After-school Program Research Articles

Building Adolescents’ Resilience: Evaluating the Impact of a 20-Week Inner-City Program

Adolescence is a critical phase in any individual’s life, marked by rapid growth and profound psychological changes. Adolescents living in inner-city environments face unique challenges, including sedentary lifestyles, academic dysfunction, and socio-emotional disorders due to adverse ecological factors, such as a lack of resources or exposure to violence. In an effort to support them, the current study implemented a 20-week after-school program aimed to enhance their resilience. A total of 134 adolescents from inner-city schools in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, participated in our program (58% male; M age = 11.20, SD = 1.04). To assess the effectiveness of the program, two MANCOVA analyses were performed: one including all participants and a second specifically targeting those with lower resilience scores at baseline. Using the Resiliency Scales for Children & Adolescents (RSCA), our results revealed a significant improvement in participants’ Sense of Relatedness (p < .001), particularly among adolescents with lower resilience scores at baseline. In sum, these findings provide evidence of the program’s effectiveness in enhancing resilience among inner-city adolescents, particularly among those with initial lower levels of resilience.

‘The barrier has to be jumped out with this music’: Collaborative creation in an after-school community music programme

Contemporary research into community music programmes highlights diverse contexts for collaborative music making. This article contributes a case of the collaboration in music making to a growing literature on creative practice in community music initiatives led by major orchestras. The authors reflect on field research involving an after-school programme that provides free, classical instrumental music instruction to primary school-age students who would not normally have an opportunity due to their socio-economic circumstances. The Pizzicato Effect, run by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) in the City of Hume, Australia has operated in the northern suburbs of Melbourne since 2009. Through focus group interviews with students, family members and teaching artists, the researchers examined community experiences of accruing cultural capital in conditions of social inequality and multicultural practice. Using qualitative methods, the case study aimed to position respondents as experts in their own lives, who own their knowledge of their worlds. Collaboration was central to a model of improvisation developed locally by teaching artists and applied on site. Furthermore, improvisation took the programme in different directions to the El Sistema model of youth orchestra training in Venezuela, which had been the original source of inspiration for the programme.

Defeating cancer through education, prevention, and youth athletics.

e22548 Background: Barriers to effective scientific learning exists for elementary students, particularly in socially and financially disadvantaged settings. Maintaining interest, concentration and focus can be difficult for children, particularly when confronted with complex material and multiple distractions. Methods: We implemented a scientific educational program for children attending an urban community center after-school program entailing tutoring stations conducted during a basketball practice. Five tutoring stations included human physiology, astronomy, geography, geology and cancer. Five children spend 3 minutes with tutors who are medical students or residents while five other children are on the basketball court going through drills with a coach. After 3 minutes the kids on the court and the kids being tutored switch places. The sequence is repeated until each child has rotated through each of the 5 tutoring stations and through each of the 5 basketball drills. After this, each child rotates through each tutoring station for one minute where they are quizzed on what they were taught and the end of practice scrimmage begins with a score based upon each team of fives’ performance on the quiz. Results: The method proved to be highly effective in the children’s ability to understand and retain scientific concepts. Within weeks nearly every child could list the planets of the solar system in order, calculate their pulse and explain its importance, list the most common symptoms of the most prevalent cancers, correctly identify continents, oceans, countries and states on maps and explain the origin of volcanos, earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis. Conclusions: This novel teaching method proved highly effective with children being able to maintain interest, focus and concentration in a setting where physical exertion is rapidly alternated with educational instruction. Parents and teachers commented that the kids learned more in 45 minutes with this method than in 2 weeks of conventional classroom teaching. The approach is widely applicable to students from diverse backgrounds.

