Evaluation of Project P.A.T.H.S. in Hong Kong: Triangulation of Findings Based on Different Evaluation Strategies

Daniel T L Shek

doi:10.1100/tsw.2008.21

Abstract

There are different adolescent developmental issues in Hong Kong, such as mental health problems, abuse of psychotropic substances, adolescent suicide, school violence, and drop in family solidarity, that deserve the attention of helping professionals[1]. With reference to these problems, primary prevention programs that target specific adolescent developmental problems and positive youth development programs are called for. Furthermore, attempts to identify the "at-risk" adolescents at an earlier stage are important. However, research findings show that there are very few systematic and multiyear positive youth development programs in Hong Kong. Even if such programs exist, they commonly deal with isolated problems and issues in adolescent development (i.e., deficits-oriented programs) and they are relatively short term in nature. In addition, systematic and long-term evaluation of the available programs does not exist[2].

Highlights

Because research findings suggest that roughly onefifth of adolescents would need help of a deeper nature, the Tier 2 Program is generally provided for at least one-fifth of the students who have greater psychosocial needs at each grade
Based on an experimental design, Shek, Siu, Lee, Cheung, and Chung reported that the experimental group performed better than the control group on different measures of positive youth development based on the data collected in the first year of the Full Implementation Phase
In the paper by Shek, Sun, Lam, Lung, and Lo, Secondary 1 students participating in Year 1 of the Experimental Implementation Phase were invited to write a reflective journal in the form of weekly diary to reveal their perceptions and feelings regarding the Tier 1 Program and the related benefits after completion of the program

Summary

Introduction

Research findings show that there are very few systematic and multiyear positive youth development programs in Hong Kong. The research team provides training for teachers and social workers who implement the program and carry out longitudinal evaluation of the project[3]. The Tier 1 Program is a universal positive youth development program where students in Secondary 1 to 3 participate in the program, normally with 20 h of training in the school year at each grade.

Results

Conclusion