Positive
Youth Development Programmes for Adolescents in the
educational context: systematic review
|
Adriana Álamo-Muñoz[1], Universidad de La Laguna (España) |
|
|
Juan Carlos Martín Quintana, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran
Canaria (España) |
|
|
Jesús Alemán Falcón, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran
Canaria (España) |
|
|
Miriam del Mar Cruz-Sosa, Universidad de La Laguna (España) |
Abstract
Programmes from the Positive Youth Development approach favour integral development, promoting positive behaviours and reducing the probability of risky behaviours. But what are the characteristics of these programmes implemented in schools and what is their relationship with school adjustment? To answer this question, a systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA 2020 protocol. After searching the WoS, Scopus, ERIC, PsycINFO and PubMed databases and selecting the articles according to the inclusion criteria (1st Positive Youth Development programmes, 2nd targeted at adolescents, 3rd implemented in schools, 4th evaluated), the main findings of 15 articles (between 2008-2020) are presented. It has been found that Positive Youth Development programmes applied in the educational context are in line with the theoretical approach. The most widespread model being the 5Cs. Despite being well-founded, not all of them consider relevant aspects for schools to become positive environments(involving the whole educational community or guaranteeing loyalty to the programme). In the standards of evidence, most of them show shortcomings in reporting on the implementation process. In conclusion, it is relevant to consider the results of this review to design, implement and evaluate Positive Youth Development programmes that promote school continuity in schools.
Resumen
Los programas
desde el enfoque del Desarrollo Positivo en la Adolescencia favorecen el
desarrollo integral, promueven conductas positivas y disminuyen la probabilidad
de que se den conductas de riesgo. Pero ¿qué características tienen estos
programas implementados en los centros educativos y cuál es su relación con el
ajuste escolar? Para responder a esta cuestión, se realizó una revisión
sistemática siguiendo el protocolo PRISMA 2020. Tras buscar en las bases de
datos WoS, Scopus, ERIC, PsycINFO y PubMed y seleccionar los artículos según los
criterios de inclusión (1º programas de Desarrollo Positivo Adolescente, 2º
dirigidos a adolescentes, 3º implementados en centros educativos, 4º
evaluados), se presentan los hallazgos de 15 artículos (entre 2008-2020). Se ha
comprobado que los programas de Desarrollo Positivo Adolescente aplicados en el
contexto educativo se ajustan al enfoque teórico. El modelo más diseminado es
el de las 5Cs. A pesar de estar bien fundamentados, no todos tienen en cuenta
aspectos relevantes para lograr que los centros educativos se conviertan en
entornos positivos (involucrar a toda la comunidad educativa o garantizar la
fidelización al programa). En los estándares de evidencia la mayoría presenta
carencias al informar sobre el proceso de implementación. En conclusión, es
relevante tener en cuenta los resultados de esta revisión para diseñar,
implementar y evaluar programas de Desarrollo Positivo Adolescente que
promuevan la continuidad escolar en los centros educativos.
Keywords / Palabras clave
Positive Youth Development, Educational Environment, Compulsory Education, Evidence-Based Programmes, Formal Education, Adolescence, Sistematic Review.
Desarrollo
Positivo en la Adolescencia, Ambiente Educacional, Escolaridad Obligatoria,
Programas Basados en Evidencias, Educación Formal, Programas de Educación,
Adolescencia, Revisión Sistemática.
1. Introduction
Positive Youth
Development (PYD) contrasts with the negative view of adolescence by creating a
framework focused on adolescent strengths, enabling them to thrive with a
healthy life trajectory (Beck & Wiium, 2019;
Benson, 2003; Lerner et al., 2004; Oliva et al., 2010). This perspective
promotes comprehensive interventions that foster positive behaviours and reduce
the likelihood of risky behaviours. The objective of this review is to analyse
the characteristics of PYD programmes implemented in educational settings and
their relationship with academic adjustment through a systematic review
procedure. Additionally, it aims to ascertain whether these programmes consider
conditions that guarantee the creation of positive environments for students.
Given the growing importance of evidence-based educational practices, this
review also seeks to identify elements of these standards reported in
publications, as programmes with published results are presumed to adhere to
this practice.