소규모 초등학교 학생의 방과후학교 스포츠 활동 경험과 교육적 의미

Objectives The purpose of this study was to examine the after-school sports activity experiences of elementary school students in a small-scale setting and explore the educational implications of these experiences. Methods To achieve this, data were collected from 6 students in grades 3 to 6 who participated in after-school sports activities at a small-scale elementary school during the first semester from March to July 2023. Data col-lection involved participant observation, in-depth interviews, and document analysis. The data were analyzed us-ing iterative comparative analysis, and the credibility of the research was ensured through triangulation, peer dis-cussions, and confirmation from research participants. Results The students' experience in small-scale elementary school after-school sports activities is described as “Reviving the Spark of Small-Scale School Physical Education.” Due to insufficient preparation in regular physical education classes by homeroom teachers, students had lost interest. In response, after-school sports activities served the purpose of fulfilling the lack of physical activity, bridging care gaps, and providing enjoyable leisure time, positively impacting students' holistic development and self-realization. The educational significance is framed as “Illuminating the Torch of Public Education.” The collaborative format of after-school sports activities facilitated interaction between grade levels, fostering exchange among students. It provided opportunities for mutual learning and motivation between juniors and seniors. Additionally, it contributed to reducing private educa-tion expenses, restoring trust in public education, and offering a broad range of sports experiences. Conclusions The after-school sports activities in small-scale elementary schools provide students with oppor-tunities for growth and development on various levels. Therefore, the activation of physical education activities in small-scale elementary schools is necessary.

제도이론의 관점에서 한국과 중국의 방과 후 프로그램 정책 비교 분석

[Purpose] The purpose of this study is to comparatively analyze the after-school programpolicies of Korea and China froman institutional perspective in order to obtain implications for after-school programs currently being expanded in Chinese elementary schools. [Methods] To this end, this study comparatively analyzed national education policy on after-school programs in China and Korea (three policy from each country). For analysis, this research explored the similarities and differences between the two countries' relevant policies in three dimensions of institutional theory suggested by Chen (2008), such as value function, subject identity, and social behavior. [Results] The results of the study show that, first, in terms of the value function dimension, Korea has a clear evaluation and supervision system for after-school programs, while China's policy provisions on supervision and evaluation are more general, and the supervision system needs further refinement and improvement. Second, in terms of subject identity, Korea's policy shows a more comprehensive and systematic emphasis and arrangement on the subjectivity of teachers and students. On the other hand, although China's policy mentions that students' individuality should be respected and students' academic burden should be reduced, it generally pays less attention to student subjectivity and intensity than Korean policy. Third, in terms of social action, Korea focuses on diversifying teaching content and promoting social participation, while China emphasizes the standardized management of after-school programs and the overall development of students, and should further strengthen the diversification of teaching content. [Conclusion] Through the comparative analysis of after-school programs in Korea and China, this study identified that China needs to strengthen the construction of supervision and evaluation systems, pay attention to the needs of teachers and students, and enrich the forms of teaching content to continuously improve after-school programs, so as to promote the quality and balanced development of after-school education.

Correction: The impact of after-school programs on K-12 students’ creativity: a meta-analysis

Correction: The impact of after-school programs on K-12 students’ creativity: a meta-analysis

Equality in Programming for Girls and Boys: Adolescents' Shared Experiences from an After-school Support Program in Urban Nairobi

There has been marked progress in access to education, representation of women in leadership, sexual reproductive health, and gender-based violence as a result of gender equality initiatives. However, there is still a strong focus on interventions targeting girls only. Through the adolescents’ lens, this study sought to establish if there is a preference for interventions targeting girls compared to boys in two urban informal settlements; and what benefits were realized from programming for both adolescent boys and girls enrolled in an after-school support program. We employed a thematic analysis approach to answer the research questions. Results showed that most interventions at the community and school levels tended to favor girls over boys despite both facing similar challenges. Some of the benefits of programming for both sexes included sharing academic knowledge; boys gaining knowledge and skills to enable them to be future champions of change; enhanced ability for the adolescents to keep away from social ills; better gains for the society; breaking the gender inequality cycle; and enhanced social-emotional skills. Evidence from this paper highlights that there is a need for program and policy stakeholders to consider gender-transformative approaches and interventions targeting both sexes to maximize gains in education, health, and well-being.

