RESEARCH SNAPSHOT SEPTEMBER 2017 SUMMARY OF PRELIMINARY FINDINGS FROM THE EVALUATION OF POSITIVE ACTION AT SIMON LANGTON GRAMMAR SCHOOL FOR BOYS Background Positive Action program aim to promote wellbeing as a complementary goal to traditional academic learning. The program will be delivered over three years, and the content of each year will build hierarchically on the previous year. Consistent with developmental consideration, the primary focus will change across the three years of the program. Skills which contribute to building a strong sense of self will be the major emphasis in Year 8, with sense of control and sense of purpose also considered. Year 8 topics will include self-image, building self-esteem, an introduction to emotions, emotional regulation and stress reduction. The major emphasis in Year 9 is on sense of belonging with further emphasis on sense of control. Skills to be taught as part of the Year 9 curriculum will include social skills and social problem solving. Thinking and planning skills (including more advanced cognitive skills) will be taught in Year 10, in order to focus on building strong senses of purpose and of future. This evaluation aims to contribute to our understanding of the impact of Positive Action program on student wellbeing, and here we provide an overview of preliminary findings from the first year (2016) of this ongoing, 3-year study. Participants Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys began implementing Positive Action as a whole-classroom approach in 2016, and so provides an invaluable ‘living lab’ in which to explore the impact of Positive Action on the school community. This study was conducted with a total of 122 Year 8 SLGSB students in 2016. To provide a point of comparison, 62 students from other 2 forms who did not have a Positive Action program, but were similar in socioeconomic status, were recruited into a control group. Procedure Students completed a pre-test questionnaires covering a range of topics at the beginning of the academic year 2016 (October), and at the end of 2017 (July). 122 Year 8 students completed a pre-test questionnaire covering a range of topics at the beginning of 2016 (November) and at the end of 2017 (July) 60 students were participating in the program and the other 62 were a control group A smaller group of 12 Year 8 students were a part of a pupil focus group 122 Year 8 SLGSB students participated in the study.
Transcript
RESEARCH SNAPSHOT
SEPTEMBER 2017
SUMMARY OF PRELIMINARY FINDINGS FROM THE EVALUATION OF POSITIVE ACTION AT SIMON LANGTON GRAMMAR SCHOOL FOR BOYS
BackgroundPositive Action program aim to promote wellbeing as a complementary goal to traditional academic learning. The program will be delivered over three years, and the content of each year will build hierarchically on the previous year. Consistent with developmental consideration, the primary focus will change across the three years of the program.
Skills which contribute to building a strong sense of self will be the major emphasis in Year 8, with sense of control and sense of purpose also considered.
Year 8 topics will include self-image, building self-esteem, an introduction to emotions, emotional regulation and stress reduction. The major emphasis in Year 9 is on sense of belonging with further emphasis on sense of control. Skills to be taught as part of the Year 9 curriculum will include social skills and social problem solving. Thinking and planning skills (including more advanced cognitive skills) will be taught in Year 10, in order to focus on building strong senses of purpose and of future. This evaluation aims to contribute to our understanding of the impact of Positive Action program on student wellbeing, and here we provide an overview of preliminary findings from the first year (2016) of this ongoing, 3-year study.
ParticipantsSimon Langton Grammar School for Boys began implementing Positive Action as a whole-classroom approach in 2016, and so provides an invaluable ‘living lab’ in which to explore the impact of Positive Action on the school community.
This study was conducted with a total of 122 Year 8 SLGSB students in 2016. To provide a point of comparison, 62 students from other 2 forms who did not have a Positive Action program, but were similar in socioeconomic status, were recruited into a control group.
Procedure Students completed a pre-test questionnaires covering a range of topics at the beginning of the academic year 2016 (October), and at the end of 2017 (July).
122 Year 8 students completed a pre-test questionnaire covering a range of topics at the beginning of 2016 (November) and at the end of 2017 (July) 60 students were participating in the program and the other 62 were a control group
A smaller group of 12 Year 8 students were a part of a pupil focus group
122Year 8 SLGSB students participated in the study.
Results
What are the levels of student wellbeing at SLGSB, and how did wellbeing change across the course of the year?
MENTAL WELLBEING OF YEAR 8 STUDENTS
Mea
n sc
ores
54
52
50
48
46
44Start of year End of year
SLGSB 49.45 52.58
CONTROL 49.03 48.30
YEAR
SLGSB students in Year 8 experienced significant improvements in their levels of wellbeing across the school year, as well as decreases in their levels of depression and anxiety.
These effects were observed even for those students who were newly enrolled at SLGSB in Year 8, who began the year with initially lower levels of wellbeing than those students continuing SLGSB. In contrast, the control group tended to decline in their wellbeing over the course of the year.
What strategies are students using in their everyday life?
By Term 4 of Year 8, the most commonly used coping strategies to deal with positive or challenging day-to-day events included trying to keep everything in perspective, and using ‘real time resilience’. Many students reported that they gained these skills from the Positive Action classes at SLGSB
STRATEGIES USED BY YEAR 8 STUDENTS ATTRIBUTED TO POSITIVE ACTION CLASSES
Mean Frequency of Strategy Use
0
I tried to stay true to myself and my valuesI praised myself
I acted with integrity and dignityI focused on my positive qualities
I shared my experience or celebrated with othersI thought about what happened and what I could learn from it
I asked for helpI looked at the situation from a growth mindset perspective
I stopped to think about the best way to solve the problemI focused on my goal(s)
I expressed gratitudeI used one of my character strengths
I tried to think positively about the situationI tried to stay in the present moment
I did something to improve the situation
I tried to relax
I used the skill of real time resilienceI tried to keep everything in perspective
I enjoy the moment
2 4 6 8 10
Term 1
Term 2
Term 3
Term 4
For further detailsFor a full description of this research, please
This research was funded by Queens University Belfast and conducted by:
• Gilda Scarfe, PHD Candidate
Conclusions These findings provide preliminary support for the effectiveness of the SLGSB positive action program, particularly in relation to the Year 8, which was associated with substantial improvements to wellbeing over the course of the year.
A number of ideas emerged for further enhancing the Year 8 Positive Action curriculum, including the potential for more interactive class formats, and the need to make learning relevant to real-world experiences and challenges. These suggestions will be implemented in the forthcoming academic year 2017/2018 and forthcoming data collection in 2018 from current Year 8s will provide valuable insight into whether changes to the curriculum and delivery style have translated into improved student outcomes.
These are preliminary findings which lead on to an ongoing 3-year study for the entire KS 3. Future results will provide further insight into how Positive Action impacts students' wellbeing as they move through the secondary school years, as well as how the SLGSB Positive Action curriculum translates to neighboring school settings.
