scholarly journals Evaluation of Project P.A.T.H.S. in Hong Kong: Utilization of Student Weekly Diary

2008 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 13-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel T. L. Shek ◽  
Rachel C. F. Sun ◽  
Ching Man Lam ◽  
Daniel W. M. Lung ◽  
Sui Chung Lo

Four schools participating in the experimental implementation phase of the Project P.A.T.H.S. (Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programmes) (Secondary 1 level) were randomly selected and invited to join this research study. After completion of the Tier 1 Program, Secondary 1 students in the participating schools were invited to write a reflective journal in the form of a weekly diary in order to reveal their perceptions and feelings regarding the Tier 1 Program and the related benefits. Results of the qualitative data analyses showed that most of the respondents (a) had positive views on the program, (b) had positive views on the instructors, and (c) stated that they had acquired competencies at societal, familial, interpersonal, and personal levels after joining the program. The present qualitative findings based on students' weekly diaries provide additional support for the effectiveness of the Tier 1 Program of P.A.T.H.S. in Hong Kong.

2007 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 686-697 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel T. L. Shek ◽  
Rachel C. F. Sun

A total of 52 schools participated in the Experimental Implementation Phase of the Project P.A.T.H.S. After completion of the Tier 1 Program, 8,057 students responded to a Subjective Outcome Evaluation Form (Form A) to assess their views of the program, instructors, and perceived effectiveness of the program. Based on the schools' evaluation reports, results of secondary data analyses on four open-ended questions showed that: (a) students felt that they had learned things at the personal, interpersonal, familial, and societal levels; (b) they appreciated the program design, instructors' performance, learning process, and program effectiveness; (c) they generally had positive comments on instructors’ attitude and teaching process; and (d) they made some suggestions on how the program and its implementation could be improved. The present study, based on qualitative data of subjective outcome evaluation, provides additional support for the effectiveness of the Tier 1 Program of the Project P.A.T.H.S. in Hong Kong.


2007 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 47-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel T. L. Shek ◽  
Hing Keung Ma

A total of 52 schools (n = 8679 students) participated in the experimental implementation phase of the project P.A.T.H.S. (Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programmes). After completion of the Tier 1 Program, students were invited to respond to the Subjective Outcome Evaluation Form (Form A) to assess their views of the program, instructors, and perceived effectiveness of the program. Based on the consolidated reports submitted by the schools to the funding body, the research team aggregated the consolidated data to form a “reconstructed” overall profile on the perceptions of the program participants. Results showed that high proportions of the respondents had positive perceptions of the program and the instructors, and roughly four-fifths of the respondents regarded the program as helpful to them. The present study provides additional support for the effectiveness of the Tier 1 Program of the P.A.T.H.S. Project in Hong Kong.


2007 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 195-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel T. L. Shek ◽  
Andrew M. H. Siu ◽  
Tak Yan Lee

A total of 52 schools (n = 8679 students) participated in the experimental implementation phase of the Project P.A.T.H.S. (Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programmes). After completion of the Tier 1 Program, 344 instructors completed the Subjective Outcome Evaluation Form (Form B) to assess their views of the program, instructors, and perceived effectiveness of the program. Based on the consolidated reports submitted by the schools to the funding body, the research team aggregated the consolidated data to form a “reconstructed” overall profile on the perceptions of the program implementers. Results showed that high proportions of the workers had positive perceptions of the program and their own performance, and roughly 90% of the workers regarded the program as helpful to the program participants. The present study provides additional support for the effectiveness of the Tier 1 Program of the P.A.T.H.S. Project in Hong Kong.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel T. L. Shek

An integration of the qualitative evaluation findings collected from program implementers conducting the Project P.A.T.H.S. (Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programmes) in different years (n=177participants in 36 focus groups) was carried out. General qualitative data analyses utilizing intra and interrater reliability techniques were performed. Results showed that the descriptors used to describe the program and the metaphors named by the informants that could stand for the program were generally positive in nature. Program participants also perceived the program to be beneficial to the development of the students in different psychosocial domains. The present study further supports the effectiveness of the Tier 1 Program of the Project P.A.T.H.S. in Hong Kong based on the perspective of the program implementers.


