A leisure education programme for working mothers: a case study

Abstract

This research developed, implemented and evaluated a Leisure Education/Counselling Programme for a small group of mothers in part-time paid employment. It also examined, explored and discussed the effects the programme had on the women's attitudes towards leisure and constraints on leisure, and formulated recommendations for future programmes. The research adopted an 'embedded single case study design', using multiple methods of data collection. It was carried out in three parts: first, the women participating in the programme were interviewed about their leisure life-styles and constraints on leisure. Second, the programme was developed (using some of the information from the interviews), implemented, and evaluated by the women and the facilitators. And, thirdly, the women were re-interviewed four weeks after the programme finished. It was hypothesised that a Leisure Education Programme would benefit these women by giving them an opportunity to explore their leisure needs and identify their leisure constraints. This was proved, but, the sample size was too small for any generalisations to all mothers in paid employment. From the results, the potential to teach women to empower themselves through a programme like this, which advocates women's rights to experience leisure, seemed high, but requires further research. Overall, the programme, for these women, brought leisure to the fore and enabled them to deal with relevant individual issues in a small and personal group. Some made major shifts towards satisfying their leisure needs; others gained an awareness of their attitudes and the benefits of leisure. Each woman was affected in some positive sense by the programme.