Alternative Thinking Strategies Research Articles

Teacher perspectives on the implementation of the PATHS curriculum

The research was designed to add to the UK-based literature around the Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS) curriculum, a whole school emotional literacy and social competence intervention. Seven semi-structured interviews were carried out with class teachers and pastoral leads. Questionnaires were designed to explore a number of elements including teachers’ perceptions of the PATHS curriculum effect on children’s social and emotional functioning and understanding, and also their thoughts about the implementation of the programme. Results suggested that teachers found implementing the programme a generally positive experience with some support found for the authors’ claims for improvement of children’s social and emotional functioning, some limited support for improvements in children’s ability to recognise others’ emotions and for improvements in children’s learning. Examination of the data also suggested that teachers felt that the programme needs long-term prioritisation in order to be successful. Implications for practice are discussed and future research directions considered.

Sustaining High-Quality Teaching and Evidence-Based Curricula: Follow-Up Assessment of Teachers in the REDI Project

Research Findings: Recent research has validated the power of evidence-based preschool interventions to improve teaching quality and promote child school readiness when implemented in the context of research trials. However, very rarely are follow-up assessments conducted with teachers in order to evaluate the maintenance of improved teaching quality or sustained use of evidence-based curriculum components after the intervention trial. In the current study, we collected follow-up assessments of teachers 1 year after their involvement in the REDI (REsearch-based, Developmentally Informed) research trial to evaluate the extent to which intervention teachers continued to implement the REDI curriculum components with high quality and to explore possible preintervention predictors of sustained implementation. In addition, we conducted classroom observations to determine whether general improvements in the teaching quality of intervention teachers (relative to control group teachers) were sustained. Results indicated sustained high-quality implementation of some curriculum components (the Promoting Alternative THinking Strategies curriculum) but decreased implementation of other components (the language/literacy components). Sustained intervention effects were evident on most aspects of general teaching quality targeted by the intervention. Practice or Policy: Implications for practice and policy are discussed.

Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS) and Elementary School Aged Children's Aggression: Results from a Cluster Randomized Trial

This study reports on aggressive outcomes from a cluster randomized trial of the Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS) curriculum. Fourteen elementary schools were randomly assigned to intervention or control condition and third grade students were followed through the fifth grade. Teacher and self-reports of student aggression, conduct problems, delinquency, acting out problems, and social information processing (SIP) variables were collected. Linear change for each of the SIP variables was noted with control students demonstrating increased normative beliefs about aggression, increased aggressive social problem solving, increased hostile attribution bias, and increased aggressive interpersonal negotiation strategies over time while PATHS students remained relatively stable. Teachers reported significant curvilinear change in student aggression, conduct problems, and acting out behavior problems; all favoring PATHS students.

Effectiveness of a Universal School-Based Social Competence Program: The Role of Child Characteristics and Economic Factors

An evaluation of the effectiveness of a school-based social competence curriculum PATHS (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies) on teacher-rated aggressive behavior, ADHD, and prosocial behavior in children. The one-year prevention program was administered to children in 28 of 56 Swiss elementary schools (N = 1,675). Outcomes were assessed at pretest and posttest with a follow-up 2 years later. Moderator interactions involving baseline child characteristics and economic factors were tested. There were significant treatment effects for ADHD/impulsivity and aggression at the follow-up. Baseline development variables predicted higher prosocial behavior as well as lower aggressive behavior and ADHD at the follow-up. Economic risk factors predicted poor behavior outcomes at the follow-up. Development variables moderated the impact of PATHS on ADHD and aggression at the follow-up. However, for most outcomes, no main effects or moderation of treatment effects were found.

Implementation of PATHS through dutch municipal health services: A quasi-experiment

Only a limited number of effectiveness studies have been performed to study the benefits of efficacious behavior problems prevention programs for children when implemented through national health service systems. This study uses a quasi-experimental design to test the effectiveness of the school-based PATHS prevention program (Providing Alternative THinking Strategies) when implemented through Dutch municipal health services by health promotion professionals. A sample of 1,294 children was followed for two years: 674 children attending nine schools providing PATHS and 620 children in nine comparison schools. We hypothesized finding an intervention effect of PATHS in terms of a significant reduction in teacher- and student-rated externalizing and internalizing problem behaviors, and a significant improvement in teacher-, student-, and peer-rated social skills and emotional skills. In fact, the results show low levels of program implementation and no intervention effects on problem behavior or social and emotional skills, suggesting that it is hard to reproduce positive intervention effects where an efficacious social-emotional prevention program is implemented through a national health service. More research is needed on the specific conditions required to implement efficacious programs effectively.