The Impact of After-School Physical Education Activites on the Promotion Holistic Well-Being of Non-Physical Education Majors

The impact of after-school physical education activities on the promotion holistic well-being of non-physical education majors, Background to the start, followed by a review of the existing literature, point out the current gap, came up with, the impact of after-school physical education activities on the promotion holistic well-being of non-physical education majors, Influence the theoretical framework and the research paradigm. Problem statements and hypotheses clarify the focus of the study, while importance illustrates its potential impact. In this study, literature review, interviews, questionnaires, mathematical statistics and logic analysis were used, To the impact of after-school physical education activities on the promotion holistic well-being of non-physical education majors in Huangshan City, the teachers and students of Huangshan University were selected as the survey objects, Exploring the impact of after-school physical activity on overall health promotion in non-sports majors, The challenge of facing the construction. Finally, the development direction is put forward. It aims to provide theoretical and practical references for the impact of after-school physical activity on overall health promotion in non-sports majors. This is followed by a review of the existing literature, pointing out the current gaps. Problem statements and hypotheses clarify the focus of the study, while importance illustrates its potential impact, The impact of after-school physical education activities on the promotion holistic well-being of non-physical education majors The challenges faced in the construction, and finally put forward the development direction. Be aimed at: be conducted to the impact of after-school physical education activities on the promotion holistic well-being of non-physical education majors The reform provides both theoretical and practical reference. This project first develops a teacher interview outline and a student questionnaire, both of which are collected face-to-face. The questionnaire is distributed and collected on-site to ensure a high response rate. Then analyze the collected data, study the relationships between various factors, and propose targeted development paths. The impact of after-school physical education activities on the promotion holistic well-being of non-physical education majors the challenges faced in the construction, and finally put forward the development direction. Be aimed at be conducted to the impact of after-school physical education activities on the promotion holistic well-being of non-physical education majors. The reform provides both theoretical and practical reference.

Feasibility of an After-School Physical Activity Intervention for Adolescent Girls

ABSTRACT Background Adolescent girls are at an increased risk of low physical activity and the associated health consequences. Girls Can Move!, an after-school intervention guided by social cognitive theory, was designed to increase physical activity. Purpose To examine the feasibility and initial effectiveness of Girls Can Move! Methods The 8-week pre-post intervention provided low-active adolescent female participants with a variety of physical activities led by active female role models. Attendance, weekly process evaluations, and a post-intervention focus group were used to assess satisfaction and feasibility. At pre- and post-intervention, participants wore an accelerometer for 7 days to measure physical activity. Results Of the 17 enrolled participants, 13 (11.7 ± .7 years, 82% Black/African American or multiracial) completed the intervention. The average attendance rate was 82%. On a scale from 1 to 5, participants reported the sessions were fun (4.5 ± .6) and increased their confidence (4.1±.5) and physical activity (4.1±.5). There were moderate-to-large increases in objectively measured physical activity (d = .71). Discussion Girls Can Move! is feasible and should be tested using a randomized controlled trial design. Translation to Health Education Practice Girls Can Move! can be implemented in after-school settings with the support of university and community partners to promote physical activity among adolescent girls.

The impact of after-school programs on K-12 students’ creativity: a meta-analysis

The impact of after-school programs on K-12 students’ creativity: a meta-analysis

Study on the development and implementation of an interdisciplinary solar panel project to enhance students' interest in STEM

This study aimed to develop and implement a STEM education program on solar energy. This study follow Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, and Evaluate (ADDIE) model. The study was conducted by analysing, designing, and developing a STEM education program consisting of a program guide and a solar panel STEM KIT. The program was implemented in schools involving 83 high school students. The program was implemented in two formats, namely STEM after school and regular learning. Students completed the STEM interest instrument after participating in the STEM education program. The results showed that the program was declared valid for use. In addition, the program implementation results showed no significant difference between students' technology, engineering, mathematics, and STEM career interests in STEM after school and regular STEM classes. This may be due to several things such as similar content and activities, similar engagement, and similar mentorship. This study implies that the STEM education program can increase students' interest in STEM after-school and regular learning activities.

