Impact of a positive youth development program on junior high school students in mainland China: A pioneer study

Abstract

ObjectivesUsing a quasi-experimental design, this pioneer study examined the impacts of a positive youth development (PYD) program (“Tin Ka Ping P.A.T.H.S. Project”) implemented in a junior secondary school by comparing student changes between the experimental (n = 539) and control (n = 505) groups. MethodBoth groups completed questionnaires assessing perceived PYD attributes, life satisfaction, depression, and delinquency prior to and after project implementation. ResultsExperimental group students showed greater improvement in perceived PYD attributes than did control group students. While the control group showed significant decrease in self-report life satisfaction and increase in self-report depression, the experimental group did not. Furthermore, the experimental group showed significant decline in perceived delinquency whereas the control group did not. ConclusionThe present findings provide support for the positive impacts of a culturally adapted curriculum-based PYD program on different developmental outcomes among junior high school students in mainland China.