Implementation of PATHS Through Dutch Municipal Health Services: A Quasi-Experiment

Only a limited number of effectiveness studies have been performed to study the benefits of efficacious behavior problems prevention programs for children when implemented through national health service systems. This study uses a quasi-experimental design to test the effectiveness of the school-based PATHS prevention program (Providing Alternative THinking Strategies) when implemented through Dutch municipal health services by health promotion professionals. A sample of 1,294 children was followed for two years: 674 children attending nine schools providing PATHS and 620 children in nine comparison schools. We hypothesized finding an intervention effect of PATHS in terms of a significant reduction in teacher- and student-rated externalizing and internalizing problem behaviors, and a significant improvement in teacher-, student-, and peer-rated social skills and emotional skills. In fact, the results show low levels of program implementation and no intervention effects on problem behavior or social and emotional skills, suggesting that it is hard to reproduce positive intervention effects where an efficacious social-emotional prevention program is implemented through a national health service. More research is needed on the specific conditions required to implement efficacious programs effectively.

Promoting Young Children's Social Competence through the Preschool PATHS Curriculum and MyTeachingPartner Professional Development Resources

Research Findings: Children's (n = 980) social competence during prekindergarten was assessed as a function of their teachers’ (n = 233) exposure to the Preschool Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS) curriculum and 2 levels of support through MyTeachingPartner, a Web-based approach to professional development. Children in classrooms that implemented PATHS had increased levels of teacher-reported social competence over the course of the year. There were no associations between the use of PATHS and reductions in teacher-reported social problems. The results also suggested that teachers who used the MyTeachingPartner website more often reported greater gains in children's social competence. Practice or Policy: These findings have implications for the development and dissemination of social-emotional learning curricula and the provision of effective implementation supports for teachers. Continued work on the best ways to integrate technology into the professional development of teachers, both in service and preservice, is likely to enhance the accessibility and quality of supports for teachers.

Intercultural teaching and learning strategies for global citizens: a Chinese EFL perspective

This article reviews teaching intercultural competence in the classroom with a group of homogeneous Chinese university students. This is explored through teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) writing in a way that changes Chinese students’ thinking. It involves a change of cultural perspectives by placing the concept of ‘the individual’ at the heart of their learning and writing in English. This cultural change through alternative thinking strategies demands that Chinese students critically examine their collective traditions and beliefs that have otherwise influenced their assumptions in learning and in writing in English. This article is derived from teaching strategies that facilitate change through a biographical teaching method, which ensures a personal paradigm shift in the student towards becoming a global citizen.

Social–Emotional Learning in Grades 3 to 6 and the Early Onset of Sexual Behavior

The study aimed to explore whether evidence-based elementary social-emotional learning (SEL) curricula [Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS)] focused on social problem-solving skills combined with sexual risk prevention lessons would have an impact on preventing the early onset of sexual intercourse. A 4-year longitudinal, randomized, controlled design was employed in which 24 elementary schools were assigned to receive the already in place SEL curriculum (control) or the enhanced PATHS curriculum (intervention) combined with sexual risk prevention lessons during grades 3–6. Social problem-solving skills were assessed in grade 6 through the use of a social problem-solving dilemma and sexual behavior was assessed in grades 6 and 7. Sexual activity rates were 9.1% and 21.1% in the sixth and seventh grades, respectively. While the direct effects of the intervention on sexual behavior were not significant, the intervention did indirectly have an effect through social problem-solving skills. Those receiving the intervention curriculum were more likely to focus on issues specific to a dilemma designed to assess problem-solving skills and adolescents using this social cognitive skill, in turn, were less likely to have engaged in sexual intercourse by the seventh grade. The results provide evidence of the positive impact of SEL on students’ social problem-solving skills and delay in initiating sexual intercourse.

Translating evidence based violence and drug use prevention to obesity prevention: development and construction of the pathways program.

Effective school-based obesity prevention programs are needed to prevent and reduce the growing obesity risk among youth. Utilizing the evidence-rich areas of violence and substance use prevention, translation science may provide an efficient means for developing curricula across multiple health behaviors. This paper introduces Pathways to Health, a school-based obesity prevention program that was developed by translating from evidence-based violence and drug use prevention programs, Promoting Alternative THinking Strategies and the Midwestern Prevention Project STAR (STAR). We illustrate how a hypothesized underlying behavior change mechanism in two domains of risk behavior, violence and substance use, can be applied to obesity prevention. A 4-step translational process is provided and may be relevant for use in developing other curricula to address multiple health risk behaviors. Practical application and decision points are also provided.

