The What, Where, and How of Life Skill Transfer: Exploring Transfer Application through Photographs and Journaling

Background

The use of sport to promote positive youth development (PYD) has been shown to be effective (Bruner et al., 2021). An important outcome of sport-based PYD programming is the development and transfer of life skills. Life skills are intrapersonal and interpersonal skills that can help youth manage the challenges of life in a variety of domains (Camiré et al., 2012). Research among community sport-based PYD programs has demonstrated that youth develop life skills including self-control (Riley et al., 2017) and social responsibility (McDonough et al., 2017). Among youth recognized as being socially vulnerable, research has indicated that such programming may be especially advantageous for life skill development (Anderson-Butcher et al., 2018). Less is known about life skill transfer, particularly what, where, and how transfer occurs.

Method

This study used photographs and journaling to explore life skill transfer among youth who participated in sport-based PYD programing. A total of 12 youth (7 boys, 5 girls) engaged in the study, a majority of whom identified as Black and fell within 100% of the national poverty line. Youth ranged in age from 9-14 (M=11.08, SD=1.38), and four youth previously participated in the program. Approximately 10-months after the program, youth were provided a disposable camera and instructed to “take 10 photographs of places where you use the life skills that were learned from participating in the program.” Youth were asked to describe each of their photographs in a journal, which included five prompts, such as “Please describe how you use life skill(s) where the photograph was taken.”

The photographs and journals were analyzed using a document analysis (Pershing, 2002), which included an iterative and recursive process of sorting and sifting codes into broad categories and specific themes. Specifically, upon construction of an initial codebook and systematic coding procedure, data (i.e., photographs, notebooks) were coded and categorized to identify and label information. Data were then reviewed and refined until unique themes were constructed.

Results

Findings illustrated that youth transferred both intrapersonal and interpersonal life skills. Youth described personal responsibility as “being accountable for yourself” and social responsibility as “following the rules.” They described transferring specific life skills in particular ways; one youth described using effort in the photograph of himself “carrying clothes upstairs.” Another described how she used social responsibility in her photograph of her school by writing, “I am on our school’s student council. I represent the entire school’s voice and opinions.”

Implications

The Grand Challenges of Social Work recognizes the importance of promoting healthy youth development, particularly among youth who may be at-risk for behavioral health problems (Sherraden et al., 2015). Research (e.g., Botvin & Griffin, 2014) has indicated the development of life skills is associated with mitigating behavioral health problems (e.g., substance use), as well as the promotion of positive outcomes (e.g., academic success). However, findings from the current study highlight life skill application, which may be used to enhance community sport-based PYD programming and practices by providing opportunities to practice transfer within the program itself.