Tak Yan Lee

The Chinese Positive Youth Development Scale A Validation Study

Objective: This article describes the development and initial validation of the 90-item Chinese Positive Youth Development Scale (CPYDS), which contains items related to 15 aspects of positive youth development. Method: Adolescents with well adjustment ( N = 162) and poor adjustment (N = 160) responded to the CPYDS. Results: The findings showed that the CPYDS measures possess acceptable internal consistency and were able to discriminate the two groups. Although the CPYDS measures were positively related to thriving, life satisfaction, and perceived academic achievement, they were negatively related to substance abuse, delinquency, and behavioral intention to engage in problem behavior. Conclusions: The CPYDS can be used as a global measure of positive youth development in Chinese adolescents, but its dimensionality and subscales should be further examined.

The Study of Youth Resilience Across Cultures: Lessons from a Pilot Study of Measurement Development

Resilience researchers from diverse disciplines and cultural settings face formidable challenges in conceptualizing and developing standardized metrics of resilience that are representative of adolescent and young adult experiences across cultures. We discuss these issues using the case example of a pilot study involving researchers in 14 sites in 11 countries. The goal of the International Resilience Project was to develop a culturally and contextually relevant measure of youth resilience, the Child and Youth Resilience Measure (CYRM). Cultural sensitivity and an iterative research design introduced to the study a number of problems that future studies of resilience will need to address: ambiguity in the definition of positive outcomes; a lack of predictability of models across cultures; and measurement design challenges.

Resilience as a Positive Youth Development Construct: A Conceptual Review

The concept of resilience is reviewed from a range of disciplinary perspectives in this paper. Both broad and narrow definitions of resilience are highlighted and a working definition of resilience is proposed to inform research, policy and practice. Different psychological, social and ecological protective factors, particularly competence, optimism, and bonding to family and cultural beliefs are highlighted. Theoretical relationships between resilience and positive youth development are examined with an attempt to erase misunderstandings. Finally, how schools can promote resilience among students is discussed.

Effectiveness of the Tier 1 Program of Project P.A.T.H.S. : objective outcome evaluation based on a randomized group trial

There are two tiers of programs in the Project P.A.T.H.S. (Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programs). In the Tier 1 Program, teaching units based on different positive youth development constructs are covered. A total of 24 experimental schools (N = 4,121 students) and 24 control schools (N = 3,854 students) were randomly selected to participate in a randomized group trial. Analyses of covariance and linear mixed models controlling for differences between the two groups in terms of pretest scores, personal variables, and random effects of schools showed that participants in the experimental schools had significantly higher positive youth development levels than did participants in the control schools at post-test based on different indicators derived from the Chinese Positive Youth Development Scale. In conjunction with other evaluation findings reported previously, the present study suggests that the Tier 1 Program of P.A.T.H.S. promotes the positive development of Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong.

Subjective Outcome Evaluation of the Project P.A.T.H.S.: Findings Based on the Perspective of the Program Implementers

A total of 52 schools (n = 8679 students) participated in the experimental implementation phase of the Project P.A.T.H.S. (Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programmes). After completion of the Tier 1 Program, 344 instructors completed the Subjective Outcome Evaluation Form (Form B) to assess their views of the program, instructors, and perceived effectiveness of the program. Based on the consolidated reports submitted by the schools to the funding body, the research team aggregated the consolidated data to form a “reconstructed” overall profile on the perceptions of the program implementers. Results showed that high proportions of the workers had positive perceptions of the program and their own performance, and roughly 90% of the workers regarded the program as helpful to the program participants. The present study provides additional support for the effectiveness of the Tier 1 Program of the P.A.T.H.S. Project in Hong Kong.

Qualitative Evaluation of the Project P.A.T.H.S. Based on the Perceptions of the Program Participants

Qualitative evaluation was carried out to understand the perceptions of the students participating in the Tier 1 Program of the P.A.T.H.S. Project. Five focus groups based on 43 students recruited from four schools were conducted to generate qualitative data to evaluate the program. With specific focus on how the informants described the program, results showed that the descriptors used were mainly positive in nature. When the informants were invited to name three metaphors that could stand for the program, the related metaphors were basically positive in nature. Finally, the program participants perceived many beneficial effects of the program in different psychosocial domains. Intra- and inter-rater reliability analyses revealed that the coding of the positive or negative nature of the responses was reliable. The present study provides qualitative support for the effectiveness of the Tier 1 Program of the Project P.A.T.H.S. in promoting holistic development in Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong.

Process evaluation of the implementation of the Secondary 2 Program of Project P.A.T.H.S. in the experimental implementation phase.

This study aimed to understand the implementation quality of the Tier 1 Program (Secondary 2 Curriculum) delivered in the Experimental Implementation Phase of the Project P.A.T.H.S. (Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programmes). Observers carried out process evaluation in the form of systematic observations of curriculum units in four randomly selected schools. Results showed that the overall level of program adherence was generally high, ranging from 70 to 95%, with an average of 83.6%. The mean ratings of the program implementation quality were high, and the inter-rater reliability on these ratings across the observers was highly reliable. Despite limitations, the findings of this study suggest that the implementation quality of the Secondary 2 Program (Tier 1 Program) of the Experimental Implementation Phase was favorable, and provide supporting evidence to account for the successful and encouraging outcomes of a major positive youth development program in Hong Kong.

Developing civic consciousness through social engagement among Hong Kong youths

Abstract It is not clear how much young peoples engagement in activities in the school, youth center, family, and mass media influence their civic consciousness. To answer this question, the present study conducted 7,649 telephone interviews to collect data from 3,757 Chinese young people in Hong Kong repeatedly from 1998 to 2000. The panel study, by controlling for prior scores, allowed for examination of changes due to various forms of social engagement. Results show that in this naturally occurring setting, participation in social development activities, such as volunteering, community service, and leadership training, contributed to the average young persons civic consciousness about democracy and leadership whereas discussion with family members contributed significantly to the persons consciousness about societal progress. These results endorse the greater developmental role of the school and family than the youth center.

Qualitative evaluation of the Project P.A.T.H.S.: findings based on focus groups with student participants.

Ten focus groups comprising 88 students recruited from ten schools were conducted to understand the perceptions of students participating in the Tier 1 Program of the Project P.A.T.H.S. Qualitative data analyses utilizing intra-rater and inter-rater reliability techniques were carried out. Results showed that a majority of the participants described the program positively and positive metaphors were used to represent the program. The program participants also perceived beneficial effects of the program in several aspects of adolescent lives. In conjunction with the previous research findings, the present study provides further support for the effectiveness of the Tier 1 Program of the Project P.A.T.H.S. in promoting holistic development in Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong.

Development and validation of a positive youth development scale in \ Hong Kong

The development of the Chinese Positive Youth Development Scale (CPYDS) is outlined in this paper. The CPYDS assesses 15 aspects of positive youth development, including bonding, resilience, social competence, emotional competence, cognitive competence, moral competence, behavioral competence, self-determination, self-efficacy, spirituality, positive view of the future, positive self-identity, prosocial involvement, prosocial norms, and recognition for positive behavior. Based on a Well Adjustment Group (N=162) and a Poor Adjustment Group (N=264), the present findings showed that the CPYDS and its subscales possess acceptable internal consistency. Except the Self-Efficacy Subscale, the CPYDS total and subscale scores were able to discriminate the two groups. While the CPYDS total and subscale scores were positively related to thriving, wellness assessment and life satisfaction measures, they were negatively related to substance abuse, delinquency, and behavioral intention to engage in problem behavior. The present findings provide support for the reliability and validity of the CPYDS to assess positive youth development in the Chinese culture.