Promoting primary pupils’ social-emotional learning and pro-social behaviour: longitudinal evaluation of the Together 4 All Programme in Northern Ireland

Using a mixed-methods randomised experimental design, the present study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the ‘Together 4 All’ (T4A) programme in Northern Ireland. T4A was designed as a culturally adaptive version of the widely used Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS) programme. Its purposes are to foster pro-social and positive social-emotional behaviour among children of different religions and cultural backgrounds. Interview, observation, and assessment data were collected from children, teachers, principals, and parents from six T4A and six control schools. Year 1 results indicated: (a) implementation was adequate to strong in most classes; (b) teachers, pupils, and parents reacted positively toward the curriculum; and (c) programme effects on social-emotional learning were weak and inconsistent, but generally in a positive direction, particularly in pupils’ knowledge/expression of feelings and pro-social behaviour. Implications for programme development and sustainability a...

The effects of a multiyear universal social-emotional learning program: The role of student and school characteristics.

This article examines the impact of a universal social-emotional learning program, the Fast Track PATHS (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies) curriculum and teacher consultation, embedded within the Fast Track selective prevention model. The longitudinal analysis involved 2,937 children of multiple ethnicities who remained in the same intervention or control schools for Grades 1, 2, and 3. The study involved a clustered randomized controlled trial involving sets of schools randomized within 3 U.S. locations. Measures assessed teacher and peer reports of aggression, hyperactive-disruptive behaviors, and social competence. Beginning in first grade and through 3 successive years, teachers received training and support and implemented the PATHS curriculum in their classrooms. The study examined the main effects of intervention as well as how outcomes were affected by characteristics of the child (baseline level of problem behavior, gender) and by the school environment (student poverty). Modest positive effects of sustained program exposure included reduced aggression and increased prosocial behavior (according to both teacher and peer report) and improved academic engagement (according to teacher report). Peer report effects were moderated by gender, with significant effects only for boys. Most intervention effects were moderated by school environment, with effects stronger in less disadvantaged schools, and effects on aggression were larger in students who showed higher baseline levels of aggression. A major implication of the findings is that well-implemented multiyear social-emotional learning programs can have significant and meaningful preventive effects on the population-level rates of aggression, social competence, and academic engagement in the elementary school years.

INTEGRATED MODELS OF SCHOOL-BASED PREVENTION: LOGIC AND THEORY.

School-based prevention programs can positively impact a range of social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes. Yet the current climate of accountability pressures schools to restrict activities that are not perceived as part of the core curriculum. Building on models from public health and prevention science, we describe an integrated approach to school-based prevention. These models leverage the most effective structural and content components of social-emotional and behavioral health prevention interventions. Integrated interventions are expected to have additive and synergistic effects that result in greater impacts on multiple student outcomes. Integrated programs are also expected to be more efficient to deliver, easier to implement with high quality and integrity, and more sustainable. We provide a detailed example of the process through which the PAX-Good Behavior Game and the Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS) curriculum were integrated into the PATHS to PAX model. Implications for future research are proposed.

Prevention in context: classroom heterogeneity as a moderator of PATHS' effectiveness

Empirically‐based programmes are the cornerstone of the prevention science field. Beyond curriculum content and design, several aspects of school‐based prevention and intervention programmes have been found to contribute to their effectiveness, including implementer training, programme fidelity and principal [head teacher] support. The current investigation examined whether the degree of heterogeneity among classroom members (ie. students' racial or ethnic backgrounds, students' neighbourhood socio‐economic status (SES), students' neighbourhood education level and students' neighbourhood immigrant status) influences the effectiveness of the Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS) social and emotional learning programme. The analyses found a relationship between the degree of classroom heterogeneity and students' pre‐test scores on social and emotional variables. Moreover, gender differences were evident on pre‐test scores, reflecting differential baselines. The findings for analysis on classroom heterogeneity as a moderator of the programme's effectiveness in improving students' social and emotional competence were mixed. Future research and policy implications are discussed related to advancing the field and ensuring culturally relevant evidence‐based programming.

