Descriptive study of TPSR values and life skills acquired in project effort and through other sources and how they have guided former participants' lives

The social and educational problems of underserved children and youth have become more apparent during the past decades in the United States. The youth development field has emerged as one of the most promising responses to challenges that underserved youth faces on a daily basis. Among physical activity curricular models used in the youth development field, the Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility (TPSR) model has been widely incorporated in many underserved youth community and school physical education programs around the United States and the world (Hellison, 2011). Project Effort is an extended day program that uses the TPSR model as a framework. Literature has shown that TPSR programs and Project Effort have had a positive impact on the life of the participants. However, TPSR and Project Effort studies, like many youth sport development research, do not provide an understanding on how programs have influenced the lives of former participants. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate what TPSR values and life skills former participants' have acquired in Project Effort and through other sources, and how they have guided their lives. A multiple-case design was implemented to understand this phenomenon. The findings showed that former participants considered that most of the TPSR life skills and two TPSR values (i.e. respect, helping others) were really important to their lives. Participants reported that they learned the TPSR value of helping others and leadership in Project Effort. Also they mentioned that they acquired the TPSR life skills of being reflective, teamwork, and goal setting in Project Effort. The TPSR value of helping others, and the TPSR life skill of being reflective acquired in Project Effort were most useful to the participants. Participants learned the TPSR life skill of self-direction and the TPSR values of respect and caring.