“It’s, Like, Trying To Make Us Better People” My FRIENDS .
“It’s, like, trying to make usbetter people”My FRIENDS Youth finalevaluation reportReport to the Ministry of EducationJo MacDonald, Roseanna Bourke, Melanie Berg and Jacky BurgonNZCER
ISBN: 978-0-478-16574-6 (print)ISBN: 978-0-478-16575-3 (web)RMR-1067 Ministry of Education, New Zealand 2015Research reports are available on the Ministry of Education’s website Education inions expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily coincide with those of theMinistry of Education.
“It’s, like, trying to make us better people”My FRIENDS Youth final evaluation report“It’s, like, trying to make usbetter people”My FRIENDS Youth finalevaluation reportJo MacDonald, Roseanna Bourke, Melanie Berg and Jacky Burgoni
ii“It’s, like, trying to make us better people”My FRIENDS Youth final evaluation reportNew Zealand Council for Educational ResearchP O Box 3237WellingtonNew Zealand
“It’s, like, trying to make us better people”My FRIENDS Youth final evaluation reportiiiAcknowledgementsOur thanks go to the staff and students of the 26 schools who trialled the My FRIENDS Youth programme andwho completed surveys during 2014 and 2015. Thanks also to the staff and students in the five schools we visitedwho willingly shared their experiences of the programme with us and welcomed us into their schools.We extend thanks to Margaret Lucas, Jennifer Williams and Matthew Sheerin, who carried out interviews at twoschools as postgraduate students from the Faculty of Education at Victoria University of Wellington. Theiranalysis made an important contribution to this report.Thank you to colleagues at NZCER who contributed to this evaluation, particularly Sally Boyd for her review ofthis report.Our thanks also go to the Ministry of Education staff, and in particular to the two My FRIENDS Youth trainersand coaches, who supported this evaluation.
iv“It’s, like, trying to make us better people”My FRIENDS Youth final evaluation report
“It’s, like, trying to make us better people”My FRIENDS Youth final evaluation reportTable of ContentsAcknowledgements. iiiExecutive summary . 3The My FRIENDS Youth Resilience Programme. 3This evaluation . 3Key findings . 4The majority of students thought My FRIENDS Youth was worth doing . 4The majority of students reported using the strategies they learned . 4Many students thought what they learnt would be useful in the future . 5The Wellbeing@School survey showed some positive shifts . 5Teachers felt well supported . 6Teachers implemented the programme with a high degree of fidelity . 6Teachers adapted the programme and resources for their students . 6My FRIENDS Youth is a good fit with the New Zealand school context . 7Teachers identified areas to adapt and build practice. 7Summary . 81.Introduction and background . 9The My FRIENDS Youth Resilience Programme. 9My FRIENDS Youth in New Zealand schools . 9Evaluating My FRIENDS Youth in New Zealand . 10How My FRIENDS Youth is intended to work . 11This report . 132.Methodology . 15Case study data . 16The case study schools . 16Interviews with students . 16Document analysis . 17Wellbeing@School student survey data . 17Post-programme teacher survey data. 18Limitations of this evaluation . 18Response rates. 18Timing of student surveys . 193.Students’ experiences and outcomes . 21Students’ experiences of the programme. 21Gender and ethnicity . 23Did the students learn new strategies, and use them? . 23Gender and ethnicity . 23The difference between learning strategies and using them . 24Teachers’ perspectives on student learning . 25The sessions most identified by students . 27Is the programme future-focused for students? . 31Has My FRIENDS Youth increased wellbeing, as measured through Wellbeing@School? . 33Shifts on key items with most alignment to the programme . 33v
vi“It’s, like, trying to make us better people”My FRIENDS Youth final evaluation reportAbility to support Māori students, Pasifika students and students with special education needs .36Summary and issues for consideration . 374.Teachers and the enactment of the My FRIENDS Youth programme .38Who facilitated My FRIENDS Youth in New Zealand schools? .39Teacher engagement . 40The context for teacher engagement . 41The training component: professional learning and development (PLD) for teachers .41The My FRIENDS Youth resources . 43Cultural awareness . 45Developing a trusting learning environment . 47Peer learning . 47Experiential learning . 48How My FRIENDS Youth was facilitated in New Zealand schools in 2014.49Covering the content . 50Involvement of other adults . 50Booster sessions . 51Factors that support satisfaction and acceptability .51Factors that hindered satisfaction and acceptability .52Summary and issues for consideration . 525.My FRIENDS Youth in the New Zealand cultural and educational context .55Parental involvement. 56Parents’ evenings . 57Homework . 58Compatibility with the curriculum . 58Fit within the school. 59Alignment with PB4L School-Wide . 61Future plans and sustainability . 61Summary and issues for consideration . 626.Discussion .63Introduction . 63Teachers as facilitators . 63The cognitive behavioural therapy framework: the role of training and manuals .64Māori students, Pasifika students and students with special education needs .65Limitations of the programme . 65The evidence base for My FRIENDS Youth. 66Ensuring there is a plan for those students identified as at risk .66Ongoing exposure to the ideas . 66Teachers are trained to facilitate the programme .67Concluding comments. 67References .69
