| Outcomes and Feedback |
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Each participant in the 2007 UK Rock Challenge events was asked to complete a questionnaire. These were anonymous and were completed during the day of the event. 4430 questionnaires were returned.
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UK 2007 ROCK CHALLENGE NATIONAL PARTICIPANTS SURVEY - RESULTS SUMMARY
- 82% said that they spent 3 or more months rehearsing, with 84% spending 3 or more hours per week on their production outside of curriculum time.
- 13% of respondents reported that they smoked before becoming involved in the Rock Challenge. Of those, 61% have stopped smoking due to their involvement. Also 27% have reduced the amount they smoke.
- Of the respondents, 16% also reported that they drank alcohol before becoming involved in the event. Of those, 84% have stopped or reduced their alcohol intake since becoming involved in the Rock Challenge.
- 81% of students who had used drugs before becoming involved in the Rock Challenge had now stopped or reduced their drug usage.
- Of the respondents, 89% felt their self-esteem and teamwork skills had both improved since they became involved in the Rock Challenge.
- Of the respondents, 14% said they had played truant from school before. Of those, 89% have stopped playing truant due to their involvement in the Rock Challenge.
- 97% of respondents reported they enjoy school more since becoming involved in the Rock Challenge.
- 96% also reported they have better relationships with their teachers following their involvement.
- Of the respondents, 97% reported they have made new friends through the Rock Challenge.
- 98.5% of respondents described the initiative as excellent or good when given the choice of excellent, good, average or poor.
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2006 STUDENT FEEDBACK
From the student feedback questionnaires that were returned in 2006 (5,201 in all) the results were:
- 12% of respondents reported that they smoked before becoming involved in the Rock Challenge. Of those, 64% have stopped smoking due to their involvement while 25% have reduced the amount they smoke.
- 13% reported that they drank alcohol before becoming involved in the event. Of those, 89% have stopped or reduced their alcohol intake since becoming involved in the Rock Challenge.
- 79% of students who had used drugs before becoming involved in the Rock Challenge had now stopped or reduced their drug usage.
Teachers told much the same story too. 63% responded, and 54% of those said that the participants' consumption of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs had decreased or greatly decreased.
Of course, participation in Rock Challenge usually directly involves only up to about 150 people in any one school, so the beneficial results we see above in regard to tobacco, alcohol and drug abuse might be said to be affecting a very small part of the overall school population.
However, a 2002 research study in Australia by Rose Grunstein pointed to school-wide differences too:-- Recent marijuana use dropped slightly in Rock Eisteddfod Challenge schools, but remained steady in non-REC schools.
- Rock Eisteddfod Challenge schools had a significantly lower proportion of students who had ever tried drugs and who had ever been drunk.
Of drugs education in schools, page 79 of the UK's Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs reports contains the comments "Preliminary conclusions from the study are that most schools used methods that have not been found to be effective ..." and "Many pupils were critical of drugs education, finding it uninspiring and unrelated to their own experience."
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AUSTRALIAN OUTCOMES
Feedback from Rock Challenge participants and teachers (and the findings of the Australian study) paints a different picture.
The Rock Challenge offers students an annual high-adrenaline activity that a majority of them want to take part in year after year after year and at the same time heavily penalises any team members who are found anywhere to be breaking the "no smoking / no alcohol / no drugs" rules (they are thrown out of the event, and the entire team can progress no further in that year's competition). This zero tolerance approach appears to work.
Read more on research and outcomes from Global Rock Challenge events at:
www.rockchallenge.com.au/modules.php?op=modload&name=PagEd&file=index&topic_id=9&page_id=32
www.crocfestival.org.au/modules.php?op=modload&name=PagEd&file=index&topic_id=1&page_id=4 |
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