Jon’s Heroes in Training: A Cross-Sector Collaboration Serving University and Community Stakeholders

Jon’s Heroes in Training (JHT) represents a strong cross-sector collaboration that was created and has evolved over the past five years. JHT is an after-school program where children (ages 3–22) with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis come to the local university to engage in high-quality physical education lessons designed and implemented by physical education teacher education (PETE) students currently taking a required Adapted Physical Education class. This article discusses (a) the process required to establish the shared mission and vision of JHT and the role of the Office of Civic Engagement (OCE); (b) the negotiated roles and responsibilities of stakeholders, including university faculty from PETE, PETE students, children with ASD and their families, and local non-profit organizations; (c) the impact of JHT on its stakeholders; and (d) lessons learned and future directions.

Strengthening Youth Resilience via Social Work Internship Placements within Boys and Girls Clubs: A Process Evaluation

Background: There is a growing mental health crisis among youth in the United States. The objective of the current study was to conduct a process evaluation of Strengthening Youth Resilience (SYR), a unique program aimed at decreasing youth anxiety and depression via social work internship placements within after-school programs in three historically underserved communities in a large city in Southern California. The SYR program utilizes the School Social Work Practice Model as a framework for interacting with youth within community settings by providing a tiered system of service delivery. Methods: Focus group discussions and interviews were used to examine the unique perspectives of social work interns, program leaders, and Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) staff. Results: Results emphasized the importance of trust, clear communication, and shared decisionmaking as a foundation for successful program site integration. Additionally, several unanticipated barriers to implementation arose, including difficulty obtaining informed parental consent to work individually with youth, challenges aligning internship schedules with the fluid structure of after-school programs, and the need for a private welcoming space to work. Conclusion: In conclusion, the SYR program successfully integrated within BGCA sites and was able to provide support to youth. BGCA sites expressed great satisfaction with the program and were eager to continue and expand upon their collaboration with the local university

Catalyzing the Success of Implementation of After-School Physical Activity Program in Primary School under the “Double-Reduction” Policy

The implementation of “Double-Reduction" policy creates a suitable external environment for the further development of after-school physical education services. In this study, literature review, questionnaire and interview methods are used as the main research methods to investigate the development status of after-school physical education services in urban primary schools in Guilin under the “double-reduction" policy environment, and to analyze and discuss the main influencing factors of after-school physical education services, such as coverage, contents, form and duration, participation and service mode, as well as quality and evaluation. The results revealed that: Under “double-reduction" policy, the after-school PE service coverage of primary schools in Guilin needs to continue to expand, and should strive to reach full coverage; Parents and students have strong demand for diversified after-school PE services, but there is a shortage of PE teachers, insufficient benefit guarantee for teachers to participate in after-school services, and the lack of quality and evaluation system. The paper suggests that relevant government departments should formulate after-school PE service policies to strengthen guidance, integrate high-quality after-school PE resources to participate in after-school service by purchasing services, strengthen the motivation of PE teachers to participate in after-school service, construct a reasonable after-school PE service evaluation system, and improve the quality of after-school PE service.

The Discovery Learning Method: An Islamic Religious Education Instructor's Strategy for Character Development

This study is to investigate how Islamic Religious Education instructors at SMP Negeri 24 Tanjung Jabung Timur can mold students' personalities using the Discovery Learning learning methodology. The research methodology for this study is qualitative deductive. Information about the learning of Islamic Religious Education and the development of students' character was gathered through observation, interviews, and documentation. The data collection, data condensation, data presentation, and conclusion-making based on the data obtained are among the data analysis methodologies employed in this study. According to the study's findings, the Islamic Religious Education instructors at SMP Negeri 24 Tanjung Jabung Timur employed the following strategies: 1. There were methods for planning, carrying out, and overseeing instruction. 2. The practice of reading Sholawat before taking classes. 3. Teachers invited students to participate in after-school programs. It is proposed that for students to develop their character, parents, teachers, and the administrator must work together as much as possible. It is intended that more studies concentrating on how student organization shapes student character will be conducted

After-School Activities of Japanese Elementary School Children: Comparison of Children Who Attend Lessons and Cram Schools With Those Who Do Not.