2008 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 22-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel T. L. Shek

The Tier 1 Program of the Project P.A.T.H.S. (Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programmes) is a curricula-based positive youth development program. In the experimental implementation phase, 52 schools participated in the program. Based on subjective outcome evaluation data collected from the program participants (Form A) and program implementers (Form B) in each school, the program implementers were invited to write down five conclusions based on an integration of the evaluation findings (N = 52). The conclusions stated in the 52 evaluation reports were further analyzed via secondary data analyses in this paper. Results showed that most of the conclusions concerning perceptions of the Tier 1 Program, instructors, and effectiveness of the programs were positive in nature. There were also conclusions reflecting the respondents’ appreciation of the program. Finally, responses on the difficulties encountered and suggestions for improvements were observed. In conjunction with the previous evaluation findings, the present study suggests that the Tier 1 Program was well received by the stakeholders and the program was beneficial to the development of the program participants.


2010 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 211-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel T.L. Shek ◽  
Lu Yu

A total of 196 schools participated in the Tier 1 Program (Secondary 2 curriculum) of the Project P.A.T.H.S. (Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programmes) in Hong Kong. After the completion of the program, 1,178 instructors completed a subjective outcome evaluation form in order to assess their views of the program, instructors, and perceived effectiveness of the program. Results showed that high proportions of the instructors had positive perceptions of the program (range: 76.79–93.69%) and their own performance (range: 83.20–98.60%), and most of the respondents (range: 78.45–92.43%) regarded the program as helpful to the program participants. While the ratings in some items in the present findings were relatively better than those in the Experimental Implementation Phase, they were similar to those based on the Secondary 1 curriculum. Consistent with previous studies, the ratings on the program, instructors, and perceived effectiveness were significantly correlated.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel T. L. Shek

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Tier 1 Program of the Project P.A.T.H.S. (Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programmes) in Hong Kong by analyzing 1,327 school-based program reports submitted by program implementers. In each report, program implementers were invited to write down five conclusions based on an integration of the subjective outcome evaluation data collected from the program participants and program implementers. Secondary data analyses were carried out by aggregating nine databases, with 14,390 meaningful units extracted from 6,618 conclusions. Results showed that most of the conclusions were positive in nature. The findings generally showed that the workers perceived the program and program implementers to be positive, and they also pointed out that the program could promote holistic development of the program participants in societal, familial, interpersonal, and personal aspects. However, difficulties encountered during program implementation (2.15%) and recommendations for improvement were also reported (16.26%). In conjunction with the evaluation findings based on other strategies, the present study suggests that the Tier 1 Program of the Project P.A.T.H.S. is beneficial to the holistic development of the program participants.


2010 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 182-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel T.L. Shek

The Tier 1 Program of the Project P.A.T.H.S. (Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programmes) is a curricular-based program that attempts to promote positive youth development in Hong Kong. In the second year of the Full Implementation Phase, 20 experimental schools (n = 2,784 students) and 23 control schools (n = 3,401 students) participated in a randomized group trial. Analyses based on linear mixed models via SPSS showed that participants in the experimental schools displayed better positive youth development than did participants in the control schools based on different indicators derived from the Chinese Positive Youth Development Scale. Differences between experimental and control participants were also found when students who joined the Tier 1 Program and perceived the program to be beneficial were employed as participants of the experimental schools.


2006 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 2254-2263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel T.L. Shek ◽  
Tak Yan Lee ◽  
Andrew Siu ◽  
Ching Man Lam

Qualitative evaluation was carried out to understand the perceptions of the students participating in the Tier 1 Program of the P.A.T.H.S. Project. Five focus groups based on 43 students recruited from four schools were conducted to generate qualitative data to evaluate the program. With specific focus on how the informants described the program, results showed that the descriptors used were mainly positive in nature. When the informants were invited to name three metaphors that could stand for the program, the related metaphors were basically positive in nature. Finally, the program participants perceived many beneficial effects of the program in different psychosocial domains. Intra- and inter-rater reliability analyses revealed that the coding of the positive or negative nature of the responses was reliable. The present study provides qualitative support for the effectiveness of the Tier 1 Program of the Project P.A.T.H.S. in promoting holistic development in Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong.


2007 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 1024-1035 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel T. L. Shek ◽  
Rachael C. F. Sun

A total of 52 schools participated in the experimental implementation phase of the project P.A.T.H.S. (Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programmes). After completion of the Tier 1 Program (Secondary 1 level), 344 teachers and social workers responded to the Subjective Outcome Evaluation Form (Form B), assessing their views of the program and their own performance. Qualitative data analyses based on the schools' evaluation reports showed that the program implementers had enhanced knowledge and skills, learned to establish instructor-student relationships and cooperate with colleagues, and fostered self-development. The workers also appreciated the program philosophy and values, program design and resources, process of implementation, interaction between instructors and students, and program effectiveness. The findings also revealed that the workers encountered difficulties in the program implementation and they also made suggestions on how the program design, program arrangement, manpower deployment, and support for the program implementation could be improved.


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