2. Theoretical Framework
Several models address positive development during adolescence. Some
focus on a single concept as sufficient for its promotion. For instance, Larson
(2000) centres this development on personal initiative, whereas Damon (2008)
emphasises the need to address life's purpose. In contrast, some authors
propose approaches encompassing various aspects. One of the most widespread
models is the 5Cs. Initially, Little (1993) proposed a grouping of four factors
to promote PYD: competence, confidence, connection, and character. Later,
Lerner (2004) added a fifth C: caring and compassion. They suggest that having
these five Cs leads to a sixth, contribution, which reflects what the person
contributes to their family, environment, and community. Another significant
model is Benson’s Developmental Assets (2003, 2011) and his colleagues at the
Search Institute, which include internal and external adolescent resources. The
higher the concentration of these assets, the greater the development, visible
through indicators such as academic success, civic behaviours, self-care, risk
avoidance, and overcoming adverse situations. Oliva et al. (2010) developed the
Flourishing model, based on five developmental areas represented by a flower:
personal, cognitive, emotional, moral, and social development. Personal
development is central, as it promotes and is enhanced by the other areas,
reinforcing each other.
2.1. PYD Programmes in the Educational Context
From the PYD perspective, educational institutions are fundamental agents
(Lerner et al., 2005; Oliva et al., 2010) as they can promote developmental
elements that contribute to school continuity (Beck & Wiium,
2019; Bradshaw et al., 2008; Guerra & Bradshaw, 2008). Thus, it is crucial
to provide students with opportunities for positive development. However, to
foster this, educational settings must be positive environments characterized
by establishing connections with supportive adult role models, a climate of
affection and safety, and opportunities for skill development (Lázaro-Visa et al., 2019; Lerner et al., 2005; Oliva et
al., 2011; Pertegal et al., 2010). This is ensured by
implementing programmes with structured activities (Catalano et al., 2004).
Some authors highlight important criteria for their design and implementation.
It is essential to focus on fostering students' strengths rather than
preventing risky behaviours. Moreover, programmes should promote overall
development, be intensive with a minimum duration of nine months, ideally
lasting several academic years to maintain their effects (Catalano et al.,
2004; Oliva et al., 2010; Pertegal et al., 2010).
Another critical aspect is the involvement of adults and the community, with
strategies to promote participation of students, families, and the community,
i.e., multidomain programmes (Pertegal et al., 2010).
Additionally, ensuring teacher training and involvement is necessary (Bergeron
et al., 2011; Pertegal et al., 2010; Uriarte, 2006). Teachers should be equipped to handle their
role's challenges, improve their competencies, act creatively, proactively, and
with humour, and be resilient role models and support sources for students. It
is also necessary to measure intervention outcomes, control quality, and
fidelity of implementation (Catalano et al., 2004). This demonstrates achieving
the designed objectives and establishes conditions ensuring success (Mihalic & Elliott, 2015). Educational policies
increasingly favour evidence-based programmes. Different evidence standards
agree on the necessity of grounding programmes in a theoretical basis,
developing structured content in a manual, and conducting rigorous studies to
evaluate effectiveness. Moreover, evaluations should include variables influencing
the implementation process to determine possible variations in results (Axford et al., 2012; Slavin,
2017; Walter et al., 2005). The European Family Support Network developed its
standard for evaluating evidence-based programmes supporting families, children,
and adolescents, providing a common framework for European programmes (EurofamNet, 2020).
3. Methodology
The PRISMA 2020 protocol (Page et al., 2021a, 2021b) was followed to
address the following research questions:
1. What characteristics do the included programmes have, and what is their
relationship with school adjustment?
2. Do the identified programmes consider relevant aspects for promoting PYD
beyond their theoretical foundation?
3. What elements of evidence standards are specified in the articles?
Methodological agreement was reached with four experts for selecting
criteria and scientific production. The analysis for article inclusion was
conducted in two steps: individual review of texts by each expert to apply
inclusion criteria, followed by consensus on final contributions. Discussions
and conclusions were conducted simultaneously. EndNote X9 was used for
automatic duplicate removal, manual elimination of non-detected articles based
on titles and keywords, and database analysis.
