The Effects of an Outdoor Camping Experience on the Self-Concept & Wilderness Anxiety of Fifth & Sixth Grade Students at Camp Webb

The problem statement for this study was Will a one-week Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources camping experience result in a significant difference in the mean pretest and posttest selfconcept and wilderness anxiety scores of fifth and sixth grade students at Camp Webb as measured by the Willoughby Schedule and the Crume/Ellis Wilderness Anxiety Scale? This study was a replication of two other studies sponsored by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR). The first study was conducted by Charles T. Crume and G. Mac Lang (1990) at Camp Earl Wallace; and, the second study was conducted by Mazen Melky (1992) at Camp Currie. Based upon the recommendations from these studies that the third camp, Camp Webb, be tested, this study was conducted. Data were collected at Camp Webb during the summer of 1992 related to self-concept and wilderness anxiety among male and female fifth and sixth grade students attending a one week Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources camp. An experimental design consisting of separate randomized pretest/posttest groups completed the Willoughby Schedule (self-concept scale) and Crume/Ellis Wilderness Anxiety Scale instruments. The study included randomized sample sizes of male pretest (N = 193) and posttest (N = 158); female pretest (N = 196) and posttest (N = 176); male plus female pretest (N = 389) and posttest (N = 334). Analysis of the Willoughby Schedule data produced no significant pretest/posttest score differences for the male, female, or male plus female groups. The Crume/Ellis Wilderness Anxiety Scale pretest/posttest differences were not significant (.05 or greater) in any of the factor areas or the total scores for the male, female, or the male plus female groups