Experiential learning: the personal stories of young people of different ethnic backgrounds

This research paper examines a three year project of experiential learning undertaken by three groups of young people of different ethnic backgrounds. The paper tells the stories of the young people involved in the project, and then examines some of the themes, which the young people wished to talk about. In the section on methodology, I refer to texts from other researchers, which shed light on my research. I describe a range of methodological approaches to research projects similar to my own, and through a brief discussion, seek to justify my choice of a critical ethnographic action research approach. In the section on how the research was done, I explain the details of the background to the research project, and detail the events, which took place during the period of research. In the discussion, I seek to develop an appreciation of the understandings this particular group of young people had of their experiential learning programme. From this, I have suggested a theoretical framework which should enable youth workers and facilitators, working with similar groups to develop more effective approaches to their practice. In the conclusion, I produce some suggestions for practice, and suggest some further lines of research. These conclusions draw particular attention to the effectiveness of participatory peer education, as a way of engaging young people in cross-cultural youth work; advocate for a multicultural approach to work with young people of different ethnicity; and argue for greater attention to be paid to the relationships which youth workers have with the parents of young people