3.1. Eligibility Criteria
3.1.1. Inclusion Criteria
Articles were selected if the programmes: a) addressed PYD elements; b)
targeted adolescents (11-18 years); c) were implemented in secondary education
schools; d) had evaluated interventions.
3.1.2. Exclusion Criteria
When the same programme had a longitudinal study with multiple
publications, older publications presenting similar results were excluded.
Thus, the most recent publications and those expanding results were retained.
3.2.
Information Sources
The search was conducted in WoS, Scopus, ERIC,
PsycINFO, and PubMed, ensuring compliance with evidence certainty evaluation
criteria through indexed work assessments. The query ((“positive youth
development”) AND (program* OR intervention*)) was used in all databases,
limited to articles published in English from 2008-2020. Both the seminal and
final databases are published in the Mendeley Data repository with DOI: https://10.17632/p7bk9dmynx.1.
3.3. Selection Process
A total of 2873 articles were imported into EndNote for selection - 809
in WoS, 1207 in Scopus, 305 in ERIC, 41 in PsycINFO,
and 511 in PubMed. After removing 1234 duplicates, 1639 articles remained for
review (Figure 1). Articles were excluded based on title and abstract if they
did not address PYD programmes (1180); were not implemented in schools (318);
or lacked evaluation (91). If titles and abstracts lacked sufficient
information, experts read the full text. Subsequently, the full text of 50
articles was reviewed, and the exclusion criteria applied. Thirty-five articles
were excluded: 31 evaluated the PATHS programme, 2 the Changing Lives
programme, and 2 an adaptation of the PATHS programme in Macao. Finally, 15 articles from 10
different programmes were selected.
Figure 1. PRISMA 2020 Flow Diagram. Source: Page et al. (2020)
3.4.
Data Collection Process
From the articles, information was extracted for their description (Table
1). Additionally, the characteristics of the programmes were analysed in
relation to the promotion of Positive Youth Development (PYD): theoretical
approach; global intervention (at least five constructs); intensity and
continuity (at least nine months of weekly intervention); multidomain
(intervention with adolescents, families, and the community); teacher training
and involvement; evaluation design (including measures to assess positive
outcomes and reduction in risky behaviours); fidelity and quality of
implementation (indicating mechanisms to measure these) (Table 2).
Finally, information on the evidence of the programmes was extracted (EurofamNet, 2020) (Tables 3 and 4). Criteria analysed
included: identification (authors), description (scope, area of action,
theoretical bases, manualisation, duration,
population and target group), implementation (organisation - place of
implementation, training, technical support, follow-up, fidelity - and
evaluation - quasi-experimental design or randomised controlled trial,
standardised tools and longitudinal time measures) and impact (positive
outcomes and effect sizes ranging from moderate to large). The assessment of
reporting bias was not addressed as this study aims to analyse the explicit
information in the publications.
4. Contributions
4.1. Description of the Articles
Of the 15 selected studies (Table 1), six are from China (40%), four from
the United States (26.67%), one from Canada, one from Spain, one from
Lithuania, one from Portugal, and one from Turkey (6.66% each). Three articles
evaluate the PATHS programme (20%), three the Changing Lives Programme (20%),
three adaptations of PATHS (20%)—two in Shanghai and one in Macau—and the
remaining articles assess various other programmes (Amplify, PERGEL, DPAR, Try
Volunteering, Challenge To Be +, and Positive Action).
Regarding the evaluation design, 66.6% of the articles present a
quasi-experimental design study, and 26.67% employ a randomised controlled
trial. Concerning research methodology, 80% are quantitative studies and 20%
are mixed-method studies. Most studies had a sample size ranging from 100 to
250 participants (40%).
Analysing the instruments, self-reports were used, and only 40% of the
studies employed specific scales based on their theoretical foundation.
Additionally, six of the articles include tools to measure problematic or
negative aspects. In terms of school adjustment, many authors relate the
improvement of academic performance and adjustment to the promotion of Positive
Youth Development (Beck & Wiium, 2019; Bradshaw
et al., 2008; Guerra & Bradshaw, 2008); however, this was considered in
only three programmes. In this regard, the DPAR programme found significant
improvements in academic performance, while the PATHS programme and its
adaptation in Macau reported reduced academic maladjustment.
