Footwear Preferences of Scouts Registered with the Scouting and Guiding Federation of Turkey

Authors : Zeynep Mehlika Uluçam Kırbağ, Ahmet Uzun

Pages : 273-282

Doi:10.15314/tsed.1694783

View : 58 | Download : 71

Publication Date : 2025-08-31

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :The aim of this study is to determine the footwear preferences of individuals who are members of the Turkish Scouting Federation and actively participate in scouting activities and camps. The research model was constructed using the general survey method. Data were collected from a total of 390 active scouts through the administration of the “Footwear Preference Scale” (27 items) and a “Personal Information Form.” Responses from 31 participants who either gave irrelevant answers to the instructions or did not respond at all were excluded from the analysis. Thus, the final dataset consisted of responses from 359 scouts, including 153 females and 206 males. The collected data were analyzed using the SPSS 23 software package. For variables with two groups, the Mann-Whitney U test was applied, while the Kruskal-Wallis test was used for variables with more than two groups. In order to identify the relationships between the groups and the variables in detail within multiple-group comparisons, Post-Hoc tests were also conducted. As a result of the analyses, significant relationships were identified across all sub-dimensions of footwear preference factors—excluding the variables of price and socio-environmental factors—with comfort, quality, brand, gender, age, scouting experience, and monthly household income. A closer examination of the data revealed that as scouts\\\' status or the duration of their active participation in scouting increased, their preference for footwear used in camps and scouting activities became more function-oriented, with less emphasis on style and trends. These findings indicate that within the Turkish Scouting Federation, the importance attached to functionality in footwear selection is directly proportional to the time spent in scouting and camp activities. Furthermore, it was concluded that gender, perceptions of quality and brand, and monthly household income are among the determining factors in scouts’ footwear preferences.
Keywords : Scouting Equipment, Scout Footwear, Footwear Preferences, Footwear Selection

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