Beyond the classroom: Evaluating study tours' impact on adolescents' learning outcomes, psychological growth, and social responsibility

Study tours, a specialized form of tourism with educational objectives, represent an innovative approach to middle school education reform and play a vital role in advancing quality education. Despite the existence of policy guidelines for study tours, foundational research, especially empirical studies aimed at developing validated assessment tools for evaluating students' educational outcomes, remains limited. This study employs a mixed-methods approach, gathering insights from experienced stakeholders through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions to understand their views on study tours. Based on qualitative analysis, a conceptual framework model for assessing the impact of study tours on the learning and psychological growth of adolescents is developed, with a set of indicators to measure the effectiveness of study tour programs. In quantitative analysis, the framework is validated by exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The validated measurement scale developed in this study consists of three main dimensions, seven sub-dimensions and 35 reliable and valid measurement items. This study shows that study tours have significant positive effects on students' practical knowledge application, critical thinking, self-awareness, teamwork ability and social responsibility. Through travel, adolescents gain new cultural experiences and skills, promoting personal learning and individual development, thereby enhancing their overall well-being.