Research Into Travel Benefits For Cruising Children

Created by doina. Last modified on 2006-09-20 09:47:16
Topic: Cruising Families

I am currently working on a PhD at the University of Montana that involves an educational plan for middle school children based upon travel experiences. My family lived aboard a 50ft. wooden yawl back East, and enjoyed short cruises along the coast of New England. We raised our daughter, Cassidy aboard our boat. My research involves interviewing youngsters (preferably between the ages of 11-15, although not absolute) who are cruising. I am taking a course in Human Behavior and need to gather data from this age group so that I can prove that traveling enhances learning behaviors. There is limited research on the benefits of travel - especially for children, and I would like to prove how important that experience is to the development of the youngster. (Long-term benefits as well as short term)

I have to obtain the consent of a parent before I conduct the interview, and would also be willing to share the questions I will be asking the children. The course requires that I conduct 3 interviews over the next 2 months. The initial interview will be asking very general questions; just to get to know a little about your child. I will share with them who I am, and what I'm doing. The only restriction would be that parents not filter the responses. Each interview should be no longer than 1 hour.

Ultimately, I would like to present my travel plan and curriculum to public schools across the country. The emphasis on standardized testing has skewed compulsory education, and many parents have become disillusioned with this emphasis. My theory is that travel is an invaluable experience for every age, but that children acquire learning behaviors that far exceed those developed in a conventional classroom. The families we met years ago who were cruising consistently exhibited ingenuity, independence, confidence, and a willingness to reach out to meet other people sharing similar experiences.

I would be grateful if there are families "out there" who are willing to let me interview their children for the purposes I have mentioned. If you have further questions I'd be happy to provide whatever information you may need. I look forward to hearing from some cruising families.

Thanks,

Ann Saitow

annsaitow16@msn.com