This study examined the after-school activities of Japanese elementary school children in which little information is available for understanding the process by which participation in organized activities leads to the decrease in children's independent mobility. One thousand eight hundred and twenty-four mothers of elementary school children participated in an online survey. The mothers responded to the questions on the number of lessons (or cram schools) their children attended weekdays, as well as their children's behavior after classes, and parents providing transportation when their children go out to play. The proportion of children attending lessons and/or cram schools increased as their grades progressed. A significant interaction existed between the degree of parental transportation and grade in terms of whether or not the children attended lessons and/or cram schools. Parental involvement included pick up or drop-off for a large percentage of younger children without lessons, whereas the degree of parental involvement was greater for older children attending lessons. In other words, parents of children without attending lessons or cram schools tended to allow children to engage in independent activities when they reached the higher grades, whereas parents of children who frequently attended lessons and cram schools tended to remain involved in transporting their children, even when they reached the higher grades. The results suggested that the participation of children in organized activities leads to a routine of parental pickup and/or drop-off, which renders difficult the facilitation of opportunities for children to independently participate in play activities.

판타지 학원물에 나타난 ‘청소년 능력주의’ 연구 –2020년대 한국 OTT 오리지널 드라마를 중심으로-

This paper analyzes fantasy school dramas among the original Korean OTT dramas in the 2020s that deal with adolescents' entrance exams, competition, survival, and struggles. Exploring the “youth meritocracy” in these dramas. Originally, the meritocracy was considered the opposite of aristocracy, affirming that intelligence and hard work are the forces that create class mobility. However, over time, it has transformed into a meritocracy based on education and exams. Especially in Korea, it reinforces the obsession with prestigious universities and eventually becomes a way to justify endless competition and winner-takes-all thinking. However, in fantasy school dramas, young people don't just accept the distorted meritocracy as it is; they shape their own lives by exhibiting a variety of attitudes toward the meritocracy in schools which have become battlegrounds for life and death. Chapter 2 examines "High Cookie" a film about high school seniors at a prestigious school who are willing to use drugs to get to the top of the class, while Chapter 3 analyzes "After-School War Activities" a film about high school students who join the military as student soldiers to earn extra credit for the SAT and their unstable inner lives. Chapter 4 examines "All of Are Dead" explores the implications of teenagers choosing cooperation and solidarity over competition, albeit temporarily, in a zombie apocalypse. Chapter 5 focuses on the drama "Superior Shaman Gadusim" to examine the self-affirmation of adolescents who voluntarily sacrifice themselves to save their friends. In doing so, I argue that these dramas expose the absurdity of Korean society and youth meritocracy, but also reveal that they talk about the values that we need to recover beyond meritocracy, such as self-affirmation, friendship and love, cooperation and solidarity.

경향점수를 활용한 고등학교 방과후학교 참여 효과 : 대학진학 준비행동과 지역별 차이를 중심으로

경향점수를 활용한 고등학교 방과후학교 참여 효과 : 대학진학 준비행동과 지역별 차이를 중심으로

Why Does the Hierarchy between Education and Care Maintain?: The Mechanism of the Devaluation of Care Work in the Conflicts between Teachers and After-school Care Workers in Elementary School

Why Does the Hierarchy between Education and Care Maintain?: The Mechanism of the Devaluation of Care Work in the Conflicts between Teachers and After-school Care Workers in Elementary School

Exploring Program Process at Movimiento La Libertad: Examining Nuances of Youth Programs That Develop Latinx Critical Consciousness Toward Educational Injustice and Anti-Immigrant Politics

ABSTRACT In the midst of political attacks on public schools to prevent discussions on social injustice and Latinx youth culture, there are after-school programs that nurture Latinx youth critical consciousness and social justice activism. This study uses agencies of transformational resistance (ATR) as a framework to explore one after-school program’s organizational processes that foster Latinx critical consciousness and social justice activism. Using semi-structured interviews, the data revealed the (a) curriculum, (b) pedagogy, and (c) co-conspirators are three organizational processes that nurtured Latinx youth critical consciousness. This study contributes to the critical youth development scholarship by highlighting nuances of three program processes of one Latinx youth afterschool program in an urban city in Iowa. This study suggests afterschool programs afford Latinx with organizational processes that nurture their critical consciousness. The Midwest, and specifically Iowa, have a growing Latinx population that is understudied.