The Influence of a Five-Day Adventure-based Experience on International Students’ Perceptions of Self-Effectiveness: A Case Study

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of a five-day adventure-based experience on international students’ perceptions of life effectiveness and to determine the perceived changes qualitatively in the eight dimensions of life effectiveness. This study used a case study research design and examined the perceptions and experiences of sixteen students of Master’s in Outdoor Education at a Swedish university. Participants were interviewed after two weeks. After approximately one and a half months, two focus groups were conducted with the participants. The study concluded that a five-day adventure-based experience had little effect on international students’ self-perceptions of personal capabilities and qualities. The factors identified were poor planning and the presence of already skillful and self-efficacious persons and multicultural groups. However, it was identified that cultural factors might have contributed to some of the international students’ perceptions of their self-effectiveness. Cultural identities may have worked as a powerful filter through which the adventure-based experience was interpreted