The Relationship between Language Skills and Outcomes of the PATHS Curriculum

AbstractPrevious research has established a relationship between children's language development and their behaviour. The aim of the present study was to determine whether children's language ability influenced the degree to which their behaviour changed following participation in the PATHS (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies) curriculum. Participants were 86 pre-primary children who attended two mainstream schools in regional Western Australia. Analyses of pre- and post-intervention behaviour and language measures found PATHS to be effective for improving the behaviour and social skills of children with language difficulties. Changes in children with better language skills showed a positive but non-significant trend. Although a relationship was found between children's general language skills and their behaviour at pre-intervention, changes observed in behaviour were not accompanied by changes in language skills at post-intervention.

Extending Classwide Social Skills Interventions to At-Risk Minority Students: A Preliminary Application of Randomization Tests Combined with Single-Subject Design Methodology

Disproportionate representation of minority students in special education programs is a continuing issue of concern. A social emotional curriculum, the Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS), was implemented in a classwide and curricular-integrated format with initial effects evaluated for 3 third-grade African American children identified as at risk for special education referral. Effects were examined using direct observations of each target child's cooperative play in a multiple-baseline design across subjects with intervention onset randomized. Visual and randomization test analyses showed increased cooperative play associated with the PATHS intervention. The combined design and analysis may serve as a viable response-to-intervention approach for reducing referral assessment bias of at-risk minority students. Benefits and limitations of the analysis methods and the PATHS intervention are discussed.

Preventing Risk for Obesity by Promoting Self-Regulation and Decision-Making Skills

The overall aim of the two school-based pilot studies was to evaluate whether an approach to prevention that focused on changing child impulse control, decision making, and social competence can be effective in changing attitudes toward food intake and physical activity as risk factors for obesity. The strategy used was to translate specific components of one evidence-based program for violence prevention (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies: PATHS) into an elementary school curriculum program for obesity prevention. Both studies demonstrated significant changes in positive attitudes toward self-regulation of appetitive behavior. In addition, Study 2 demonstrated positive changes in actual food choices and television viewing patterns. Implications are that comprehensive efforts to prevent youth risk for obesity should include as one component school-based curricula that target self-regulation and decision-making skills.

An Evaluation of the Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies Curriculum at Key Stage 1

Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS) is a curriculum designed to promote social and emotional thinking in primary aged pupils. Research in the US has indicated that where used there has been an increase in emotional understanding and a decrease in behavioural difficulties. This study relates to 287 children (114 from intervention schools and 173 controls). Pre‐ and post‐assessment using the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) indicated a significant improvement on all five dimensions for the intervention group but not the control. Teacher interviews also indicated that they perceived the programme to have helped children acquire a better understanding of emotions and to have fostered better empathy and self‐control skills.

Improving Young Children’s Social and Emotional Competence: A Randomized Trial of the Preschool “PATHS” Curriculum

This paper reports the results from a randomized clinical trial evaluating an adaptation of the Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies curriculum (PATHS) for preschool-age children in Head Start. PATHS is a universal, teacher-taught social-emotional curriculum that is designed to improve children's social competence and reduce problem behavior. Twenty classrooms in two Pennsylvania communities participated in the study. Teachers in the 10 intervention classrooms implemented weekly lessons and extension activities across a 9-month period. Child assessments and teacher and parent reports of child behavior assessments were collected at the beginning and end of the school year. Analysis of covariance was used to control for baseline differences between the groups and pretest scores on each of the outcome measures. The results suggest that after exposure to PATHS, intervention children had higher emotion knowledge skills and were rated by parents and teachers as more socially competent compared to peers. Further, teachers rated intervention children as less socially withdrawn at the end of the school year compared to controls.

Promoting Resilience in Children and Youth

Preventive interventions focus on reducing risk and promoting protective factors in the child as well as their cultural ecologies (family, classroom, school, peer groups, neighborhood, etc). By improving competencies in both the child and their contexts many of these interventions promote resilience. Although there are now a substantial number of preventive interventions that reduce problem behaviors and build competencies across childhood and adolescence, there has been little integration with recent findings in neuropsychology and neuroscience. This article focuses on the integration of prevention research and neuroscience in the context of interventions that promote resilience by improving the executive functions (EF); inhibitory control, planning, and problem solving skills, emotional regulation, and attentional capacities of children and youth. Illustrations are drawn from recent randomized controlled trials of the Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS) curriculum. The discussion focuses on the next steps in transdisciplinary research in prevention and social neuroscience.