On the other hand, three of the programmes did not adopt a universal
approach. The Amplify programme is specific to girls aged 12 to 13; the
Changing Lives Programme targets adolescents at risk of social exclusion; and
the Positive Action programme is aimed at schools with low academic performance
and students from low-income backgrounds. Regarding age ranges, 40% of the
programmes were directed at students from early to middle adolescence; 33.33%
at middle to late adolescence; and 26.67% focused on early adolescence.
Finally, thirteen of the programmes were conducted in urban school settings
(86.67%) and two in rural settings (13.33%).
Table 1
Description of the Articles (N=15)
|
Participants and setting |
Intervention characteristics |
Evaluation variables |
Primary outcomes |
|
|
· Quasi-experimental design, non-randomized stepped-wedge design. · 12 weeks. 6 weeks each academic year. ·
Canada. · Amplify. |
EIG= 52; DIG= 63 N=115. Girls
between 12 and 13 years old. Rural schools. |
12
sessions divided into 2 interventions. Eighteen of the 56 activities that
comprise the programme were selected... |
Development Assets. |
+
in vulnerable participants. NS
in the total sample. |
|
Paricio et al., (2020): · Quasi-experimental design of repeated measurements. · Pilot study. · 10 months. · Spain. · DPAR. |
IG
N=83, CG N=93. 50,6%
girls y 49,4% boys, between
11 and 15 years old. Rural
schools |
21
units integrated in five modules, in addition to the introductory and closing
modules ( during school hours, for 50 minutes). It
is taught by the teacher, a PYD professional and an alumnus of the center. |
Self-esteem. Group
Identification. Empathy. Alexithymia. Social
Skills. Planning
and Decision Making. Moral Values. |
+ in all
variables. |
|
Shek y Zhu, (2020): · RCT study design. · 3 years. · China. · PATHS. |
IG N=3607, CG N=3574 55,6%
boys IG, 53,8% boys CG, 12-15 years old. 23 schools
IG, 24 schools CG. |
120
units of 30 minutes, to be applied during the three years of junior high
school. The units were implemented during school hours by teachers, social
workers, and support professionals. |
Thriving. |
U-shaped
trajectory in GI and GC. Smaller decrease in GI. |
|
Truskauskaitė-Kunevičienė et al., (2020): · Quasi-experimental design of repeated measurements. · Pilot study. · 8 weeks. · Lithuania. · Programa Try Volunteering. |
IG N=351, CG N=264 44,2%
girls IG, 40,9% girls CG, 13-17 years old. 1 IG school,
1 CG school. |
8
sessions of 45 minutes conducted in the classroom. At
the end of the program, a volunteer fair was organized to give students
different options where they could volunteer. |
Competence. Confidence. Connection. Character. Caring. |
NS
in total sample. +
individual and subgroup evaluation. |
|
Zhu y Shek,
(2020): · Quasi-experimental matched-pairs design, multiple waves of measures. · 3 years. · China. · PATHS Shanghai adaptation. |
IG 505 + CG 539 |
Adaptation
of PATHS Programs to the Characteristics of Shanghai (simplified chinese characters, from cantonese
to mandarin, material adaptation). |
Development
Assets. Satisfaction
with Life. Depression level. Delinquency traits. |
NS
(test x group x grade) +
assets in the IG Lower
increase in depression and delinquency. |
|
Ma et al., (2019): · RCT study design, matched samples. · 3 years. · China. · PATHS. |
N=9226 7137= Level
1 program 1015= Level
2 program 1074=in both levels. |
|
Development Assets. Satisfaction with Life. Thriving. |
+
in all sizes and for all levels. |
|
Shek et al., (2019): · RCT study design. · 3 years. · China. · PATHS Shanghai adaptation. |
859 valid
diaries 14
out of 24 randomized IG schools. |
Satisfaction with the program. Benefits of the program. Instructors. |
86% positive opinions. |
|
|
Eichas et al., (2018): · Quasi-experimental design, non-randomized stepped-wedge design. · Between 8 and 12 weeks. · United States of
America. · Changing Lives Program. |
IG N= 140; CG N= 98 14-18 years
old. Miami Alternative Secondary Schools. |
