The Learning Benefits of Leisure

Recreation planners, managers, and researchers have given little attention to the learning benefits of leisure. Learning, education, and protecting the environment are high priority concerns for the American people, and only relaxation exceeds learning in importance as a motivator for many leisure activities. Yet, most learning research in leisure settings has focused on short-term attempts to solve specific management problems, rather than enhancing personal growth and development, pride in the community and nation, and sensitivity and action to protect the environment. Limited studies do indicate considerable gains in factual knowledge, recognition memory, and behavior or skills during leisure engagements. Evidence of attitude change is less compelling. Little research has focused on the conceptual, schemata, and meta-cognition levels of learning in leisure settings. Almost all leisure learning has focused on learning that is aided by educational or interpretive interventions. Many individual differences and contextual variables affect degree and nature of learning, including level of cognitive development, and familiarity and novelty of the environmental setting.