The evidence base for Passport
Summary of Evaluation Study
- Developed and very thoroughly tested over five years by CRISE-UQAM, Montreal, Canada
- Final version evaluated with a stratified RCT with 1,492 children aged 8 – 12
- Pre-test, post-test and one-year follow-up
- Class observations + focus groups with teachers, children and parents
Implementation evaluation
Teachers:
- were able to conduct the sessions as planned
- enjoyed teaching the programme
- liked the structure, visuals and concrete activities
- liked that it elicited discussion of important issues in children’s lives
Children enjoyed the sessions, particularly:
- the comics
- activities which involved moving around
- being able to express feelings freely without judgement
Parents evaluated the Home Activities:
- 82% thought the activities were helpful to their child
Perceived effects
Teachers said:
- children dealt with conflicts better
- they learnt coping strategies for themselves personally
- they developed a better and closer relationship with the children
Children said they had learnt:
- new ways to handle conflicts and frustrating situations
- how to calm down
- how to compromise and respect others
- to ask adults for help
- write about feelings and tell adults how they feel
Effects found using standardised measures
Coping
Measure 1: Coping in hypothetical situations
- Result: Significant increase in experimental group, no significant change in control group, both at post-test and one-year follow-up
Measure 2: Draw and write
- Result: Both groups had increased number of strategies, but Experimental Group had significantly more than Control Group
Measure 3: Kidcope (Spirito, 1996)
- Result: Number of strategies used, and their usefulness, went up pre-test to post-test in the Experimental Group, while they went down in the Control Group (not used at one-year on)
Measure 4: Children’s Coping Questionnaire (Fedorowicz, 1998)
- Result: No change pre-test to post-test. Small increase in number of coping strategies used by Experimental Group, and small decrease by Control Group, at one-year on
Emotional awareness
Measure: Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale (Bachard et al., 2011)
- Result: Significant increase in experimental group, no significant change in control group, both at post-test and one-year follow-up
Social and Academic Skills
Measure: Social Skills Rating System (Gresham & Elliott, 1990)
Result: Positive Academic Behaviour e.g.
- ‘finishes classroom work on time’
- ‘attends to your instructions’
- ‘ignores peer distractions while doing schoolwork’
- increased in the Experimental Group according to both teacher and student questionnaire, while it decreased in the Control Group, pre-test to post-test.
However, scores declined again one-year on.
Conclusion
- Can be implemented as planned
- Increases coping abilities, emotional awareness and academic behaviours
- Teachers and children enjoy it
- No significant differences in impact for boys and girls
- No significant differences in impact for socio-economic level