals, which promotes India’s rich heritage. Organizing events and festivals at Aero sports destinations attract tourists as well as benefits the local economy, resulting in job growth. Sustainable environment-friendly practices and community participation can reduce environmental damage and it will promote a sense of ownership among locals. The results underline the importance of empowering local communities to benefit from paragliding tourism development. Paragliding festivals not only paragliding pilots and tourists, but they also serve as an effective destination marketing tool, promoting lesser-known destinations and contributing to India's long-term Aero-sports tourism development goals.

Aligning extracurricular school activities with physical literacy: pilot evaluation through self-study of practice.

Although several important documents of education and health promotion on the international level favor practices geared toward physical literacy (PL), not all countries have yet gained experience with this holistic concept. Therefore, numerous stakeholders and practitioners who intend to align their interventional activities with PL will soon face the situation that there are no recommendations for their specific culture and language for how to design such programs. Given that such recommendations are also lacking for Germany, the goal of the present study within the uncontrolled pilot cycles of the PLACE study was (a) to describe the process of a female pedagogue (27 years old, previously unexperienced with PL) initially familiarizing herself with the PL concept and its implementation opportunities for the school setting, and (b) to retrace the process of developing and refining a PL-driven intervention for extracurricular physical education (60-90 min) of children in grades three and four at primary schools in Bremen. Adopting a self-study design, this endeavor emphasized continuous reflexivity involving: (a) session protocols; (b) biweekly discussions with another coach; (c) weekly discussions between scientists and stakeholders of youth development ("multi-perspective panel"); (d) weekly observations and impressions during field work; and (e) summative group interviews with children (n = 17, age range: 8-9 years, 17.6% boys). Written documents underwent qualitative content analysis with inductively generated categories. Despite explicit links between the theoretical PL domains and the intervention content, the character of how PL informed the intervention level was dominated by the stance and atmosphere implemented by the deliverer (e.g., participatory attitude, open mindset). Accordingly, the team revised the intervention primarily on the levels of organization (temporal schedule and sequences), instruction, and materials. After initial stages of didactically "surviving" within classes, the deliverer could increasingly integrate tasks of cognitive engagement and provide choice for students enabling individual autonomy for nurturing a person-centered approach. This study encourages teachers and stakeholders of physical education to seek exchange with scholars or other practitioners while simultaneously demonstrating patience in comprehensively internalizing PL and efficiently translating the concept into routines in line with individual's quality standards.