Subjective outcome evaluation findings based on the Project P.A.T.H.S. : profiles and correlates

The purpose of this paper is to report subjective outcome evaluation findings collected from the Project P.A.T.H.S. (Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programmes) which is a positive youth development program which attempts to promote holistic adolescent development in Hong Kong. A total of 4,738 students from 24 experimental schools participated in the Tier 1 Program of the project. After the program was completed, the participants completed a self-administered 20-item Chinese Subjective Outcome Scale (SOS) which assessed the participants' perceptions of the program, instructors), effectiveness, degree of sharing with the significant others and global impression. Results showed that the Chinese SOS possessed acceptable psychometric properties. The scale was internally consistent and the related dimensions regarding the program, instructor(s), effectiveness, sharing and global impression domains were significantly associated among themselves. The Chinese SOS scores were significantly related to the objective measure of life satisfaction at pretest and posttest as well as the change score, thus providing support for the construct validity of the scale. Regarding the profiles of the responses, roughly 82% of the respondents regarded the program to be effective and the program promoted self-understanding in the participants. Several psychosocial correlates of subjective outcome evaluation assessed by the SOS, including gender, economic disadvantage, perceived school adjustment and perceived family relationships, were found.