Between
8 and 12 sessions of 45 minutes to 1 hour. |
Conflict
resolution. Expression
of feelings. Life
goals. Problem
internalization and externalization. |
+
specific effects. +
cascading effects of specific results. |
|
Freire et al., (2018): · Quasi-experimental design, mixed method. · 8 weeks. · Portugal. · Challenge To be + |
IG
N= 74; CG N= 25 13-17 years old. Urban school. |
90-minute
sessions for 8 weeks, during school hours. |
Self-concept Self-esteem Psychological
well-being Life
satisfaction Subjective
evaluation of each session and general program. |
+
self-esteem and life satisfaction. NS
self-concept and psychological well-being. |
|
Kagitcibasi et al., (2018): · RCT study design. · 14 weeks. · Turkey. · PERGEL. |
IG
N=511, CG N=418. 11-12
years old. Istanbul
urban schools. |
Integrated
into the regular guidance and counseling
curriculum. Two
trainers delivering the program in each class. |
Social
Agency. Self-efficacy. Mentality. |
+ in 10 of 12 constructs. |
|
Eichas et al., (2017): · Quasi-experimental design, non-randomized stepped-wedge design. · Between 8 and 12 weeks. · United States of
America. · Changing Lives Program. |
IG N= 113; CG N= 96 14- 18 years
old Miami Alternative Secondary Schools. |
|
Life goal. Self-discovery. Self-build. Identity resolution. Problem behaviors. |
+ self-discovery
and self-construction, development of life goals, identity synthesis and
internalization of problems. |
|
Lewis et al., (2016): · Quasi-experimental matched-pairs design, multiple waves of measures. · 3 years. · United States of
America. · Positive Action. |
14 schools matched N=1170 11-13
years old. |
Classroom-based
curriculum. 140 for 6th grade and 70 lessons for 7th and 8th grades
(15-minute lessons). |
Self-development
and self-control. Peer
affiliations. Ethics. Social
skills. Conflict resolution. |
+
lower decrease of developmental assets in IG. |
|
Luk et al., (2013): · Quasi-experimental matched samples design, mixed method. · Pilot study. · 3 years. · China. · Project PATHS Macau adaptation. |
IG N= 118; CG N= 118 236 matched
students. Two
secondary schools in Macao. |
Adaptation
of PATHS Programs to the Characteristics of Macao (local terminology,
government structure, and indigenous customs). |
Development
Assets. Life
Satisfaction. Behavioral Intention. School adjustment. Program assessment. |
+
for developmental assets. +
less academic and behavioral maladjustment. 73.1%
very positive evaluation of the program. |
|
Eichas et al., (2010): · Quasi-experimental design, non-randomized stepped-wedge design. · Between 8 and 12 weeks. · United States of
America. · Changing Lives Program. |
IG N= 117; CG N= 61 14-18 years
old. Miami Alternative Secondary Schools. |
|
Positive identity development. Problem behaviors Identity resolution level. Psychosocial development level. |
+ in all
variables studied. |
|
Shek y Sun, (2010): · RCT study design. · 3 years. · China. · PATHS. |
IG N=3170, CG N=3808 19 IG schools,
24 CG schools. |
|
Development Assets. Life Satisfaction. Thriving. School adjustment. Program assessment. |
+ in all
variables studied. |
4.2. Analysis of Aspects for the
Promotion of Positive Youth Development
Among the analysed
programmes, five meet the majority of the necessary
conditions for the promotion of Positive Youth Development (PYD): DPAR, PATHS,
its adaptations, and Positive Action (Table 2). All these programmes adopt a
comprehensive approach to PYD, which is fundamental to ensuring the success of
such programmes (Catalano et al., 2004).
Additionally, although
there is variation in the duration of the programmes, they can be described as
intensive and continuous, as they are conducted weekly over a period of at
least nine months. Notably, the PATHS programme, its adaptations, and Positive
Action extend beyond a single academic year. This is the ideal scenario to
maintain effects and achieve lasting changes (Catalano et al., 2004; Pertegal et al., 2010).
