Participants\u27 Evaluation of the Project P.A.T.H.S.: Are findings Based on Different Datasets Consistent?

Subjective outcome evaluation findings based on the perspective of the participants of the Project P.A.T.H.S. (Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programmes) in nine datasets collected from 2005 to 2009 (n = 206, 313 program participants) were examined in this paper. Based on the consolidated data with schools as units, results showed that the participants generally had positive perceptions of the program, implementers, and benefits of the program. More than four-fifths of the participants regarded the program as beneficial to their holistic development. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the perceived qualities of the program and the program implementers predicted perceived effectiveness of the program. Based on the subjective outcome evaluation findings, the present study provides support for the effectiveness of the Tier 1 Program of the Project P.A.T.H.S. in Hong Kong

Student Classroom Misbehavior: An Exploratory Study Based on Teachers\u27 Perceptions

This study aimed to examine the conceptions of junior secondary school student misbehaviors in classroom, and to identify the most common, disruptive, and unacceptable student problem behaviors from teachers\u27 perspective. Twelve individual interviews with teachers were conducted. A list of 17 student problem behaviors was generated. Results showed that the most common and disruptive problem behavior was talking out of turn, followed by nonattentiveness, daydreaming, and idleness. The most unacceptable problem behavior was disrespecting teachers in terms of disobedience and rudeness, followed by talking out of turn and verbal aggression. The findings revealed that teachers perceived student problem behaviors as those behaviors involving rule-breaking, violating the implicit norms or expectations, being inappropriate in the classroom settings and upsetting teaching and learning, which mainly required intervention from teachers

Participants\u27 Evaluation of the Project P.A.T.H.S.: Are findings Based on Different Datasets Consistent?

Subjective outcome evaluation findings based on the perspective of the participants of the Project P.A.T.H.S. (Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programmes) in nine datasets collected from 2005 to 2009 (n = 206, 313 program participants) were examined in this paper. Based on the consolidated data with schools as units, results showed that the participants generally had positive perceptions of the program, implementers, and benefits of the program. More than four-fifths of the participants regarded the program as beneficial to their holistic development. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the perceived qualities of the program and the program implementers predicted perceived effectiveness of the program. Based on the subjective outcome evaluation findings, the present study provides support for the effectiveness of the Tier 1 Program of the Project P.A.T.H.S. in Hong Kong

Evaluation of the Project P.A.T.H.S. Based on Students' Weekly Diaries: Findings from Eight Datasets

This paper aims to investigate the effectiveness of the Tier 1 Program of the Project P.A.T.H.S. (positive adolescent training through holistic social programmes) based on eight datasets collected between 2005 and 2009. A total of 1,138 students who participated in the program were randomly invited (from the whole grade or in some classes) to write a piece of journal in the form of a weekly diary in order to reveal their perceptions and feelings regarding the program and the perceived benefits of the program. Based on an integration of findings from different databases, results showed that the respondents generally (1) had positive views on the program, (2) had positive views on the instructors, and (3) perceived that they had acquired competencies at the societal, school, familial, interpersonal, and personal levels after joining the program. Acknowledging the limitations of diaries, the present qualitative findings provide support for the effectiveness of the Tier 1 Program of the Project P.A.T.H.S. in Hong Kong

The Project P.A.T.H.S. in Hong Kong—Lessons Learned and Implications for Positive Youth Development Programs

The Project P.A.T.H.S. is a positive youth development program which attempts to promote holistic development of junior secondary schools in Hong Kong. It is ground breaking in terms of the number of schools participating in the project and financial resources injected into the project. Based on the experiences gained from the implementation of the project and evaluation data collected from 2005 to 2011, several issues pertinent to the development of positive youth development programs in the Chinese culture are discussed. These issues include complexity of program development, importance of training, identification of factors governing program implementation, need for evaluation, and promotion of sustainability of the program in the long run

Positive Youth Development Constructs: Conceptual Review and Application

Editorialpublished_or_final_versio

Modeling ternary fluids in contact with elastic membranes

We present a thermodynamically consistent model of a ternary fluid interacting with elastic membranes. Following a free-energy modeling approach for the fluid phases, we derive the governing equations for the dynamics of the ternary fluid flow and membranes. We also provide the numerical framework for simulating such fluid-structure interaction problems. It is based on the lattice Boltzmann method for the ternary fluid (Eulerian description) and a finite difference representation of the membrane (Lagrangian description). The ternary fluid and membrane solvers are coupled through the immersed boundary method. For validation purposes, we consider the relaxation dynamics of a two-dimensional elastic capsule placed at a fluid-fluid interface. The capsule shapes, resulting from the balance of surface tension and elastic forces, are compared with equilibrium numerical solutions obtained by surface evolver. Furthermore, the Galilean invariance of the proposed model is proven. The proposed approach is versatile, allowing for the simulation of a wide range of geometries. To demonstrate this, we address the problem of a capillary bridge formed between two deformable capsules

Development of a New Curriculum in a Positive Youth Development Program: The Project P.A.T.H.S. in Hong Kong

The design of a new curriculum in a positive youth development program (Project P.A.T.H.S.) in Hong Kong is outlined. The Tier 1 Program of the original phase of the Project P.A.T.H.S. is a universal positive youth development program for students in Secondary 1 to Secondary 3 with the curricula developed by a research team comprising scholars in different disciplines (e.g., social work, psychology, and education). The 120 teaching units are designed with reference to 15 positive youth development constructs identified in the successful positive youth development programs. In the extension phase of the project, a new curriculum with 60 teaching units is developed in accordance with these 15 constructs with specific reference to five major adolescent developmental issues. These issues include substance abuse, sexuality issue, Internet addiction, bullying, and money and success issues. The principles underlying the program development and implementation strategies are outlined

Character Strengths in Chinese Philosophies: Relevance to Service Leadership

According to the Hong Kong Institute of Service Leadership and Management, moral character or character strength is an important attribute of an effective service leader. In connection to this, “Character Strengths in Chinese Philosophies” is one of the lecture topics taught in a course titled “Service Leadership” in a university in Hong Kong. Several topics are covered in that lecture. First, the relevance of Chinese philosophies to service leadership is discussed. Second, the core virtues in Confucian thoughts are presented. Third, the relevance of Confucian virtues to service leadership is examined. Finally, conclusions and reflections on the relevance of Confucian virtues to service leadership are outlined. In addition to one warm-up activity at the beginning of the lecture, three major activities are designed for related parts of the content. During the lecture, students are encouraged to reflect on their qualities in terms of Confucian virtues and explore effective ways to promote the development of such virtues

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