“It’s, like, trying to make us better people”My FRIENDS Youth final evaluation reportTablesTable 1Case study data . 15Table 2Survey data (students and teachers) . 15Table 3Number of boys and girls interviewed across five school sites . 17Table 4Representation of Year 9 students, by ethnicity and gender . 18Table 5Students’ responses to whether the My FRIENDS Youth programme was worth doing(n 2,238) . 22Table 6Students’ use of strategies from the My FRIENDS Youth programme (n 2,250) . 24Table 7Teachers reporting on the difference they think My FRIENDS Youth has made for theirstudents (n 31) . 26Table 8Overview of the 10 sessions of My FRIENDS Youth . 27Table 9Students’ views on whether My FRIENDS Youth would be useful in the future (n 2,241) . 32Table 10 Factors teachers most liked about the My FRIENDS Youth programme from the preliminarystudy (2013 trial schools) . 39Table 11 Type of training and support experienced by the teachers (n 31) . 42Table 12 Teachers’ views on My FRIENDS Youth in the wider context (n 31) . 56Table 13 Parent and whānau involvement in My FRIENDS Youth . 57FiguresFigure 1Theory of change for My FRIENDS Youth: short-term outcomes . 12Figure 2Wellbeing@School student survey comparison between pre-programme and end-ofprogramme ratings on three items showing the most shift . 34Figure 3Teachers’ views on the appropriateness of the programme for priority learners . 36Figure 4Three scenarios illustrating how the programme was facilitated . 40Figure 5Teachers’ views on compatibility with The New Zealand Curriculum . 58Figure 6Teachers’ views on the fit within their school . 60Figure 7Teachers’ views on continuing with the programme and resourcing to support students . 62Figure 8Wellbeing@School student survey comparison between pre-programme and end-ofprogramme ratings on 13 key items . 99Figure 9Wellbeing@School student survey comparison between pre-programme and postprogramme (follow-up at Year 10) ratings on 13 key items . 100vii
viii“It’s, like, trying to make us better people”My FRIENDS Youth final evaluation reportPicturesPicture 1 Feeling words (session 2) displayed on the classroom wall .28Picture 2 Picture display on the classroom wall (bucket filling) .29Picture 3 Traffic lights on classroom wall . 30Picture 4 Green balloons on the classroom rafters . 30Picture 5 Red thoughts exercise in activity book (session 5) .31Picture 6 An example of student writing in the activity book .44Picture 7 Activity book entry from session 1 . 46Picture 8 Activity book entry from session 3 . 46Picture 9 My FRIENDS Youth posters in the classroom .47AppendicesAppendix 1:Surveys and interview schedules . 73Appendix 2:Information sheets and consent forms .91Appendix 3:Wellbeing@School student survey data.99
“It’s, like, trying to make us better people”My FRIENDS Youth final evaluation report1Key findingsThis evaluation report shows that the My FRIENDS Youth Resilience Programme aligns with governmentstrategies, is consistent with the New Zealand Curriculum key competencies and the health and physical educationcurriculum, and can be effectively facilitated by teachers for all Year 9 students, including priority learners.Positive student and teacher outcomes were evident. If students are not using the strategies already, they reportedthey are likely to do so in the future. The majority of students reported that: the programme was worth doing they use the strategies from My FRIENDS Youth what they learned from the programme will be useful for them in the future.Teachers and guidance counsellors thought that: the programme contributed to the health and physical education curriculum the specialised training was valuable their students benefited from the programme.Overall, My FRIENDS Youth was implemented with fidelity to the programme structure, while enabling teachersto meet their own teaching preferences and their specific students’ needs. Teachers expressed a desire to continueto incorporate the programme within the health and physical education curriculum in the future, adapting it morefor their local context while maintaining programme fidelity.These key findings are discussed in more detail in the executive summary.
2“It’s, like, trying to make us better people”My FRIENDS Youth final evalu
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