Regarding multidomain
intervention, the more domains involved, the greater the potential for creating
a positive environment for development (Pertegal et
al., 2010). Although most programmes involve more than one domain, only the
DPAR and Positive Action programmes emphasise the role of the family and
community in the intervention, planning actions in which they can participate.
Teacher training and
involvement is a requirement shared by the five programmes. This aspect is
crucial as it equips teachers for implementation and enables them to act as
positive role models, compensating for deficiencies students may experience in
other contexts (Bergeron et al., 2011; Pertegal et
al., 2010; Uriarte, 2006).
The final requirements
pertain to evaluation design, fidelity, and the quality of implementation
(Catalano et al., 2004). The PATHS programme and its adaptations exhibit the
greatest robustness as they measure multiple aspects related to improvements,
implementation, and fidelity.
Table 2
Aspects
for the Promotion of Positive Youth Development
|
Intervention Approach |
Global approach |
Intensive and continuous |
Multi-domain |
Teacher training |
Evalua-tion design |
Fidelity and quality |
|
|
Development assets |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
DPAR |
Flourishing model |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
|
Programa Try Volunteering |
5Cs |
X |
|
X |
|
X |
|
|
PATHS |
Positive developmental constructs |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
Adaptación PATHS Shanghái |
Positive developmental constructs |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
Transformative Participatory Approach |
X |
|
X |
|
X |
|
|
|
5Cs |
|
|
|
|
X |
|
|
|
Development assets |
|
|
|
|
X |
|
|
|
Positive
Action |
5Cs |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
Adaptación PATHS Macao |
Positive developmental constructs |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
4.3. Analysis
of the Elements of Evidence Standards in Programmes
The assumption was
made that programmes publishing their results are evidence-based. However, it
was pertinent to verify what evidence the articles collected and identify the
main shortcomings. According to the criteria outlined by EurofamNet
(2020), certain relevant information is often omitted (Tables 3 and 4).
For instance,
authorship or a bibliographic review of the programme manual is rarely
presented. This is one of the most critical points as it contributes to
ensuring faithful reproduction (Axford et al., 2012; Mihalic & Elliott, 2015). Additionally, descriptions
regarding the organisation, sources of support, follow-up, or guarantees of
fidelity are seldom included. These conditions are typically overlooked due to
the limited resources available to researchers. More funding is allocated to
design than to implementation, which is a significant oversight by
administrations (Fixsen et al., 2013). This review
clearly illustrates this issue. The PATHS programme, which includes all
elements of evidence and has been disseminated nationally, benefits from
greater funding that allows for large-scale implementation, necessary support
and follow-up, and appropriate fidelity measures.
In terms of
evaluation, most programmes employ a pre-post-test design. As Axford et al. (2012) assert, this is a common deficiency
since effects tend to diminish over time. Once again, the PATHS programme and
its adaptations include measures beyond the post-test, highlighting the
importance of sufficient resources to develop a robust evaluation design.
Regarding impact, it
is noteworthy that in two programmes, significant results were not obtained for
the entire sample, leading to analyses with specific groups. In the Amplify
programme, vulnerable participants were identified, showing improvements in their
assets. In the Try Volunteering programme, individual and subgroup analyses
revealed differences in some constructs, mainly confidence and character.
Analysing the variables that moderate programme effectiveness and individual
changes is emphasised by most evidence standards. It is important to consider
how the individuality of participants and trainers affects programme
effectiveness for future implementations (Axford et
al., 2012; Mihalic & Elliott, 2015; Slavin, 2017; Walter et al., 2005).
