본 연구의 목적은 숲체험교육 프로그램이 청소년의 공격성 완화에 어떤 영향을 주는지 살펴보고, 숲체험교육 참여 전후비교를 통해 나타난 정서적 변화정도를 비교해 봄으로써, 숲체험교육 프로그램의 효과를 분석하는데 있다. 조사대상은 숲체험교육 프로그램에 참여한 청소년 672명으로 하였으며, 연구방법은 대조군이 없이 실험군 단일집단으로 숲체험교육 프로그램 참여 전과 후의 긍정-부정정서를 대응표본 t-검증으로 비교하였으며 공격성(상/중/하)을 집단간 변인으로 하고, 숲체험교육 프로그램 참여 전/후를 집단내 변인으로 하여 긍정-부정 정서에 대한 반복측정 분산분석(Repeated measures ANOVA) 실시하였다. 주요 연구결과는 첫째, 집단별(학교급, 성별)로 숲체험교육 프로그램 참여 후 긍정 정서가 모두 높아졌으며, 부정정서는 모두 감소하는 것으로 나타났다. 둘째, 학급별로 공격성을 상·중·하로 나눈 세 집단 모두에서 숲체험교육 프로그램 참가 후에 긍정 정서가 증가하고 부정정서는 감소하는 것으로 나타났다. 그리고 초등학생집단과 중학생집단에서 긍정 정서와 부정 정서 모두에서 ‘숲체험교육 프로그램 참여 전/후×공격성 정도’의 상호작용항 효과(Interaction effect)가 통계적으로 유의한 것으로 나타났으며, 고등학생집단에서는 긍정 정서, 부정 정서 모두에서 ‘숲체험교육 프로그램 참여 전/후×공격성 정도’의 상호작용항 효과(Interaction effect)가 유의미하지 않은 것으로 나타났다. 본 연구의 결과를 통해 숲체험·교육 프로그램이 청소년의 긍정 정서를 높이고 부정 정서를 낮추는데 효과적이라는 것을 증명하였으며, 특히 공격성이 높은 청소년집단에게서 효과성이 더욱 나타난 점을 확인하였다. 본 연구는 숲체험교육 프로그램이 청소년의 공격성 완화에 효과적임을 공격성이 다른 집단별 숲체험교육 프로그램 참여 전후 비교를 통해 나타난 정서적 변화정도를 비교해 봄으로써, 숲체험교육 프로그램의 공익적 효과를 분석하고자 하였으며, 이는 청소년을 위한 숲체험교육 프로그램의 활성화, 확대를 위한 근거자료로 활용 될 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.
The purpose of this study was to examine how forest experience education programs affect the alleviation of aggression among adolescents. In addition, we also sought to compare the degree of emotional change exhibited through a comparison of before and after participation in the program. For this study, a total of 672 adolescents, all of whom were to participate in the forest experience education program, were sampled. The study method was to use a single group of the experimental group without a control group. The positive-negative emotions before and after participating in the program were compared with the paired t-test. Aggression was used as an intergroup variable, while before and after participation in the forest experience education program was used as an intragroup variable, and repeated ANOVAtesting, in relation to positive and negative emotions, was performed. In order to identify the effect of before and after program participation, aggression, positive and negative emotions were performed using repeated measures of ANOVA testing for the intergroup and intragroup, respectively. The conclusions drawn are as follows. First, in all groups, regardless of divisions in terms of school level and gender, it was found that positive emotions increased after participation in the forest experience education program, and negative emotions decreased. Second, it was found that positive emotions increased and negative emotions decreased after participation in the forest experience education program for all classes divided by aggressiveness (upper, middle, and lower levels). Additionally, in terms of both positive and negative emotions in the elementary and middle school student groups, the interaction effect of ‘before/after program participation and the degree of aggression’ was statistically significant. In the high school student group, the interaction effect of “before/after participation in the forest experience education program and the degree of aggression” was found to be insignificant in terms of both positive and negative emotions. Through the results of this study, we can conclude that the forest experience and education program proved itself to be effective in raising adolescents" positive emotions whilst lowering their negative emotions. In particular, it was confirmed that this effectiveness appeared more in those adolescent groups with higher levels of aggression. The purpose of this study was to compare the level of emotional change that appeared through participation in the forest experience education program for each group (with different aggression levels) which revealed that the program was indeed effective in mitigating aggression in adolescents. Analyzing and understanding the very clear public interest implications of the effectiveness of such a forest experience education program would provide a strong basis for revitalizing and expanding similar programs aimed at youth.