Table 3
Analysis
of EurofamNet Standards (2020), Part I
|
Programme |
Identification |
Description |
|||||
|
Authorship |
Scope |
Ámbito de acción |
Authorship |
Scope |
Duración |
Authorship |
|
|
Amplify |
|
|
Amplify |
|
|
Amplify |
|
|
DPAR |
|
X |
DPAR |
|
X |
DPAR |
|
|
Programa
Try Volunteering |
X |
|
Programa Try Volunteering |
X |
|
Programa Try Volunteering |
X |
|
PATHS |
X |
X |
PATHS |
X |
X |
PATHS |
X |
|
Adaptación
PATHS Shanghái |
X |
X |
Adaptación PATHS Shanghái |
X |
X |
Adaptación PATHS Shanghái |
X |
|
Changing Lives Program |
|
X |
Changing Lives
Program |
|
X |
Changing Lives
Program |
|
|
Challenge To be + |
|
X |
Challenge To
be + |
|
X |
Challenge To
be + |
|
|
PERGEL |
|
X |
PERGEL |
|
X |
PERGEL |
|
|
Positive
Action |
X |
X |
Positive Action |
X |
X |
Positive Action |
X |
|
Adaptación
PATHS Macao |
X |
X |
Adaptación PATHS Macao |
X |
X |
Adaptación PATHS Macao |
X |
Table 4
Analysis
of EurofamNet Standards (2020), Part II
|
Programmes |
Implementation |
Impact |
||||||||||||||||||
|
Organization |
Evaluation |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
Loca-tion |
Trai-ning |
Tech-nical support |
Monito-ring |
Fide-lity |
Design |
Instru-ments |
Time measu-rements |
Signi-ficant results |
Effect size |
|||||||||||
|
Amplify |
X |
X |
|
|
|
|
X |
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
DPAR |
X |
X |
X |
|
|
X |
X |
|
X |
X |
||||||||||
|
Programa Try Voluntee-ring |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
X |
X |
|
X |
|
||||||||||
|
PATHS |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
||||||||||
|
Adaptación PATHS Shanghái |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
||||||||||
|
Changing Lives
Program |
X |
|
|
|
|
X |
X |
|
X |
|
||||||||||
|
Challenge To
be + |
X |
X |
|
|
|
X |
X |
|
X |
X |
||||||||||
|
PERGEL |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
X |
X |
|
X |
X |
||||||||||
|
Positive Action |
X |
X |
|
|
X |
X |
X |
|
X |
X |
||||||||||
|
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5. Conclusions
Several recommendations arise from the findings of this study. Firstly,
educational institutions should adopt the programme as their own, creating a
positive climate and involving all teachers, families, and the community, as
reliance on external personnel diminishes effectiveness.
In this vein, it is crucial to consider the theoretical model, the
comprehensive approach to competencies, and the duration of the programme, with
an extended timeframe necessary for greater reach.
This study supports the reliability of the results by ensuring that the
evaluated programmes are evidence-based. However, when publishing results, it
is essential to include aspects for dissemination (authorship, organisation,
methodology, fidelity mechanisms, and implementation support).
Moreover, it is important to evaluate the implementation process by
analysing the moderating and mediating variables that affect its efficacy.
Aspects such as individual variables, group characteristics, and trainer
attributes help identify who benefits the most and under what conditions.
It is confirmed that not all programmes have a true impact on Positive
Youth Development or school continuity. However, if the highlighted aspects are
considered and appropriate implementation conditions are ensured, successful
interventions can be developed.
Regarding the limitations of this study, only programmes with published
evaluations in scientific journals were included. Therefore, "grey
literature" programmes, which may be effective and highly evidence-based,
could be missing. Additionally, publications in other languages were not
included. Consequently, the sample size is limited to 15 articles.
This review provides relevant information for programme developers and
organisations that fund their design, implementation, evaluation, and
continuity. As a future research direction, a meta-analysis of the common
characteristics of the programmes is proposed, contributing to the creation of
a reference framework for the analysis of evidence-based group programmes for
Positive Youth Development.
Author’s contribution
Adriana Álamo-Muñoz: conceptualization; methodology; validation; formal analysis;
investigation; data curation; writing; visualization; project administration;
original draft writing; writing (revision and editing) and funding acquisition. Juan Carlos Martín Quintana
y Jesús Alemán Falcón: conceptualization; methodology; validation; formal analysis;
investigation and supervisión. Miriam del Mar Cruz-Sosa: conceptualization; methodology; validation; formal analysis;
investigation; writing (revision and editing) and funding acquisition.
Supports
Financed by the Consejería de Economía, Conocimiento y Empleo del Gobierno de Canarias (Regional Ministry of Economy,
Knowledge and Employment of the Canary Islands Government); and co-financed by
the European Social Fund [TESIS2020010079] [TESIS2020010060]..
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